Commit Watch: Thai Bowman

With the early signing period now over, many players who were overlooked in the recruiting process are starting to pick up steam. Bowman is a player who received (ostensibly) legit interest from P.J. Fleck's staff which ultimately died down. This is no reason to fret however. Many players who were borderline 3/4 star players have been put in similar situations. One big example is Iowa State's star QB Brock Purdy who had a phenomenal piece written about his experience in The Athletic yesterday. Bowman is a gifted route runner with the bloodlines to indicate success at the FBS level. A tad smaller and less explosive than his brother, Bowman has a very interesting skillset which I'll cover below. &nbsp; <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Thai Bowman - WR Robbinsdale Armstrong - 6'1" 175lbs. </strong></span></span> <h3>Size/Build</h3> Lean and proportional build with a sufficiently muscled lower body. Not visibly bulky but looks to be mostly muscle. I think he's more 6 foot than a true 6'1". Not to take anything away as I think the ideal receiver build is between 5'10" and 6'1". An extra ten pounds would add the juice he needs to take his game to the next level. Fancy feet with natural dorsiflexion. <h3>Speed</h3> Consistently threatens defensive backs with his explosion off the line. Keeps his hips mostly square and steps are bouncy and agile. Good foot turnover with balance strides that help maintain his balance and COD. Not a burner by any means but when you can break ankles like he does you don't always need to be one <h3>Agility/Route Running</h3> Let me state this plainly: Bowman is a sick route runner. His athletic profile makes him an entertaining weapon in the pass game. Keeps his strides underneath him so that he wastes little motion changing direction. Can stutter step and turn into a dig or drive and stick on an out route. Patient when stacking defenders and has the vision and burst to identify and threaten blind spots. Consistently sinks and leans into his cuts which helps keep speed throughout the route. <div style="width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 39%; position: relative;"><iframe class="giphy-embed" style="position: absolute;" src="https://giphy.com/embed/J20uZQW6Qvyirx2KKH" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div> <h3>Hands/Ball Skills</h3> Fairly solid here. Displays a nice ability to contort his body in mid-air or through contact to get to the ball. Body catches frequently but doesn't seem to be for lack of hands. Overall never seems out of sorts when the ball is coming his way. A receiver through and through. <div style="width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 39%; position: relative;"><iframe class="giphy-embed" style="position: absolute;" src="https://giphy.com/embed/cPePvWyLYZ1gyiRxLH" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div> <h3>Vision/RAC</h3> Pretty gifted with the ball in or out of his hands. Played some Wildcat during Fall practices and showed some nice wheels and creativity. Absolute threat as a punt returner and isn't afraid to retrace his steps and cut back against the defense. Clocks defenders in the open field and puts himself in position to attack bad angles. <div style="width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 43%; position: relative;"><iframe class="giphy-embed" style="position: absolute;" src="https://giphy.com/embed/WqQhtetsE6fLfeX8gb" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div> <h2>Summary</h2> Shifty, slot type with a slew of G5 and FCS offers. Uncommitted as of the early signing period so wouldn't be shocked to hear he's hearing from some P5 programs. His older brother Ramaud is a solid possession receiver for Northwestern and I'm sure that's playing into his interest level among coaches. Bowman displays the route running and ball skills to win at the catch point. It's his physical limitations that call his abilities into question. Can he be dominant? In my opinion he would most likely be on the backside of a P5 program's receiver room. That being said if he can develop his explosiveness and strength and continue developing as a route runner, he'll make some noise in the FBS. He'll need a QB who is accurate with a quick release in order to maximize his strengths. If things fall the right way, there's no real reason to believe his film won't translate. &nbsp; Images courtesy of Hudl.com and Minnesota Football Hub