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Texas Tech football: Alan Bowman announces intent to transfer from Texas Tech

By Andrew Gleinser

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 05: Injured quarterback Alan Bowman #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders looks on before the college football game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on October 05, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 05: Injured quarterback Alan Bowman #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders looks on before the college football game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on October 05, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Texas Tech quarterback Alan Bowman will be transferring to another program.

The Texas Tech football team will be without its most experienced quarterback next season as Alan Bowman has announced his intent to transfer. He will graduate in May, at which point he will enter the portal as a graduate transfer with three years of eligibility remaining thanks to the NCAA allowing players an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-affected 2020 season.

Bowman, who came to Lubbock out of Grapevine High School, looked good while playing as a true freshman in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense in 2018, completing 69.4 percent of his passes for 2,638 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. But he struggled to stay healthy during his time at Texas Tech, playing in just eight games his freshman year thanks to a collapsed lung.

Further injuries limited him to just three games in 2019, in which he completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 1,020 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions before earning a medical redshirt. He came back to complete 64.7 percent of his passes for 1,596 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions in eight games in 2020.

Whatever the reason, Bowman never seemed comfortable in former offensive coordinator David Yost’s offense, and he didn’t seem to develop much under Yost’s tutelage. His passer rating was nearly 20 points lower in Yost’s offense than in Kliff Kingsbury’s.

Where Texas Tech Goes From Here

I was of the belief that Bowman would’ve been the early frontrunner for the starting gig in 2021 under new offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie, but obviously that won’t be the case anymore. Texas Tech will be looking for a new starting quarterback this spring, and Cumbie and coach Matt Wells will have a few players from which to choose.

One of the two frontrunners at this point is holdover Henry Colombi. After transferring from Utah State, Colombi appeared in six games for Texas Tech in 2020, completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 1,065 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions. He briefly took the starting job away from Bowman and, interestingly, had the exact same passer rating as Bowman last year.

The other frontrunner is true freshman Behren Morton, the most highly touted quarterback recruit to come to Lubbock in recent memory. He is on campus this spring so he’ll be involved in spring ball, and if his skills are as good as everyone says, he has a legitimate shot to leave the competition behind. Fans will certainly clamor for him.

We also can’t rule out Maverick McIvor and Donovan Smith, both of whom haven’t really been part of the picture thus far but could enter the fray if they impress Cumbie. With a new offensive coordinator comes something of a clean slate, so they’ll get a chance to show what they can do. There’s always the possibility of additional transfers, either incoming or outgoing.

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What’s Next for Bowman

We may not know Bowman’s destination until he graduates in May, which will give him some time to weigh his options. No doubt a quarterback with his experience will garner plenty of interest. And with three years of eligibility remaining, he’ll be quite the find for whichever program picks him up.

I could see him going to Mississippi State to play for Mike Leach, or going to Houston to team up with Dana Holgorsen and reunite with former Red Raiders KeSean Carter and Ta’Zhawn Henry. A smaller program, like Arkansas State or Western Kentucky, could be in play as well. Either way, Bowman should have plenty of options this summer.

One has to wonder what might have happened if Bowman hadn’t been hurt his freshman year. It’s entirely possible the team would have won seven or eight games with him on the field for the full season, and that might have saved Kingsbury’s job. The entire trajectory of the football program could have been different.

Instead, his time at Texas Tech ends after a couple of disappointing seasons under Wells, and we’re all left wondering what might have been. But no one can doubt the effort Bowman gave and the toughness he displayed on the field. We wish him all the best at his next destination.

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