Scouting Report: New Florida Gators RB Demarkcus Bowman
The entire narrative surrounding Florida's running back room changed over the weekend.
Going on two years, the elephant in the room has been Florida ability, or lack thereof, to recruit running backs. Criticism has been warranted because the Gators play in the SEC, and head coach Dan Mullen is a guy who wants to run the ball. But, ever since Nay'Quan Wright committed and signed in December 2018, Florida has gone pledge-less at the position, despite numerous efforts to acquire top talents out of high school.
In the class of 2020, Florida went all-in on one of the top running backs, and overall prospects, in the nation in Lakeland's (Fla.) Demarkcus Bowman. Considering the team's need at the position and Lakeland's fame for sending talent to UF, the Gators were looked at as potential favorites for Bowman's services until he pledged to Clemson last May. He never looked back as he proceeded to sign in December.
10 months later, following some tragic family events, Bowman has left Clemson and will transfer back to his home state to play for the Gators, changing the dynamic of Florida's running back room completely as a former five-star talent and fresh pair of legs, still almost straight out of high school.
What type of talent does Bowman bring to the Gators' running back corps? How does his addition change the outlook of the position short and long-term? Who does Bowman resemble on the field? To get a better feel for the latest five-star transfer to Florida, below you can find a scouting report on Bowman's skill-set from watching his 2019 highlight video as well as his performance against St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) in the 2018 state championship game.
Scouting Report
Vision
One of the first things that stand out on Bowman's tape is his vision, because it's nothing short of incredible.
Whether he's working north-to-south on a run or moving from side-to-side, Bowman has a superb feel for what's around him and what's coming his way while the ball is in his hands. You can see Bowman navigate through traffic in the trenches with ease, finding tiny gaps in the backfield and swiftly cutting up and through them.
When he gets out into the open, Bowman has no issue seeing what's coming his way via his peripheral vision, and takes into account what's happening as much as 10 yards downfield in order to make cuts and eliminate pursuit angles for defenders. There were moments on tape where Bowman would leave a safety dusted out in front of him before he was ever even in reach to make contact.
Speed and Burst
Clocking a 4.47-second 40-yard dash in high school is impressive enough as is, especially for a running back already in the 190-pound range. Bowman also has 10.69-second 100-meter and 22.36 200-meter dash times on his résumé, verifying just how dynamic he is as a distance-runner on the football field.
Bowman's utilizes his speed in several different ways to create damage against opposing defenses. In the backfield, Bowman can either get speedy as soon as the ball touches his hands, but he is certainly a patient, anticipatory runner who will utilize lead blocks and allow the offensive line to create room for him to accelerate into the open field. Once he's out in the open, whether it be from a cut-back move, another type of maneuver, or simply moving straight-forward, Bowman hits a second gear that is simply too quick for most defenders to catch up to.
Out of cuts, Bowman immediately hits the next gear angling away from the defender in order to prevent anyone from potentially catching up. Not only is he gifted with pure speed and burst, but he's aware of how to use it most effectively.
Elusiveness
It's already been alluded to when talking about his vision and speed, but Bowman has a knack for making defenders miss when they try to bring him down. Whether it's a one-cut-and-go, dancing around with defenders closing, or bouncing back-and-forth in the open field, it's a safe bet that Bowman will evade at least one defender on any given play.
Bowman possesses a swift spin move that he can deploy post-cut/contact and quickly return to full speed, a testament to his balance as a runner. He has also flashed potential with a solid stiff arm, which should only continue to get stronger in the weight room.
He can plant with a strong left and right foot in order to cut upfield, eliminating any wasted movement by digging his plant foot into the dirt and taking off. Bowman's feet and hip fluidity are also quick enough to weave back and forth to throw defenders off of their downhill angles, which has led to some broken ankles in the open field. He's got hops too, which he's put to use to hurdle defenders after gaining momentum running with some space.
Power
While Bowman fits the mold of a spread-scheme back that's more elusive and fast than strong and powerful, there is physicality and strength to Bowman's rushing style that should continue to be unlocked and developed as he begins his career at Florida.
Bowman is known for making defenders miss, both in space and in crowded areas due to his speed, elusiveness, and vision. But there are times where he, like any back, has to take on contact, whether it be in the trenches or when second and third-level defenders are athletic enough to keep Bowman in reach. On occasion, Bowman would handle it well, lower his shoulders, and run through the contact, but he was susceptible to arm tackles at times and doesn't always run through defenders with authority.
The Gators should look to add five-to-ten pounds, maximum, to Bowman's frame in his lower body to add power while maintaining speed. He has strong feet that can plant-and-go through his cuts, but strength added to his upper legs and a more consistently-low pad level while embracing contact should allow Bowman to find more success as a power rusher. He plays with loads of balance already, now, he needs to improve his contact balance and be more confident when embracing contact.
Bowman is a leaner, which tends to allow for a few extra yards after contact as he's going down. When contact comes his way he'll get his shoulders down, which generates some power but can also knock him off balance without a lower center of gravity. Improvement in this area will allow Bowman to take more carries up-the-gut and in short-yardage situations, further developing his three-down capabilities and ability to break tackles.
Passing Game
There isn't much evidence here on tape, which makes a lot of sense as Lakeland could run their offense through Bowman. However, there were a couple of instances that provide a glimmer of hope for Bowman to truly become a three-down back in college.
Bowman appears to be a willing blocker, seen by a drive block on a run-play where he took a defender about ten yards down the field and put him into the dirt. That was only one play and taking on pass rushers in the backfield is a different animal, but it should be expected that Bowman will take on that challenge with some experience blocking in general.
He also caught just ten passes in his high school career (compared to 460 carries), tallying 103 yards and a score through the air. I saw two of those on tape, one being a screen pass where Bowman jumped to catch a high pass and immediately turned to get upfield as he does as a rusher. He also scored on a seam route out of the backfield against what appeared to be broken coverage. It appears that Bowman is capable of being a factor in the passing game, but obviously those skills will need to be seen a bit more often.
Pro Comparison: Ray Rice, former Baltimore Ravens RB
At the NFL Combine, Rice stood in at 5-foot-8, 199-pounds, and clocked a 4.42-second 40-yard dash. Bowman was listed at 5-foot-10, 190-pounds on Clemson's roster, and as previously mentioned, is a confirmed speedster with a 4.47 40 on record.
Beyond the numbers, Rice was a very similar prospect coming out of Rutgers and heading into the NFL. An elusive back with great speed, vision, and potential to play with power, analysts were often impressed by Rice's ability to utilize his size as natural leverage to play low, helping him avoid defenders by driving through them or evading them with cuts.
Bowman is on Rice's level as an elusive runner, no doubt. And he's able to play low similarly as Rice did during his playing career, it just needs to be more consistent. Rice was a dominant receiving back in the NFL, but like Bowman, his catching ability wasn't used much in school as he caught just 37 passes in three seasons, with 12 across his first two years combined.
Final Thoughts
There's a reason Bowman was a consensus five-star prospect. He can make just about any defender that comes his way miss their tackle, and after that, Bowman is likely on his way to the endzone. Without nitpicking, there isn't much negative to pull from Bowman's game because his skill-set as is should translate to success in college football.
Florida should look to prove his strength and technique taking on contact and develop his skill-set in the passing game, as there's potential to improve in both departments. With that development, Bowman fits the mold of a three-down running back in the SEC, with the talent to be the best running back that has come through Florida in some time.
The NCAA transfer waiver process is nothing short of inconsistent, making it hard to predict when Bowman will take the field for the Gators. But there is no doubt, when he's cleared to play, the Gators will play him. You simply can't leave a talent like Demarkcus Bowman on the sidelines.
