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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