Texas Tech football: Why this could be year Alan Bowman stays healthy

He has put on extra muscle

Sometimes the most simple answers are the most effective.  Given Bowman’s injury history, it would seem logical for him to work on bulking up in the weight room and that appears to be what he’s done.

The 6-foot-3 passer is always going to be lanky.  But playing his first two seasons at 210 pounds just wasn’t enough to withstand the pounding he took.

However, in June, Bowman had reportedly put on as many as six extra pounds.  While that might not seem like much, it is conceivable that he could get to 10 or more pounds of extra muscle by September and that could make a significant difference in his durability.

"“And then he’s worked hard in the weight room,” Yost told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.  “His weight is up. His strength is up. He understands he wants to be bigger, more durable, because he gets hit. “The bottom line is we need him to stay healthy, we want him to stay healthy and that’s going to make us better.”"

It would also help Bowman if he becomes more comfortable in the system he’s running.  That’s because he should know better when to get rid of the ball and how to anticipate where the pressure might be coming from depending on how his line and his running back call the blocking scheme.

But most importantly, Bowman needs to be stronger physically.  It is fair to wonder just how the time away from the program thanks to the global pandemic has impacted his weight gain.  But he’s now back on campus with the rest of his team and if he can get to ten extra pounds of muscle, that could be the difference in a healthy season and another devastating injury.