Rueben Owens Ready For Promising Second Season With Texas A&M Aggies

Texas A&M Aggies five-star running back Rueben Owens is ready to carve out a promising role in Collin Klein in 2024.

Nov 11, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies running back Rueben Owens (2) runs / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Rueben Owens isn't an average five-star running back and his journey to Texas A&M isn't a road most talent travels on in the recruiting world.

In most cycles, a majority of the top prospects play in big stadiums near massive cities, making life easier for scouts and coaches to connect with a handful of players.

Owens, a prominent piece of A&M's offense for the 2024 season, grew up in El Campo, which, according to the last census, features a hair of over 12,000 residents.

It doesn't matter the location, but rather the pathway to stardom. Owens, the nation's No. 3 running back prospect of the 2023 cycle, simply overpowered the competition on Friday nights in the fall, totaling over 7,000 yards and 100 scores in three years before pledging his commitment to the Aggies under then-coach Jimbo Fisher.

“I knew Rueben a little bit from recruiting, he was just kind of getting going down in El Campo when I left,” said Aggies first-year coach Mike Elko, “He was a big name (in recruiting) and he’s had a really good spring in terms of doing the things he needs to do to take his game to the next level.”

A&M's running back room should be a strength for new offensive coordinator Collin Klein as a new era of football begins at Kyle Field. Leading rusher Le'Veon Moss is back for another season. So is bruiser Amari Daniels, who averaged 5.1 yards and scored six touchdowns during the 2023 season.

Sep 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies running back Rueben Owens (2) In action / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

But Owens, the de facto No. 3 back, might have the highest ceiling. Even in a limited role, the 6-foot rusher averaged 3.8 yards on 101 carries and found the end zone three times amid a lost 6-7 season. And he showed flashes of being a leading rusher during A&M's 38-10 win over Abilene Christian, where he totaled 106 yards and a score on 18 attempts.

"He needs to just learn how to be a running back in the SEC … how to get four and five yards sometimes," Elko said of Owens. "He does a really good job of getting 30 and 35 yards, and that’s his natural athleticism."

Elko, who spent four seasons under Fisher as A&M's defensive coordinator, plans on letting Klein have the final say of the offensive script. Even with a prominent trio of talented runners, A&M finished 91st overall in rushing last season, averaging 3.8 combined yards.

Klein, a former Heisman finalist alongside A&M's Johnny Manizel in 2012, joins the program after helping Kansas State secure its first Big 12 title since 2003. During the 2022 season, the Wildcats relied heavily on scatback Deuce Vaughn, who finished second among Big 12 running backs in rushing yards (1,558) behind Doak Walker winner and Texas phenom Bijan Robinson.

It was more than just Vaughn, however, in Manhattan. Klein had quarterback-designed runs for Will Howard and Adrian Martinez, which added another element to the offense en route to a Sugar Bowl appearance. Last season, the Wildcats turned to Howard and Avery Johnson, who combined for 647 yards and 16 touchdowns while finishing fourth in the Big 12 standings.

There still was an emphasis on the ground game with K-State's tailbacks as Treshaun Ward and DJ Giddens combined for over 1,800 rushing yards and 15 scores. As a unit, the Wildcats ranked 12th nationally in rushing and rushing touchdowns, averaging over 200 yards per contest.

For now, the Aggies will turn to pocket-passing quarterback Conner Weigman. He started the first four games after beating out Max Johnson last fall before a foot injury against Auburn sidelined him for the rest of the year.

Elko, who returned to College Station after a two-year run at Duke, has been high on the potential of Jaylen Henderson and Marcel Reed, both of whom provide a mobile element to the offense as open-field runners. They each saw action late last season due to injury, and continue to push Weigman for first-team reps during spring practice.

With Weigman as the projected starter, Klein will likely lean on his three runners as the focal point on the ground. Owens, who continues to impress in practice, should see an uptick in production heading into Year 2.

“He’s extremely athletic and does a really good job of catching the ball in the backfield," Elko said.

The Aggies close out the spring with the annual Maroon and White Game this Saturday at Kyle Field beginning at 1 p.m. CT.