Zion Bowens and Chevan Cordeiro have developed trust in each other

Here are some fast facts for University of Hawaii receiver Zion Bowens.

— Three years ago at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., Bowens was clocked sprinting 40 yards in 4.33 seconds.

— Before a UH practice this fall, the strength/conditioning staff measured Bowens’ top speed at 23 mph, making him the fastest Rainbow Warrior and an over-the-limit sprinter in school zones.

— And after three games, Bowens is the national leader with an average of 43.0 yards per catch. The Rainbow Warriors play San Diego State this Saturday in Carson, Calif.

Bowens’ success is attributed to “God-given” speed, Miyagi-disciplined training, and a growing bond with quarterback Chevan Cordeiro. Bowens has secured three of four passes from Cordeiro — a 47-yarder against Wyoming, and scoring catches of 42 and 40 yards against New Mexico. The incompletion came on a pass Bowens caught out of bounds.

“In the beginning,” Cordeiro said, “I’d overthrow him. Every time we practiced, we got better.”

Now, Bowens said, “I’ve been connecting with Chevan. We’ve been staying after practice and getting better.”

Bowens grew up with another UH passer. Bowens and Drew Buggs, a former point guard for UH’s basketball team, were classmates at Long Beach Poly. Bowens then spent two years at the Air Force Academy before transferring to Long Beach City College. After that, Cornerbacks coach Abraham Elimimian was the Warriors’ point recruiter in discussions with Bowens. Cedric Byrd, a former UH receiver and LBCC alumnus, also offered advice and encouragement.

When UH offered Bowens a recruiting visit, Bowens said, “no more questions had to be asked. I knew this is the school I wanted to be able to go to.”

With restrictions on training this summer because of the pandemic, Bowens found creative ways to improve his pass-catching. He followed teammate Jared Smart’s routine of burrowing his hands into a barrel of uncooked rice. He extended that technique to the beach. “Doing it with the sand, it makes your hands softer and stronger at the same time,” Bowens said.

After practices, Bowens catches passes from Cordeiro and the JUGS machine. Sometimes, Bowens will wear wrist weights during the drills. He also makes sure he uses only his hands, not his body, to secure passes.

“The more balls you catch, it gets easier,” Bowens said. “You become less dependent on your body. I dang near trust my hands more than I do my body, which is why I try to use my hands more.”

Synching precision routes with a no-variance technique, Bowens masks the pass pattern. “I put my foot in the ground and try to keep my hat down to gain that speed,” Bowens said. “Once I look up, the ball’s already in the air. I’m just tracking it. I’m judging it, and making any minor adjustments as far as my running to be able to connect with the ball and catch it all the way in.”

Of his three catches, Bowens already was in the clear when the pass was launched.

“It’s a pretty good feeling when I see that ball in the air when I’m wide open,” Bowens said. “I know that 100% of the time I’m going to catch it and we’re going to be celebrating in the end zone.”