Class of 2023 Top Running Back Rueben Owens Likes the Attention

El Campo, Texas is lucky to have three really talented running backs, but Rueben Owens is considered the best in the nation among players in the 2023 class. He likes Oklahoma State and wants to eyeball the Cowboys

DURANT -- Last Sunday (July 19) in Durant, Okla. it was the running back position group that went first in the ESPN Underclassmen All-American Showcase event. There were close to 20 recruiting media-types there like myself and Pokes Report's Director of Recruiting Marshall Levenson and all of us were moving around the field from drill to drill following El Campo, Texas running back. The 5-11, 185-pound Owens isn't even the returning leading rusher for the Ricebirds. 

Last season Johntre Davis had 1,732-yards and 26 touchdowns rushing. Charles Shorter had 1,141-yards and 15 touchdowns toting the rock. Owens had 808-yards rushing with eight touchdowns, but the speedy Owens was just a freshman and one look at his video and you see a running back with a gliding style that looks really special. He did that as a freshman, not just playing when El Campo had games won in a 10-3 season against the likes of Bay City, Freeport, and in the playoffs teams like Fredricksburg, Beeville Jones, and Liberty Hill. That's the reason the media was following him around the Durant Multi-Purpose Athletic Facility like he was Tiger Woods at The Masters.

"I hada good feel for it and I like that the way you all watch me," Owens said trying to be humble. "It feels good. I love it, love all the attention."

Owens makes a catch in a drill at the camp. That is one of the extra pluses as he is also a good receiver out of the backfield very early in his career. Owens is multi-talented / Robert Allen - Pokes Report publisher

Owens is going to continue to get more of that as he already has close to 20 offers including Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Baylor, and Texas in the Big 12. National programs like LSU, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, Penn State, Texas A&M, and USC have also offered. Owens said he likes the smaller schools that have offered to like UTSA and William and Mary. 

"It's been good," Owens said. "Of course we can't go visit and just talk with thm on the phone. They walk around and give us a tour of the campus. It's been good and I've talked to most of the coaches that have offered me."

The important thing to Oklahoma State fans is Owens has said almost from the beginning that he wanted to check out Oklahoma State.

"I've always wanted to check them out," he said. "As a kid growing up, I alwayes liked that college. I've always liked their colors."

With a little prompting, he also added.

"They've had some good running backs come out of there," Owens added.

The class of 2023 is a long way off, but Owens knows Oklahoma State running back coach John Wozniak and he knows Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy. It will take a monster recruiting job, but Oklahoma State has done that a few times with running backs. Meanwhile, Owens has work to do as well to continue to keep his name up at the top of that list and keep all of us recruiting media following him around during the season and at camps like this.