QB Alan Bowman
If wide receiver is not the toughest position in the Big 12 to earn all-conference recognition, then quarterback just might be. With Texas’ Sam Ehlinger earning preseason honors, OU welcoming Alabama transfer Jalen Hurts, Baylor bringing back Charlie Brewer, and Iowa State set for year-two of the Brock Purdy experience, the talent level in the conference at QB is extremely high this year.
Regardless, Texas Tech sophomore Alan Bowman has the talent to rise above the rest and grab all-conference honors. It will be tough because there is only one QB selected to each team, unlike at other positions but don’t be surprised to see Bowman outperform the rest of his peers this fall.
After all, had he not missed what amounted to the equivalent of five games last year, he likely would have been in the conversation after his true freshman campaign. For proof, just consider how he stacked up to the other QB’s in the conference.
Let’s take the numbers from just the games he started and finished. In those five contests, he averaged 403 passing yards per game, which topped all Big 12 QBs by 49 yards per game. And even factoring in the three games that he did not play the entirety of, Bowman ranked second in the league last year with 329.7 yards per game, trailing only West Virginia’s Will Grier.
Additionally, his 2018 QB rating was better than Ehlinger’s and Charlie Brewer’s, as well as being virtually equal to Hurts’ rating in 2017, his last year as a starter at Bama. The only reason that Bowman is not receiving the type of hype that some of the conference’s other QBs are is that he was on the sidelines as the season hit its home stretch.
Now that his collapsed lung issues seem to be fully resolved, Bowman is back and ready to pick up where he left off. While his numbers may not be quite as prolific in the offense of new coordinator David Yost, his efficiency could very well take a huge jump thanks to the presence of an improved ground game. If Bowman is near the top of Big 12 in passing and efficiency and Tech surpasses expectations in regards to its win total in 2019, Alan Bowman will likely be an All-Big 12 QB.