By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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A selfless star, Lynn Bowden, Jr. continues to do whatever his team needs.

Lynn Bowden, Jr. is one of the most remarkable talents in all of college football.

This season, Bowden leads the SEC in kickoff return average, ranks second in the SEC East in receptions, would, with a few more attempts, slot in the top five in the league in punt return average and, recently, is fresh off 274 total yards and three scores in leading Kentucky to a win over Arkansas in his first-ever start at quarterback. Stepping in under center to give the Wildcats a boost, he completed nearly 64% of his passes, rushed for nearly 200 yards, threw a go-ahead touchdown pass late in the third quarter and ran for the game-winning score midway through the fourth. All of this, in his debut.

When injuries limited Kentucky at the game’s most important position, the Wildcats turned to their most proven player. In need of a passer, the offense turned to a playmaker, instead. Bowden, in an era of increased specialization and clearly defined roles, simply did what he does best; he went out and played football. The results speak for themselves. Two weeks after catching seven passes for 129 yards at Mississippi State, Bowden, stepping in the lineup with very little prep time, led Kentucky to victory as the starting quarterback against Arkansas.

Saturday marked a truly unique performance. From the quarterback position, Bowden became the first player in college football this season with at least 195 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Furthermore, of all of the signal callers in the SEC on Saturday, only Heisman Trophy candidates Joe Burrow from LSU and Tua Tagovailoa from Alabama had higher single-game passer ratings than Bowden’s 153.2 against Arkansas. To that end, Jim Johnson’s OAYP formula had Bowden ranked as the third-best SEC quarterback from week seven, less than half-of-one-point behind Tagovailoa in second.

Fresh off a signature showing, Bowden is the first quarterback in the country in nearly two full years with at least 75 passing yards and a touchdown and 190 rushing yards and two scores. He did it in his first career start.

Bowden, above all else, is a playmaker. He has eleven career touchdowns: six receiving, two rushing, one passing and two via punt return. A total of 16 college football players this millennium have met those career minimums, with Bowden, of all on the list, reaching those milestones in the fewest games by far. Already, he, Antonio Brown, Reggie Bush and T.Y. Hilton, the latter three all NFL Pro Bowlers, are the lone players with at least 1,500 career kick return yards, 1,300 receiving yards, 350 rushing yards, multiple punt returns for score and a passing touchdown; Bowden, mind you, is midway through his junior year.

A selfless star, Bowden continues to do whatever his team needs. For all of the stats, his impact goes well beyond the box score; Kentucky is 7-1 when Bowden scores a touchdown. Willing to do whatever, he is willing the Wildcats to victory.

As a freshman, Bowden emerged as one of the SEC’s top special teams standouts. He, as a sophomore, ranked fourth in the league in all-purpose yards as a dynamic home run hitter for one of the greatest teams in program history. Now, leading the conference in all-purpose production by nearly 25 yards per game and as the lone player in the country with at least 800 yards averaging over ten yards per play, Bowden, suddenly playing quarterback for the first time, has found a way to do even more. The record books are waiting for all that comes next.

There isn’t a player in the nation quite like Bowden. There aren’t many in history. Bowden, wherever he lines up, is one of the premier players in the game.