Tag: Demarkcus Bowman

Here are CBS Sports’ notes on Florida football in its storylines to watch

Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports wrote about the addition of Demarkcus Bowman and predicted Florida’s postseason fate.

With college football players beginning to report for camp across the country, the beginning of the season will be here before we know it. Florida enters the season with some questions and production to replace, but it also has a very talented roster (albeit with varying degrees of experience).

With the recruiting lagging behind some of the elite schools in the country, Florida has been heavily reliant on the transfer portal under coach Dan Mullen. This offseason was no different, and the player of note this time around is former Clemson running back Demarkcus Bowman.

The former five-star recruit out of Lakeland was a much-desired prospect for the Gators when he was coming out of high school, but they landed him, after all. He enters a talented group of running backs, but it’s a unit that didn’t find much success in 2020.

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Part of that can be chalked up to how successful the record-setting passing offense was, but certainly not all of it. The offensive line struggled to create holes for Florida’s backs, and the run game ranged from unreliable to unusable throughout the season.

With a new quarterback in Emory Jones that likes to run with the ball, the ground game should be a much bigger emphasis in 2021 than it has been in perhaps any prior season under Mullen.

In CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd’s rundown of 21 storylines to watch in college football, the transfers were one of them, and Bowman merited a shoutout.

“Florida hopes Clemson running back transfer Demarkcus Bowman will help remake its offense under Emory Jones,” Dodd wrote.

Bowman is far from guaranteed to get the most carries, though. He’ll have to compete with seniors Dameon Pierce and Malik Davis, as well as redshirt sophomore Nay’Quan Wright, who had a very impressive 2020 season, all things considered. There’s also another former five-star transfer in the running back room, former Miami Hurricane Lorenzo Lingard. Though hopes are high for Lingard, he only played sporadically last season.

Dodd also predicts a similar bowl location for the Gators this season. He has the team going to its fourth-straight New Year’s Six Bowl, taking on Notre Dame in the Peach Bowl. Florida also went to the Peach Bowl back in 2018, Mullen’s first season, defeating Michigan, 41-15.

Notre Dame is coming off an appearance in the College Football Playoff after competing in the ACC in 2020. It’s back to life as an independent for the Fighting Irish, and they’ll have to make that adjustment without quarterback Ian Book, one of several players they have to replace.

Though many Florida fans would like to see the team take a step up in Mullen’s fourth season, this is also a team that could look very different to the one we’ve seen the last couple of years. Navigating those difficulties and returning to the NY6 would certainly be hard to complain about.

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Florida football’s running back room is deep and diverse

Not many running back rooms in the country have the luxury of having a unit that can do it all like Florida will have this season.

Coach Dan Mullen and running backs coach Greg Knox have quite a luxury in their running back room this upcoming season. They have five tailbacks that deserve snaps and specialize in a different aspect of the game.

Florida running back Dameon Pierce was asked at Pre-Fall Camp Media Availability to break down the whole room. He said that he was the bruiser of the group while his teammate Malik Davis is a really good pass catcher and likes to play in the open field. Pierce compared Nay’Quan Wright to a Swiss Army Knife and finally said Demarkcus Bowman and Lorenzo Lingard were the speedsters in the unit.

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The depth and diversity in the Gators running back room are why many media experts believe they can be the best in the SEC. However, Gene Chizik, an analyst on SEC Network, isn’t one of them. He placed running backs rooms at Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M and Auburn ahead of Florida.  Pierce and the rest of his teammates will quickly prove Chizik wrong where he’ll have to bump Florida up during the season.

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Former 5-star running back will be eligible in 2021 after transferring to UF

Florida didn’t land running back Demarkcus Bowman out of high school but snagged him out of the NCAA transfer portal early last season.

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Coach Dan Mullen confirmed to reporters at SEC Media Days Monday that former Clemson running back Demarkcus Bowman will be eligible for the Gators this season. Florida snagged the former Lakeland, Florida standout after he entered the NCAA transfer portal early last season.

The NCAA recently passed a one-time free transfer to student-athletes on April 28, but Bowman had to apply for a waiver since he entered the portal before it was passed.

Coach Mullen and running backs coach Greg Knox secured a significant victory when they grabbed Bowman from the portal even with a lack of production with the Tigers. Because they added another five-star running back to their offense. 247Sports rated Bowman as the 20th overall player in the class of 2020.

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He told Swamp247 that he chose Florida because UF has always been close to home and that he was always a Gators fan.

“They have always been a major factor growing up,” Bowman said about Florida, according to Swamp247. “We had a pipeline from Lakeland High School long before I was there. I just felt it was closer to home and have former high school teammates I played with and it’s always been a dream school.”

Because of Bowman’s talent, he should find a way to carve out snaps for himself this season despite a loaded backfield with Dameon Pierce, Malik Davis, Nay’Quan Wright and Lorenzo Lingard.

Defensive end Zachary Carter already noticed the impact he had on the team during spring practices.

“He’s a guy that came in during the spring and he’s done some really good things for us,” Carter said. “I’m excited to see how he can help our offense. He’s definitely a versatile weapon and a pretty good kid.”

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This Gator is expected to be one of college football’s most impactful transfers

The transfer running back finds himself in a crowded running back room but as a former five-star recruit, he’s expected to make an impact.

Florida desperately wanted Lakeland running back Demarkcus Bowman when he was coming out of high school. But despite the Lakeland-to-Gainesville pipeline established over the last few years, the Gators couldn’t out-bid Clemson for Bowman’s services.

He signed with the Tigers, but after appearing in just two games and taking nine carries for 32 yards, the former five-star recruit decided to transfer closer to home, and UF got its guy after all.

He enters an extremely crowded running back room that includes returning impact players Dameon Pierce, Nay’Quan Wright and Malik Davis, as well as a former five-star recruit in Lorenzo Lingard. After transferring from Miami and receiving sparing playing time in 2020, he’ll be competing for carries, as well.

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Though the potential carry distribution remains a bit mysterious and Bowman will have to fight to see the field, CBS Sports’ David Cobb projects that he will be one of the most impactful transfers in college football next season, ranking seventh overall.

To: Florida | From: Clemson — Bowman is the least-proven player in the top 10 after he registered just 32 rushing yards on nine carries during two games at Clemson last season before transferring to Florida. But there is no questioning his potential. The 5-foot-9 speedster ranked as the No. 20 overall prospect in the Class of 2020, according to the 247Sports Composite. With an initial offer list that included Alabama, Auburn, Clemson and Florida, among others, Bowman brings big-play promise to a UF backfield that also features veterans Dameon Pierce and Malik Davis.

UF could have had another player in the top 10 if it had held on to the commitment of LSU transfer Arik Gilbert, who eventually ended up at Georgia. Gilbert ranks four spots above Bowman at third.

Certainly, the hype around Bowman is based on his ceiling rather than his current level of play. But the athletic back immediately becomes one of the most talented skill-position players on the roster.

He may have a difficult path to see the field in 2021, but with Pierce and Davis both likely to move on after the season, he should have more opportunities down the line.

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Here are five Florida redshirt freshmen to watch in 2021

GatorCountry made a list of five Gators redshirt freshmen to look out for in 2021. Here’s our take on each one.

It’s difficult for true freshmen to enter a Power Five program like Florida and make an immediate impact. Many of these players need a year to adjust to the sheer talent difference between high school and college football. After that redshirt season, many of these former recruits grab a spot in the rotation or find themselves as a starter.

However, for Florida players, it’s not uncommon for these players to still barely see significant snaps. Coach Dan Mullen and his coaching staff have a tendency to value seniority and experience more than other programs across the college football landscape.

Ethan Hughes of GatorCountry made a list of five Gators redshirt freshmen to look out for in 2021. Here’s Gators Wire’s take on each one.

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Ignore the hate, Florida’s running back room is one of the best in the SEC

The disrespect the preseason magazines like Athlon and Lindy’s Sports Magazine have shown Florida’s running backs corps is unwarranted.

Florida’s running back room is loaded. It has five players with varying skills who can put up eye-popping numbers on paper.

Dameon Pierce is a human bowling ball. Malik Davis stars in the passing game. Nay’Quan Wright is a Swiss Army knife, and Lorenzo Lingard and Demarkcus Bowman are the ones who can do it all.

Only time will tell if the talent will translate into production, but it’s still mildly surprising that none of the Gators tailbacks made any of Athlon’s or Lindy’s Sports Magazine All-SEC teams. Athlon also rated the group as fifth-best in the SEC, which adds insult to injury.

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Athlon ranking the bunch fifth is the most shocking despite the struggles Florida endured on the ground last season. However, most of the blame can be placed on the offensive line because the group struggled to generate enough push up front and reach the second level of the opposing defense.

Florida will have to rely on the running game instead of its aerial attack this season because of new dual-threat quarterback Emory Jones. Coach Dan Mullen also favors run plays over passing ones typically. The last two seasons with Kyle Trask were an anomaly because of how special Trask was.

It’s unlikely any of the five backs ranks near the top in any rushing statistical category this season because of coach Mullen’s propensity to rotate backs to keep them fresh. But Athlon’s disrespect to the group as a whole on paper is unwarranted.

The only running back room that matches Florida’s depth and talent is Georgia. The Bulldogs return multiple five-stars, such as Zamir White and James Cook, and former four-star Kenny McIntosh.

Regardless of what the preseason magazines think, the Florida running backs don’t care.

 “The sky is the limit,” Davis said, according to Swamp247. “We’ve got guys returning and got experienced guys. So we’re definitely excited to get out there and see what we can do.”

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This running back is expected to be one of the SEC’s most impactful transfers

The former five-star running back is listed among the expected impact transfers in the SEC, but he faces stiff competition for playing time.

With the passing of the one-time transfer rule, which would allow players to transfer to new schools once without sitting out, college football has crossed the Rubicon. The transfer landscape now almost resembles another round of recruiting, or “free agency,” as others have described it.

Last week, the SEC confirmed that it will allow players transferring within the conference to play immediately, essentially opening the door for all new faces within the league to play in 2021.

One of those players is former Clemson running back Demarkcus Bowman. Florida heavily recruited the five-star Lakeland prospect coming out of high school, but he eventually chose to sign with coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers. After appearing in just two games and rushing the ball only nine times, Bowman entered the transfer portal, eventually deciding to return closer to home with UF.

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He faces competition from an incredibly deep running back room, which features two upperclassmen in Dameon Pierce and Malik Davis, a redshirt sophomore who had a standout 2020 season in Nay’Quan Wright, as well as another former five-star transfer in Lorenzo Lingard, who saw just five attempts with the Gators in 2020.

Still, Bowman’s talent is undeniable, and it’s hard to imagine he doesn’t break through and get some opportunities. For this reason, CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee lists him as one of the SEC transfers expected to make the biggest impact in 2021.

The Gators couldn’t muster up much of a running game last year, but that is going to change in a big way in 2021 thanks to the presence of dual-threat quarterback Emory Jones, who’s a much different player than ex-Gators quarterback Kyle Trask. Bowman was the No. 20 overall player and third-ranked running back in the Class of 2020 but didn’t see much playing time at Clemson behind star Travis Etienne. While there are experienced running backs in Gainesville like Dameon Pierce and Malik Davis, there hasn’t been a true No. 1 during any of coach Dan Mullen‘s three years leading the program.

Sallee is right that the run game has largely been an afterthought under Mullen, especially over the last two seasons. Florida found some success on the ground in 2018 but with deteriorating offensive line play and the emergence of Trask in 2019 and 2020, much of that dissipated.

That’s expected to change this year, as running the ball is a key part of Jones’ game. Florida will likely implement a lot more option looks this season, and that should benefit the running back group as a whole. It still needs to figure out issues along the offensive line, which has been disastrous at creating holes for the run game, but with the talent in the backfield, UF should see some improvement next season.

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This running back is expected to be one of the SEC’s biggest impact transfers

The former five-star running back is listed among the expected impact transfers in the SEC, but he faces stiff competition for playing time.

With the passing of the one-time transfer rule, which allows players to transfer to new schools once without sitting out, college football has crossed the Rubicon. The transfer landscape resembles another round of recruiting or “free agency” as others have described it.

Last week, the SEC confirmed it will allow players transferring within the conference to play immediately, essentially opening the door for all new faces within the league to play in 2021.

One of those players is former Clemson running back Demarkcus Bowman. Florida heavily recruited the five-star Lakeland prospect coming out of high school, but he chose to sign with coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers. After appearing in just two games and rushing the ball only nine times, Bowman entered the transfer portal and returned closer to home with UF.

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He faces competition from an incredibly deep running back room, which features two upperclassmen, Dameon Pierce and Malik Davis; a redshirt sophomore who had a standout 2020 season, Nay’Quan Wright; and another former five-star transfer, Lorenzo Lingard, who saw just five attempts with the Gators in 2020.

Still, Bowman’s talent is undeniable, and it’s hard to imagine he doesn’t break through and get some opportunities. For this reason, CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee lists him as one of the SEC transfers expected to make the biggest impact in 2021.

The Gators couldn’t muster up much of a running game last year, but that is going to change in a big way in 2021 thanks to the presence of dual-threat quarterback Emory Jones, who’s a much different player than ex-Gators quarterback Kyle Trask. Bowman was the No. 20 overall player and third-ranked running back in the Class of 2020, but didn’t see much playing time at Clemson behind star Travis Etienne. While there are experienced running backs in Gainesville like Dameon Pierce and Malik Davis, there hasn’t been a true No. 1 during any of coach Dan Mullen‘s three years leading the program.

Sallee is right that the run game has largely been an afterthought under Mullen, especially over the last two seasons. Florida found some success on the ground in 2018 but with deteriorating offensive line play and the emergence of Trask in 2019 and 2020, much of that dissipated.

That’s expected to change this year, as running the ball is a key part of Jones’ game. Florida will likely implement a lot more option looks this season, and that should benefit the running back group as a whole. It still needs to figure out issues along the offensive line, which has been disastrous at creating holes for the run game, but with the talent in the backfield, UF should see some improvement next season.

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These Florida football players made CBS Sports’ list of instant impact transfers

Coach Dan Mullen proved why he is the NCAA transfer portal king again this offseason. CBS Sports thinks these three can help UF to the CFP.

One of Florida head coach Dan Mullen’s greatest strengths besides being a quarterback whisperer is that he’s an NCAA transfer portal wizard.

He has landed several gems from the portal like wide receivers Van Jefferson, Trevon Grimes and Justin Shorter. He’s also beefed up his backfield and pass rush with the likes of Brenton Cox Jr., Jonathan Greenard and Lorenzo Lingard.

CBS Sports’ college football team took turns tabbing new transfers that could help their new program make the College Football Playoff.

David Cobb listed the Gators new defensive linemen Antonio Shelton and Daquan Newkirk immediately. Here’s a glimpse of what he wrote.

Defensive tackles rarely generate headlines, and the focus entering this season is rightly on Florida’s secondary and new starting quarterback Emory Jones. But the Gators would have been in a tight spot at defensive tackle if they hadn’t snagged two proven veterans from the portal. Shelton and Newkirk will help Florida’s defense improve, and that could bring the CFP into play for this team.

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Former defensive tackles Kyree Campbell and Tedarrell Slaton left Florida in dire straights when they declared for the NFL draft. Not many defensive tackles saw meaningful snaps beside Campbell, Slaton and freshman Gervon Dexter. Cobb believes these new additions could potentially be upgrades to Campbell and Slaton.

Shelton racked up 3.5 sacks in seven games last season for Penn State, and  Newkirk collected 28 tackles and three for a loss for Auburn. Both players should make an immediate impact for the Gators this season.

NEXT: The impact player on offense

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Two Gators land within 247Sports’ top 100 impactful football transfers

Florida football’s quest to build a contender in 2021 has taken them to the portal a number of times including for two of the nation’s best.

The Gators didn’t have much choice but to reshape their team after the offense was gutted by the NFL and the defense was nearly unwatchable all season. One of head coach Dan Mullen‘s tried and true methods for team building is to use the transfer portal as a microwave fix while he slow-cooks a more sustainable solution. He set down that path this offseason, snagging a large group of transfers from the market who figure to make an instant impact on the 2021 squad.

246Sports published a ranking of the 100 most impactful transfers on Thursday, and two of the new additions to the Florida family got a mention. The first was running back Demarkcus Bowman, and a little further down the list, Antonio Shelton was also pegged.

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Bowman’s cameo on this list is no surprise. Awarded the fourth spot among the nation’s top transfers, he’s a speedy running back with incredible explosion and balance. “Former five-star and top-25 player in the 2020 class, Bowman gets a new start in an offense that values the run game and 12 personnel,” they wrote. There’s a good chance that Bowman is the team’s primary back in a crowded and talented room.

Shelton’s placement as the 36th player on the list was a bit more unexpected. He wasn’t a heralded recruit in 2016 and hasn’t made a big name for himself in the years since. The logic here isn’t impossible to figure out, though. He’s an experienced starter coming from a good program and will have every likelihood of entering the season with a starting job in hand. He’s not a flashy addition, but there’s a certain virtue in set-it-and-forget-it lineman.

Two other players with recent connections were also included in the rankings. The third-ranked player, tight end Arik Gilbert, was briefly committed to transfer to Florida, but decommitted for undisclosed personal reasons. In addition, the top-ranked transfer is Henry To’oto’o, who had seriously considered playing for the Gators before settling on Alabama.

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