Isaiah Bowser and UCF a 'perfect fit'
UCF has been lacking a bigger running back that can punish defenses. That's about to change.
Isaiah Bowser, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound power back who spent the last three years at Northwestern, recently committed to Gus Malzahn as a graduate transfer.
"UCF was telling me how they don't really have a bigger guy like me in the running back room," Bowser said. "They're looking to bring somebody in who's bigger and plays a more downhill physical style of football. That's what Coach Malzahn wants to have, so it sounded like a perfect fit for me. I was exactly what they're looking for."
Malzahn was hired by UCF in mid-February and finalized his staff about nine days later. That's around the time they made contact with Bowser, who was committed to Miami (Ohio) at the time. He's a native of Sidney, Ohio, which is to the north of Dayton.
"I've always known about Coach Malzahn," Bowser said. "He's a great coach in college football. Everybody knows who he is. He reached out to me and let me know they were interested. That first conversation was great. He was telling me about the running backs he's coached in the past and the success they had. That's a big thing for me. I'm trying to come in and have a good season so I can eventually play in the NFL. That was very appealing to me, knowing he's coached so many NFL players. He knows what it takes to get there.
"I then started talking a lot to the running backs coach, Coach (Tim) Harris (Jr.). We built a real strong relationship. I really like what he has planned for me this season. I'm just real excited to get down there."
The coaches were a draw, but Bowser said he loved everything else about UCF too.
"I definitely knew about UCF," Bowser said. "They've been very successful over the last five years or so. It's been a program on the rise. They've been going great. That was definitely intriguing to me. I'm excited to be a part of it now and hopefully keep the train rolling.
"Being in Florida is exciting too. The first thing I think about is the weather. I'm used to playing in the cold weather and not knowing whether it's going to be snowing, raining or windy. That'll be cool, just going into a different environment."
Bowser recently visited his future home. Though he wasn't able to have face-to-face contact with coaches due to the ongoing NCAA Dead Period, he did tour the UCF campus and also watched an open practice.
"It was great to go down there and see everything," Bowser said. "I'm gonna come back down for the spring game too. It was good to get a feel for everything and see the guys practice. I thought it was very intense. They practice really hard, which I like. They're working hard to get better every day, so I definitely see myself fitting in. I'm a downhill running style, a power back, so I definitely think I can add to their running scheme and also catch passes out of the back field."
"I had some good food too. Found a wing spot near campus, and a sushi spot. The campus was really nice. The stadium was really cool as well. I can only imagine how crazy the fans get in there. I've heard really good things about that."
Bowser had a big freshman debut in 2018, rushing 197 times for 866 yards and six touchdowns while playing a big role in boosting Northwestern to a division title and appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game. He's been limited by injuries the past couple seasons. In 2019, Bowser ran for 204 yards on 59 carries and in 2020 ran it 78 times for 230 yards.
"I'm back to 100 percent now," Bowser said. "I'm feeling great."
What sets him apart from other players?
"I think my vision is one of my best skills," Bowser said. "I run with power. If you watch any of my highlights that's one thing you'll notice. Also my agility. Hitting the holes. Speed as well. A lot of different things. I'd say vision and power are what I'm best at."
An early enrollee at Northwestern, Bowser is currently working to finish his undergraduate degree in Organizational Leadership.
"I graduate in June," he said. "June 14 is my official graduation date. Then I'll be down at UCF and start working. I'm still exploring what I want to study at UCF for grad school. I'm thinking about something that ties in with sports administration. Right now I'm doing an internship at a high school in Evanston working under their athletic director. I think I want to work in sports, maybe in administration with a track towards athletic leadership, like athletic director."