1. Demarkcus Bowman, 5-star RB
Perhaps the freshman with the greatest chance to make an impact early on is 5-star RB Demarkcus Bowman, a native of Lakeland, Fla.
Dabo Swinney compared Bowman to CJ Spiller because of his elite-level speed and explosiveness. Though Bowman is like Spiller, he actually comes into college maybe a little bit further ahead than what Spiller was when he stepped in as a freshman- which is saying something.
Travis Etienne will be gone and that’s going to leave the starting position open at running back.
While it’s expected that Lyn-J Dixon will assume the role, there will definitely be a spot in the rotation for Bowman.
Bowman will compete with sophomores Chez Mellusi and Michel Dukes for the opportunity to be the back-up behind Dixon and I expect that Clemson will have a group approach to the running back room in 2020, which will open up the door for Bowman to get some carries early on.
If he makes the most of his carries, we’ll continue to see more of Bowman. The talented running back has a chance to make an impact as a freshman and it certainly stands to reason that he’ll make the most of his opportunity.