When Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney first saw film of five-star running back Demarkcus Bowman, he was instantly reminded of legendary Tigers running back C.J. Spiller.

“The first time I saw his tape, my exact words, I told Tony (Elliott), I said, ‘That’s Spiller.’ I didn’t think I’d ever see a guy like that in high school again. That’s Spiller. Unbelievable,” Swinney said this week of Bowman, who signed with Clemson on Wednesday.

Bowman (5-10, 190) received an offer from Clemson last January and then committed to the Tigers in May.

Landing Bowman — ranked as the nation’s No. 2 running back in the 2020 class by all the major services — was an especially impressive feat for the Tigers considering that he attended Lakeland (Fla.) High School, which has traditionally been a talent pipeline for the Florida Gators.

Demarkcus Bowman plays against Kissimmee Osceola Friday, August 16, 2019 in Lakeland, Fl. Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider

“What I’ll say about Demarkcus is Demarkcus knew early on what he wanted. He wanted to come to Clemson,” offensive coordinator and running backs coach Tony Elliott said. “So he came to campus as a sophomore, and … I challenged him to make sure that he did everything he needed to do to be able to earn that opportunity. And once he committed, he’s been solid.

“Very, very difficult to get a guy from Lakeland. You’ve got to understand, that’s Florida county. They’ve had a lot of great players go to the University of Florida. But he held strong, he was completely committed, never wavered, and excited about his future.”

Bowman rushed for 5,081 yards in three years at Lakeland, averaging an incredible 11.4 yards per rush and scoring 71 touchdowns during his career. He posted 26 games with at least 100 yards in his career and averaged 145 yards rushing in his 35 career games.

As a senior this season, Bowman recorded 1,570 rushing yards on 142 carries, an 11.1-yard average. He averaged 142.7 yards a game, including nine games of at least 100 yards, while scoring 24 touchdowns.

“He is blazing fast, tough as they come, great ball skills and just a playmaker,” Swinney said. “Going to be a special, special player here, and cannot wait for him to get here and start toting the mail for the Tigers.”

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