Demarkcus Bowman should become a household name
By Jeremy Klump
The Florida Gators have not had a 1,000-yard rusher since the 2015 season when running back, Kelvin Taylor ran for 1,035 yards and 13 scores. Florida football fans have become accustomed to the running back by committee approach, with no real star leading the. That could change in 2021 because of former five-star running back and Clemson transfer Demarkcus Bowman .
Bowman was a star in high school and highly recruited. 247 sports had him ranked as the 20th best player in the country and the No. 3 running back in the 2020 class. Bowman ultimately decided to go to Clemson, but he chose to enter the transfer portal after one season.
The Lakeland Florida high school star decided to return to his home state of Florida and transfer to Florida. I am sure Florida head coach Dan Mullen was pumped up about the decision because Bowman is an elite talent and is the biggest running back recruit he has landed in Gainesville.
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Bowman has elite speed, reportedly running a 4.47 40-yard dash in high school. He stands at 5-10 and weighs around 190 pounds. Bowman will only get bigger, faster, and stronger at Florida, but that will start in 2021.
Mullen has needed a running back he can trust to be the guy in the backfield, and I believe that Bowman will be that guy. He may only be entering his true sophomore season, but I think Bowman can have an immediate impact on the Gators.
After throwing the ball all over the field in 2020 with Heisman Trophy finalist Kyle Trask, Mackey award-winning tight end Kyle Pitts, future first-round pick Kadarius Toney, and others look for Florida’s offense to be a lot different in 2021.
I expect the Gators to be a run-heavy team, with a ton of quarterback-designed runs with quarterback Emory Jones. In the process of running Jones a lot, I think Bowman will also get a bulk of the carries, and the Gators will help out their defense with a ball-control offense.
Bowman should ultimately be the guy at running back this year, and Florida should allow him to shine. I think after a big-time sophomore season, Bowman will cement himself as a household name as a Gator.