McFeely: Ambidextrous Bison QB prospect is living the viral life

FARGO Mikey Gow is just 17 years old, but it seems he's lived as much football life as someone twice his age.

Maybe three times his age.

He had a TikTok video showing his ability to throw equally well with either arm go viral that led to millions of views, national media attention and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson posting on social media that Gow would someday be the "#1 overall pick" in the NFL Draft.

He's already drawn looks from college football big boys Michigan, Texas, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Nebraska and Indiana.

He watched a Wolverines games from the sidelines with Derek Jeter.

He spent the day with quarterback superstar Arch Manning and his family while on a visit to Texas.

At a celebrity golf tournament last summer, he hung out with NFL star running back Saquon Barkley.

He's been the subject of multiple national media stories.

Gow was part of a controversy involving America's national under-20 team that competed in the world junior championships, when the International Federation of American Football ruled he was ineligible because he didn't meet the organization's age requirements.

He was deemed too young.

He's made stops at multiple high schools in multiple states, owing to his family having to move because of his dad's job.

Gow has one year of high school eligibility left and will spend it at a new stop next season a prep school on the East Coast that plays a national schedule.

It's been a whirlwind, to say the least, that began when Gow was the ripe old age of 14.

"Mikey went through the fire with all of that, but he came out better on the other side," says his father, Jim Gow.

"He's rooted in faith and he has a strong family support system.

"There's been so much going on the last couple of years, it's hard to keep up." We write about this young man today because there is a North Dakota State angle.

Because of course there is.

Gow visited NDSU recently, posting photos on social media showing him with Bison quarterbacks coach Randy Hedberg, and is genuinely interested in the school and football program.

Mikey was drawing attention from the aforementioned schools, and even Alabama, going into his sophomore year before an injury in the second game of that year slowed things.

With the big schools swapping quarterbacks through the transfer portal, the recruiting field has changed even more.

Now the 2026 recruit is heading into his senior year having filled out at almost 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds and the home stretch for deciding on a college is here.

It's getting to be offer season.

The Bison have not offered Gow and he's likely one of several quarterbacks they are looking at for the 2026 signing class, but Mikey has visited Fargo twice.

Colleges generally sign one QB prospect per recruiting class.

"All of (the national attention) doesn't matter," Jim Gow said.

"Mikey just wants to play college football and NDSU has one of the best track records for developing QBs and putting them in the NFL." Now about that viral video ...

Mikey was drawing some attention at Bellevue East High School in Nebraska for starting and succeeding as a 14-year-old freshman.

But everything blew up when in 2022 he posted a video of himself on TikTok running through quarterback drills and throwing footballs using both arms.

Gow is naturally right-handed, but can throw the ball equally (or close to equally) as well with his left arm.

His dad sent The Forum several videos showing off Mikey's ambidextrous prowess, saying Mikey can throw the football 45 yards accurately with either arm.

There's Mikey zipping a football to a receiver right-handed, then spinning and gunning a pass to another receiver left-handed.

There's Mikey hitting the crossbar on a goalpost 20 yards away both right- and left-handed.

There's velocity and accuracy with both arms.

It is, admittedly, amazing.

It's the video that led Lamar Jackson to say Gow is going to be the No.

1 overall draft pick.

He was joking.

We think.

The NFL Network also devoted a segment to the video, which was viewed more than 2 million times in the United States and perhaps many more times that worldwide.

Mikey is still hearing from people in places like Australia and Brazil because of the video.

"Mikey was being recruited before the ambidextrous stuff was ever done and that video ever came out," Jim Gow said.

"It certainly helped and we heard from a lot of coaches all over the country because of it." Mikey has said he learned to throw left-handed following a youth baseball injury to his right arm.

He is yet to throw left-handed in a game.

Gow helped Omaha North reach the state playoff semifinals last fall, an unexpected run for the team.

He was 137 of 240 for 2,090 yards and 20 touchdowns passing.

He also ran for 444 yards and three touchdowns.

The Gow family's been around a bit, starting in Bellevue before quick stops in Allen, Texas, and Mustang, Okla., before landing at Omaha North last season.

Mikey will play for Mount Zion Prep School in Maryland this fall.

He is a 4.0 student and was a team captain at Omaha North.

"He's a really tough, humble kid," his dad said.

"He doesn't care about all the celebrity stuff or anything like that.

Never did.

It took a minute to adjust to everything, but he's fine with everything now and who he is.".

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