Oklahoma State's Alan Bowman Snubbed From Bleacher Report's Top 50 QBs
Oklahoma State could have an explosive offense next season, but its quarterback is not getting the recognition he might deserve.
Last season, the Cowboys opened the season with a three-man battle for the starting quarterback spot. Eventually, Alan Bowman beat Garret Rangel and Gunnar Gundy for the job.
Following a successful 2023 campaign, during which he was the full-time starter for the final 11 games, Bowman is entering his seventh and final season of college football. While his numbers are enough to warrant his inclusion among the best in the country, he still has some doubters.
In Bleacher Report’s first quarterback ranking of the 2024 season, Bowman missed the cut on the top 25. While arguments can be made that Bowman should be outside of the top 25, he also failed to make the list of honorable mentions, which named another 25 quarterbacks.
Although Bleacher Report did not rank all 134 starting quarterbacks in the FBS, Bowman’s highest potential ranking would be No. 51. For reference, South Alabama’s Carter Bradley finished 51st in passing yards last season with 2,660.
It is a solid number, but it pales in comparison to Bowman’s 3,460, which tied him for 16th. Bowman did, however, finish outside the top 50 in touchdowns and had the fifth-most interceptions. While his turnovers are a reasonable concern, Bowman’s low touchdown total is partly because of Ollie Gordon’s ability to punch it in on the ground, finishing with the second-most rushing touchdowns, getting into the end zone 21 times.
Some of Bowman’s struggles might go away in 2024 as he has had an entire season to adjust. In 2023, he threw 501 passes, which ranked fourth in the FBS. After attempting only 11 passes in two seasons at Michigan, he should be much better equipped to carry the load next season.
As the Cowboys look to compete for the Big 12 title and a spot in the College Football Playoff, Bowman should have no issues working his way into the top 25 if OSU can reach its potential.
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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.