Oklahoma State QB Alan Bowman Named to Unitas Watch List
Oklahoma State could have one of the nation’s best passing attacks led by one of the most experienced quarterbacks.
On Wednesday, the preseason watch list for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award was announced, and OSU quarterback Alan Bowman made the list. He is one of 12 quarterbacks on the list from the Big 12, and he will look to become the first Cowboy since Mason Rudolph to win the award and the conference’s first winner since Max Duggan in 2022.
Bowman’s inclusion is no surprise, given his success in year one in Stillwater. Bowman struggled to separate himself in the first three weeks of the 2023 season, competing in a quarterback battle with Garret Rangel and Gunnar Gundy. Despite the tight race, OSU coach Mike Gundy named Bowman the full-time starter ahead of the Cowboys’ first conference game at Iowa State.
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Bowman finished his first year with the Cowboys with 3,460 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. While his turnover numbers were a bit high, his ability to continually drive the OSU offense downfield and put the team in a position to score was a significant part of the Cowboys’ turnaround last season.
Bowman’s success is thanks in no small part to his supporting cast of wide receivers. Stars Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens led the Cowboys in receiving last season and enter 2024 on the Biletnikoff watch list. Their impressive performances in the Texas Bowl against Texas A&M helped Bowman cap off his season with a 402-yard performance, his best in an OSU uniform.
If Bowman can keep up his play from last season, he will be in the mix for a 4,000-yard season, a mark seven of the past 10 winners have hit. Along with that, Bowman can climb OSU’s career passing leaderboard despite only playing two seasons in Stillwater. His time with the Cowboys won’t be as long as others, but his mark on Stillwater could be just as impactful.
READ MORE: Fox Sports Analyst Joel Klatt Believes Oklahoma State will be 'Really Good' in 2024
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.