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Sunday, July 25, 2021

2021 Season Countdown: #41a Alan Bowman

 

Alan Bowman

Name: Alan Bowman
Height:
6'3"
Weight:
215 lbs.
High school:
Grapevine (TX) Grapevine
Position:
Quarterback
Class:
Redshirt junior
Jersey number:
N/A
Last year:
Bowman completed 150/232 passes for 1,602 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions at Texas Tech.
TTB Rating:
N/A

Bowman has an interesting history. He marched into Texas Tech, completed a lot of passes, got injured some, and then felt like he was probably going to get replaced. So he decided to transfer, and he signed with Michigan. That's an abbreviated history, but the point is that he is by far the most experienced option at quarterback for the Wolverines. He has thrown 33 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, and 713 total passes in his college career. Compare that to Michigan's lone quarterback with college experience, Cade McNamara, who has 5 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and 71 pass attempts - literally 10% of the attempts that Bowman has.

Because that's the case, one would think that Bowman would be a shoo-in for the starter's job. In the words of Lee Corso: not so fast, my friend.

I believe Bowman is a decent quarterback, but McNamara has spent the past two years in this offensive system and working with these receivers. Jim Harbaugh recently said McNamara is the clear #1 quarterback going into fall camp. Could things change between now and September 4? Sure. Will they? I honestly don't have any idea.

You might also notice that I have not yet ranked second-stringer J.J. McCarthy, so why is the third quarterback so high here at #41a?

Well, McNamara didn't last long during his redshirt freshman season, hurting his shoulder almost immediately after usurping the starting job from Joe Milton. And McCarthy is a true freshman. Not only does Bowman provide a veteran presence and competition to the quarterback room, but he could find himself thrust into a prominent role even if he's technically the third-stringer. Another injury to McNamara and/or some bumpy spots for a freshman could see Bowman taking snaps in Michigan Stadium.

The quarterback situation is perhaps the most intriguing story of the 2021 season for Michigan, outside of Jim Harbaugh's job security. Bowman could be a Jake Rudock and start the entire season, or he might end up like John O'Korn and never really find his footing.

Prediction: Backup quarterback

19 comments:

  1. "completed a lot of passes, got injured some, and then felt like he was probably going to get replaced. So he decided to transfer, and he signed with Michigan.
    '

    Is this a post about John O'Korn?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Another smart pickup. We need depth at QB, even if he can't come in and start

    When I first learned of him, I thought Bowman would be QB1. Now, I'm a little more iffy. He needs to come in, learn the system & sync with our Receivers, which doesn't leave much time

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  3. I think Bowman is going start. I'd put him top 10, if not top 5.

    -LANK

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  4. @Mego

    John O'Korn's best game came as a freshman against Rutgers and he had the benefit of learning the system before starting at Michigan. Not sure you have the right guy...

    Bowman seems a lot more like Rudock to me.

    -LANK

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 247 notes:
      His fallout with Texas Tech could be justified by injuries, the Red Raiders' offensive line and a coaching change. Jim Harbaugh took in a cast-off quarterback with gas in the tank back in 2015, and Jake Rudock returned the favor with a 10-3 season.

      Delete
    2. As with Rudock, I think there are some legitimate reasons why a proven performer fell out of favor and transferred. With Rudock it was that he got usurped by a legitimate NFL player. With Bowman it was injuries and coaching changes. If either was a great player they would have overcome it, but sometime being very good isn't enough.

      Instead of shrinking back they each elected to compete on an even bigger stage. That's confidence and opportunity.

      Michigan needed a steady vet like Rudock in 2015, someone to steer the ship in the right direction and not mess things up for a strong defense. In 2021 they still have a big need but the situation has changed. They need a kid with fire to make plays. They need things that have been lacking in recent years from the QB position: leadership, toughness, and someone who can consistently take advantage of skill position talent.

      Hopefully Michigan can benefit similarly from both cases.

      -LANK

      Delete
  5. He's only a year older than Cade but far more proven. He's got a 500 yard game, a 5 TD game, and 80% completion game - two of those came against Oklahoma and Texas too, so it's not just filler (cough Rutgers cough).

    There is a lot more story to the Texas Tech situation, as Thunder alluded to, but it seems like the Michigan fanbase isn't too interested in it because he's perceived as a 3rd stringer with limited upside. I think that's dead wrong.

    He's been called the most accurate passer in college football. And he's been praised for his leadership and toughness. Kid has moxie and he's Kliff Kingsbury-approved. In some ways he's the exact opposite of Joe Milton heading into 2020 - experienced, accurate, but limited upside due to arm strength.

    We'll get into Cade another time, but the 2 years in the system thing doesn't seem to be all that helpful. Seems like it should mean something but 2 of the 3 best QB seasons in the Harbaugh era have been with new QBs who transferred directly in. It hasn't helped anyone to be in the system for a long time - Patterson and Speight regressed in their final years, Peters and Milton weren't ready after 2 years, O'Korn didn't have it despite being lauded for doing everything the right way, etc.

    -Lank

    ReplyDelete
  6. Of course I'm just guessing, but I trust production over conjecture. We'll see how it plays out.

    It looks like staying healthy is going to be an issue for McNamara and Bowman both, so I expect we'll get to see meaningful efforts from each. While neither has McCarthy's upside, I am guessing Bowman will come out as the best option in 2021, and likely 2022 as well.

    -LANK

    ReplyDelete
  7. Having decided that accuracy is more valuable than arm strength, I like Bowman. I particularly like the big games against stout competition. Taking Lanky's word on that one.

    But I also like McNamara. He's played a lot of QB. 12,000+ yards passing at the high school level is a really big number. And ... yeah, yeah, Nevada football ain't Ohio football, that's still a way bunch of throwing the football well. Also a 4.3 at a real school taking real classes. He should be comprehending the playbook.

    I do share Thunder's fear with McNamara, that being guys who broke once tend to break again. So, I think Bowman gets past McNamara pretty quick. The question in my mind is can he hold off the stud freshman.

    In any event, I like our Quarterbacks this year a lot better than I did last year, although I agree with whoever it was over at the other site why we didn't really turn Milton loose to run the football. It sure looked to me like he could take a hit. Actually it looked to me like he was pretty hard to even put a hit on, as he could step so far out of range. I would have had him running a whole lot more than whoever is calling the offense did before I gave him the hook in favor of McNamara.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. via 247: https://247sports.com/college/michigan/Article/Four-things-to-know-about-Michigan-football-grad-transfer-commit-Alan-Bowman-quarterback-Texas-Tech-161669696/

      It doesn't take long researching Bowman or watching his games to come to this conclusion. At Grapevine High School in metropolitan Dallas, Bowman threw for 9,639 passing yards, 107 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in his final three seasons with the Mustangs. This was enough to capture the attention of Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury, who also scouted, recruited and landed commitments from three-star prospects such as Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield and Davis Webb — all of whom were drafted, even if the latter two eventually transferred.

      -LANK

      Delete
    2. Read through that story and it sounds like something mythical. I don't think we should raise expectations unnecessarily, but Bowman might be a really really good QB if he can get healthy.

      Of course he has to get better too - leverage his experience (and Harbaugh's coaching) JUST enough to reign in the risk-taking while keeping the gunslinger's aggression. He's not going to have Brett Favre's arm-strength but the focus on putting the ball in the end-zone might be just what this program needs.

      He needs a change of scenery and a lot of people think Michigan as a program needs a jolt of energy and aggressiveness. Perfect match?

      -LANK

      Delete
  8. Man, the Rudock comparison was one I hoped for when I learned of Bowman's commitment, but I don't think that's what we have here:
    - Rudock left a prostyle system for a Jim Harbaugh pro style system. As a 5th year Senior, a three year starter, and a future med school student, he was ideal for the intricacies of the 49er playbook. It also didn't hurt that his competition was Shane Morris & Alex Malzone
    - Bowman is coming from a Run & Shoot 4 & 5 Receiver set Offense ... they sling it in Lubbock (and his HS). He's headed for Jim Harbaugh & Josh Gattis "speed in space," that happens to use 3TEs at a time, and has not ever had a sense of urgency for getting into the end zone
    - while Rudock was benched too, he was always about what JH wanted: a game manager. Bowman's benching had less to do with injuries than it had to do with production. Once Kingsbury was fired, the new system called for a QB who could & would use his feet. Bowman is a pocket guy, so the offense didn't work with him

    As has been said about Milton (and even Shea), if our QB doesn't use their feet to keep the Defense honest, our offense loses a gear. It's not like we need DRob, but the ability & willingness to take yards on the ground has to be an option. Bowman doesn't do that ... he is incapable

    I wanted the Rudock season to repeat itself, because I'm not high on McNamara, and don't think JJ is ready. But unless we're going to make adjustments to our scheme, I can't see Bowman as anything more than a quality B1G backup. Hope I'm wrong


    http://www.dailytoreador.com/sports/bowman-benched-colombi-to-start/article_6f9e04b4-0e8e-11eb-9fd0-4747f6cf635e.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bowman can't run at all. But even when Michigan had guys who could do it well they rarely used it. Lots of complaining about the lack of QB runs. But now we're supposed to worry this guy can't run enough to work in that same offense? Anyway, it's not like the competition is Devin Gardner.

      Wells and Yost brought in their own guy and clearly the running limitation was an issue for them. Fair enough but the thing about that article from mid October is that the team wasn't actually better with Columbi. Bowman replaced him within the month, and he did better against Baylor and closed the year with 2 wins and a narrow loss against Oklahoma State (where Bowman threw for 384 yards).

      Bowman has his limitations to be sure, but so do McNamara and McCarthy. Those guys wouldn't beat out Rudock either. That's system independant.

      The offense has changed a lot since 2015, but they still don't run the QB much. Seems to me like Bowman's skillset is a good fit for what these coaches call even if the system is different. If they start running read options with him...we can start talking about the new head coach. If they choose a lesser passer because of a marginal improvement in running ability...they'll likely end up unsuccessful, just like Texas Tech did.

      We'll see how it goes but I could see a win-win situation where Gattis/Harbaugh reign in Bowman's tendency to gamble while Bowman pushes them to be more aggressive downfield. I like the fit - a lot.

      -LANK

      Delete
    2. Kingsbury rotated a running QB with Bowman in his freshman year. It was pretty gimmicky but made TTU a very entertaining watch. Bowman looked like a future star then, when he wasn't busy riding in ambulances. Shades of poor damn devin gardner but also some rookie-level risk-taking by Bowman.

      Wells and Yost came in and had a different vision right away. Bowman was injured most of the time, which I'm sure bothered them too, and then got benched for a guy who was not clearly better. The transfer makes complete sense on Bowman's end, as it did for Rudock. You want a guy who will stay and compete but in both cases it did seem like the deck was stacked against them.

      -LANK

      Delete
    3. Mine isn't a disagreement in favor of cade or JJ. I'm just saying I don't think Bowman fits in as well as I originally hoped

      If you want to say that's because JH has a tendency to not get the most out of his QBs here, I'm with you

      Delete
    4. Bowman is a pocket passer. Harbaugh's best QBs have been pocket passers (at least in college).

      I think JH wants a guy who can run a bit, and it should be noted that he has praised Cade's athleticism. Still - I don't see a big edge for Cade or McCarthy on this front relative to Bowman.

      I believed in McCaffrey because I put a lot of weight on running ability and think Harbaugh can work with it... but what we've seen in the Harbaugh era is that his offense evolves pretty gradually. So I think we're still going to see plenty of TEs and we're still not going to see the QB run it very often. I just don't see that as a big differentiator. A tie-breaker at best, and I don't think there's anything close to a tie.

      Anyway, they've shown a strong tendancy to use substitutions at the QB spot when they want to run. If anything, I think there could be a role for Villari here...or perhaps Edward.

      -LANK

      Delete
    5. You're right. Harbaugh doesn't want or need a DRob. But the QB has to be able to pick up yards. Rudock was no dual threat, but was willing to move; Speight is an even more extreme example. Shea would not run in 2019, and Milton was hesitant even when he did tuck. Bowman simply will not run - it's not in his game. I don't remember if it was Jansen or Balas, but one of them had his HS coach on the podcast, and this part was emphasized as the main driver of TT no longer being home

      I do agree that he's a pocket guy, and have said as much. But Bowman's shocking stats came when he was in a 100% air raid, with 5 receivers flying around as options, vertically & horizontally
      Take a look at his game logs before and after the coaching change, and you'll see a significant drop across the board (some boost in OT/comeback attempts)
      Now imagine his options being Luke Schoonmaker running short & across the middle, or Erik All and his potential to drop; Hassan Haskins staying home to block, not as an outlet ... his remaining option is to run

      I just don't see JH & Gattis receiving a guy with 4weeks to prepare, scrapping any competition, and installing a more TT like offense

      But as Thunder said in his player review, I honestly do not know

      Delete
    6. I think you're raising a really good point bringing up the coaching transition he went through at TTU. Absolutely right that the numbers fell after going from a true air raid to something more balanced under Yost.

      Note that Yost's offense completed 36 passes to TEs in 2019, compared to 3 the year before under Kingsbury. Last year Michigan completed 24 passes to TEs, TTU completed 20. It might not be as different as you think.

      Most guys numbers go up from freshman to sophomore and junior year but Bowman's stats went down, which probably says more about the OC change than the QB. Yost has since been fired.

      I think some people forget that the 2021 Michigan offense will not look anything like the 2015 offense. I can't say that the QB fit will be quite as clean as it was in 2015, but I think UM 2021 is more like TTU 2020 than Iowa 2014.

      -LANK

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    7. Back to today - the transition at TTU means two things to me.

      1. Bowman has already been through a transition in scheme and coach, so the worry people have should be mitigated by his experience. He's not just an air raid guy anymore, he can find TEs, and the ones at Michigan are probably better than what he had at TTU.

      2. His numbers - which are solid and generally in line with Rudocks - are not just inflated system numbers as some think. He faced a lot of injuries and coaching change, so if anything they are probably suppressed.

      Rudock - despite a limited physical ceiling, leveraged his experience and performed significantly better when surrounded with Michigan-caliber talent. Rudock was a pocket guy who dialed back the turnovers and was a solid college QB to close his career. Bowman can follow this same path.

      The transition is not nothing, but lets remember Rudock went through some change too. The entire program was going through it at that time. And Rudock struggled badly at the start of the year before settling in.

      I think it's likely that Bowman will also settle in as the clear best option at QB. It might not happen on day one and there's obviously a lot of external factors here including the OL instability and turnover but accuracy and experience are big advantages for Bowman IMO.

      I fully acknowledge Cade could improve a lot - people tend to make leaps when they become upperclassmen. And Bowman, while he played very well at times, failed to consistently and clearly distinguish himself from the other QBs at TTU. I don't think he's a transcendent talent. But where most people see an issue - FIT - I see an opportunity. As with Rudock.

      -LANK

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