On Sunday afternoon, the Michigan football team made a surprise appointment with the Texas Tech graduate transfer Alan Bowman. Below, we share four things that stand out for us about Bowman’s career with the Red Raiders and his potential adjustment in Michigan.
1. Bowman can shoot
It doesn’t take much time researching Bowman or watching his games to reach that conclusion. At Grapevine High School in the Dallas metropolitan area, Bowman played for 9,639 passing yards, 107 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in his last three seasons with the Mustangs. That was enough to get the attention of Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury, who also evaluated, recruited and got appointments from three star candidates, such as Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield and Davis Webb – all of whom were drafted, even if the two eventually transferred.
With the Red Raiders, Bowman was a quick success. Allegedly conquering the locker room with his sympathy as one of the first entrants, Bowman was a second stringer to start his career, but started soon after, when McLane Carter fell with an ankle injury. Bowman immediately took over, attracting praise for his long-range and traffic pitches – despite unconventional mechanics – and even gaining some hype from Heisman. He pitched for 605 yards and five touchdowns against Houston in his second start, knocking Oklahoma State No. 15 down the road with 397 yards the following week. Later in the season, he completed 21 of 26 passes for 227 yards and two scores in one half, helping Texas Tech take the lead at halftime over Oklahoma.
In his career, Bowman has thrown 5,260 yards and 33 touchdowns in 19 games. Interceptions are an area to watch (he has 17), but he has got it right, completing 67.0 percent of his 713 passes. Texas Tech is known for having ridiculous passing statistics, but that doesn’t detract from Bowman’s passing ability.
2. Injuries hampered his career at Lubbock
In a forgettable game against West Virginia, his fourth early career, Bowman was sandwiched in a blow that fractured a rib and partially collapsed his lung. A player known for his stamina who played the second half of a high school playoff game with a fractured shoulder, Bowman returned to the game less than a month later. In that first half against Oklahoma, Bowman got it right in a race that made his lungs collapse. This time, his season ended after appearing in eight games.
In the off season, Texas Tech changed coaches, but Bowman resumed his initial role and was seen as the future of the Red Raiders. But in only his third game of the 2019 season, he suffered a fractured collarbone that ended his season and took him to a redshirt. Last fall, Bowman suffered an ankle injury in a loss to Texas, although it appears that his bank was not due to his health. He finally came back to start the final three games for the Red Raiders.
There are many visits to the hospital and rehabilitation over three seasons. And if you ask Texas Tech fans, Bowman never went back to how he was before his injuries increased. As a result, Bowman can be remembered for what could have been at Lubbock, rather than what he actually accomplished on the pitch.
3. Bowman’s resistance must be captivating
In addition to experiencing three of the aforementioned injuries, Bowman developed a reputation for his courage while in Lubbock. His courageous displays against Oklahoma State and Oklahoma as a freshman stand out more, but Bowman also faced every challenge with that conviction. Even last fall, which saw its popularity in Lubbock fail, Bowman was on the bench, but stuck long enough to regain his job, leading the Red Raiders to two wins and a six-point loss at Oklahoma State in the last three games after one start of season 1-5.
In interviews, Bowman looks fun and confident, but also adamant. He has seen a lot in his career and continues to recover. He is not expected to arrive in Michigan before spring, but that is a quality that the Wolverines have even admitted they need this year. Even if Bowman never sees the field, Bowman can impact the locker room if the fit is appropriate.
4. Getting started is not out of the question
Bowman, who managed to graduate in 3.5 years, was classified as the eighth transfer quarterback by 247Sports in this cycle. To put it in context, Joe Milton was rated No. 12 by the same team of national analysts and Dylan McCaffrey was not among the 45 quarterbacks assessed. He is immediately eligible and will have three years of remaining eligibility. Bowman will not and should not have the same level of hype as Michigan’s last transfer quarterback, Shea Patterson. He was cast in his third season with one of the worst teams in the Big 12, and is far from being an NFL Draft scout.
Realistically, the Wolverines would probably not get such a player, with Cade McNamara and five-star freshman JJ McCarthy also looking to start jobs. When the Wolverines entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, they did so looking for comfortable players competing for a job, with experience to contain the lack of McNamara and McCarthy and a veteran capable of handling and digesting a quick facility in the event of an injury surprise.
Still, Bowman’s addition does not seem entirely for purposes of depth. As a recruit in the heart of Texas, he was the target of one of the most respected quarterback assessors in the world. As a freshman, he posted strong numbers against the competition of power five. His fall with Texas Tech could be justified by injuries, the Red Raiders’ offensive line and a change of coach. Jim Harbaugh defeated a rejected quarterback with gas in the tank in 2015, and Jake Rudock returned the favor with a 10-3 season.
Let’s be clear, expectations for Michigan in 2021 are likely to remain unchanged. If Bowman becomes one of the top five in the Big Ten, he will be proving a tonne wrong people. Even winning the starting position would come as a surprise to almost everyone. But on Sunday, Michigan hired a talented and experienced quarterback who needed a change of scenery, which is nothing.