No. 3 Florida made its home debut on Saturday against South Carolina, and though he was not in attendance, the Gators brought a star from that state in house. Demarkcus Bowman, a former five-star prospect and the No. 20 overall player in the Class of 2020, has decided to transfer to Florida from Clemson, according to 247Sports.
Bowman signed with Clemson in the most recent recruiting class but entered the transfer portal earlier this week after his grandfather on his mother's side died. An Atlanta resident, Bowman's grandfather was his lone family member near Clemson, so he decided to transfer in order to be closer to his hometown of Lakeland, Florida.
Bowman had nine carries for 32 yards as a true freshman for Clemson this season before announcing his transfer.
A 5-foot-10, 190-pounder, Bowman is an all-propose star who is dangerous in space. He was the third-ranked running back in the country last year and the No. 4 player in the state of Florida.
Bowman's scouting report coming out of Lakeland High School should have Gators fans excited about their new offensive weapon.
"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 will join a backfield next season that should include Dameon Pierce, Malik Davis and fellow five-star transfer Lorenzo Lingard, who coach Dan Mullen added from Miami in the offseason. That kind of talent combined with Mullen's creativity should make next season's Florida offense a force to be reckoned with.
