Texas Tech received some big news on Wednesday evening when Grapevine (TX) quarterback Alan Bowman committed to the Red Raiders. The Red Raiders have been working hard to land their signal caller for the 2018 class and got their guy when Bowman pulled the trigger.
For Bowman, committing to Tech was just a matter of if you know, why wait? Bowman, rated as the No. 16 pro-style QB in the country and a Top-75 player in Texas, was seemingly on the cusp of receiving some more big offers this summer. With multiple camps in the works and even a Penn State visit scheduled (his dad played for the Nittany Lions), Bowman could have definitely taken a slower approach.
But in Bowman’s case, he knew he wanted to play at Tech, so he shut things down immediately.
“Right when we left Tech, I knew that I wanted to go there and wanted to play there,” Bowman said. “I kind of had a long talk with my parents during the car ride back. We able to talk about it a lot, and I made the decision two days later. I kind of knew during the ride back, though. We you know, you know, and I knew that I wanted to go to Tech.
“Yeah, my dad played at Penn State, and they showed a lot of interest in me and I was going to their camp. I had the Illinois offer, but if I know where I wanted to go, why would I waste all that money traveling across the country if I knew I wanted to go to Texas Tech? We just said screw it, I want to go here, I want to play here, taking the other trips isn’t worth the money. I just wanted to go to Tech, so I committed.”
Committing to a school is a tremendous weight taken off of recruits’ shoulders and Bowman is no different. For the Tech coaches, that same burden was also lifted as they got their much-needed signal-caller for the 2018 class.
“Coach Morris and coach Kingsbury were together, so I texted coach Morris and then called them, and he put me on speaker, and I told them I wanted to be a Red Raider. I wanted to commit to Texas Tech. It was awesome. Coach Kingsbury let out a big, ‘LET’S GOO!!’ so they were pretty excited about it.”
Bowman holds 15 total offers currently but none are bigger than the Tech offer he received last weekend. The Tech coaches had been keeping an eye on the 6-foot-3, 205-pound prospect for quite some time and when he showed up to their camp and put on a show, Bowman picked up the coveted offer. Everything about Lubbock during his visit caught his attention which made his decision that much easier.
“My family and I kind of set out a plan with recruiting. I wanted to play Power-Five football, I wanted to play big-time football, I wanted to play on the biggest stages in front of everybody, and I wanted to stay in Texas. Not that I was trying to shrink my options or anything, I was open to every school that offered, but that was everything that I really wanted in the back of my mind.
“When I went to Tech, I had a great experience there, fell in love with Lubbock immediately, and the things they are doing is amazing. They have the new indoor facility, the new weight room, and they are building new locker rooms, so all the stuff just lined up perfectly.”
“I just loved the campus there, it is the second biggest campus in the nation. It is a huge campus, and I loved it. I loved everything about the football program. They are putting in so much money into it, adding new facilities left and right. My relationship with the coaches is pretty awesome, so it was just a perfect fit.”
Bowman stated that when he committed that meant he was 100 percent committed to the school; however, a potential coaching change looms large over the Tech football program this year. If Kingsbury and staff don’t put together a big season, unfortunately a change in coaches could be made. Even still, Bowman has confidence in what’s to come.
“I have the upmost trust in both coach Kingsbury and coach Morris and what they can do. I think they know they have to perform this year, they know that they have to win, and I think they are going to do it. I wouldn’t have committed if I didn’t think they were going to get it done, so I am excited for them.”
After watching a playmaker like Patrick Mahomes at QB these past few years, having a “steady-eddie” pro-style QB taking the snap might look a little different than what Tech fans are used to. Bowman, however, thinks he can put on a show just like Mahomes can and is ready to bring the big plays and wins to Lubbock.
“They should be excited that I put together highlight plays. I’m not just going to go out there and do my own thing, I’m going to strictly do what I’m told. I think it is like 40 percent of the time that you actually get to take a three step drop in college, and the other 60 percent of the you’re making things happen which I feel like I can do. Patrick Mahomes was the best at it, making plays and running around, and I feel like that is one of my best attributes in high school, and I feel like I can carry it over to college and my career there. I have extreme accuracy in the ball that I have. I have a quick release, and I can make space for myself and make plays down the field.”
Bowman passed for 3,329 yards with 42 touchdowns and only six interceptions last year. Bowman also completed passes at a 68 percent clip, earning All-State honorable mention and All-District MVP honors along the way. With another 3,000 + yard season, Bowman will easily slide into the Top-10 passing yards in Texas High School football history. He is also a December graduate.
