Tag: Demarkcus Bowman

Florida gets a big boost with the arrival of this former 5-star running back

Things are finally set in stone as the 5-foot-10-inch, 190-pound backfield bowling ball is officially enrolled at UF and will begin classes.

The Florida Gators football program scored big in the transfer portal last October when Clemson’s 5-star running back recruit, Demarkcus Bowman, signed on with Dan Mullen’s team. One of Bowman’s primary reasons for making the move was to be closer to his home in Lakeland, Florida, and it also helped that UF finished second in the race for his services during the recruitment period.

Now, things are finally set in stone as the 5-foot-10-inch, 190-pound backfield bowling ball is officially enrolled at the University of Florida and will begin attending classes starting on Monday.

He provided this take on his matriculation in Gainesville for Swamp247 recently.

“Florida has been close to home and I have always been a Florida fan and they have always been a major factor growing up. 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. I wanted to go to Clemson just for my grandad to see me play and he wasn’t able to.”

Here is what 247Sports evaluator John Garcia, Jr., had to say in his overview of Bowman during his high school years.

Short, compact and muscular build with head-turning acceleration and top-end speed. Well proportioned. True home run threat with no nonsense, vertical game. Runs with a north-south and decisive style that can fit into spread or more conventional systems. Very productive at top-flight program with best games coming in biggest moments, including 2018 state title game against St. Thomas Aquinas in which he ran for 222 yards. Verified sub 4.5 speed with lower-body explosion to finish runs behind his pads. Gets to top speed in a hurry to eliminate angles. Elite balance. Effective jump cut. Can decelerate and re-route to counter overpursuit. Tools to work as effective blocker or play off ball. Limited lateral ability with room to improve as pass-catcher out of the backfield. Should see near immediate playing time at blue-blood type program and serve as potential three-and-done NFL Draft candidate.

Bowman recorded nine carries for 32 yards in two appearances for Clemson in 2020. During his high school career, he tallied 5172 total yards for an 11.2 average with 70 touchdowns on the ground; he also grabbed 10 passes along with a solitary score.

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Demarkcus Bowman adds to the Florida Gators’ improving stable of running backs

Likely eligible to play in 2021, Bowman’s addition adds to a steadily improving running backs room for Mullen and position coach Greg Knox.

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The Florida Gators, then-ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press Poll, defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks, 38-24, on October 3 to move to 2-0 in 2020.

This was not the only good news of the day, however, as former Clemson Tigers running back Demarkcus Bowman announced his intent to join Dan Mullen’s program.

A product of Lakeland High School, Bowman was a five-star prospect, the No. 3 running back and a top-five player in the state, according to the 247Sports Composite, and a player the Gators made a strong pitch for during his prep days.

Initially forgoing the chance to play for one of his home state programs, he elected to commit to Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers, pledging on May 3, 2019, and inking his National Letter of Intent (LOI) during the December Early Signing Period.

Behind senior Travis Etienne, a two-time Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Player of the Year, on the depth chart, Bowman carried the football in each of Clemson’s first two games, totaling 32 yards on nine attempts (3.6 avg.).

One of the main reasons he chose the Tigers was that his grandfather on his mother’s side, an Atlanta resident, could watch him play. Unfortunately, Bowman’s grandfather recently passed away, resulting in him wanting to be closer to the rest of his family, still stationed in Lakeland, and he entered the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Transfer Portal just two days before committing to Florida, Thursday, October 1.

NEXT: Eligibility and Outlook

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Five-star running back Demarkcus Bowman leaving Clemson, could be headed back to Florida

Clemson freshman running back Demarkcus Bowman is in the transfer portal and expected to leave the program after just two games.

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Editor’s note: This article was originally published by the Greenville News and has been republished below in its entirety. 

Clemson freshman running back Demarkcus Bowman is in the transfer portal and expected to leave the program after just two games with the No. 1 Tigers.

Bowman, from Lakeland, Florida, was a consensus five-star recruit and considered one of the top overall players in the 2020 recruiting class after rushing for more than 5,000 yards (11.4 per carry) and scored 71 touchdowns in three seasons at Lakeland High School.

Bowman has not been listed among the top three running backs on Clemson’s depth chart in the team’s two games this season. He played in wins against Wake Forest and The Citadel, totaling 32 yards on nine carries.

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“Demarkcus has entered the portal after informing our coaches of his intention to transfer,” Ross Taylor, Clemson’s assistant athletic director for football communications, conference.

Bowman’s second choice when he committed to Clemson was reportedly Florida and there is speculation that he will end with the Gators back in his home state.

While Bowman was seen as a potential future star, the impact of his departure should be manageable for the Tigers. Travis Etienne, a senior, is the all-time rushing leader in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Listed behind Etienne on the Tigers’ depth chart, respectively, are junior Lyn-J Dixon and senior Darien Rencher. Dixon returned from injury two weeks ago and had three carries for 10 yards against The Citadel. Rencher has 11 carries, most behind 25 by Etienne, for 62 yards.

Dixon finished second on Clemson’s team last season with 635 yards on 104 carries. The Tigers also have sophomores Chez Mullus and Michel Dukes.

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So far this season, Mellusi has four carries for 25 yards while Dukes has two carries for eight yards. The Tigers also have freshman Kobe Pace, who has seven rushing attempts for 24 yards.

Recruiting also will bring in more talent. Clemson has a commitment from Will Shipley, a five-star running back who was rated as the nation’s No. 1 all-purpose back by 247 Sports. Shipley rushed for 1,639 yards and 25 touchdowns while also catching 30 passes for 509 yards and nine scores last season for Weddington High School in Matthews, North Carolina.

The Tigers also have a pledge from Phil Mafa, a four-star running back and ranked No. 16 nationally at his position by 247 Sports.

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