Longhorns Country

Top 2023 RB Rueben Owens to Visit Longhorns Saturday

The Longhorns are firmly in the mix for the nation's top 2023 running back

Matt Galatzan

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AUSTIN - The Texas Longhorns are set to receive a visit from one of the nation's top offensive recruits for the class of 2023, in El Campo running back, Rueben Owens. 

"Yes sir," Owens confirmed to LonghornsCountry.com "I didn’t make it last weekend so I’m coming this weekend."

Owens was supposed to take a visit to the 40 Acres last weekend alongside Johntay Cook, Arch Manning, Harris Sewell, and a host of other top prospects from around the country, but was forced to miss the trip due to a track meet.

Owens has previously expressed explicit interest in playing with both Cook and Manning at the college level, with Cook echoing those sentiments in a recent interview.

Johntay and Rueben

Owens was once the lone commitment of the 2023 class for the Longhorns but de-committed last summer.

Standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 187 pounds, Owens was set to join an extremely talented Longhorns running back room that boasts Heisman Trophy candidate Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson, freshman Jonathan Brooks, and top 2022 signee Jaydon Blue.

Rueben Owens

However, despite that de-commitment, the Longhorns are still a major contender for his signature thanks in part to his relationships with Steve Sarkisian and Tashard Choice on the coaching staff.

Owens has not visited the Longhorns since the end of the 2021 season, but visited campus multiple times alongside Arch Manning and Johntay Cook last summer and in the fall. 

Rueben Owens
John Garcia - Sports Illustrated

The rising junior has fielded comparisons to former Alabama Standout T.J. Yeldon, due to his balance, top-end speed, and his ability to catch passes out of the backfield.

Owens was nearly unstoppable in his junior season, rushing 248 times for 2,989 yards (12.1 yards per carry and 229.9 yards per game) to go along with 46 touchdowns. Owens also had 15 catches for 252 yards and two more scores and threw a touchdown pass. 

He has totaled 5,116 all-purpose yards and 73 total touchdowns in his two seasons at El Campo. 

Owens had chosen the Longhorns over other powerhouse programs such as Georgia, Oklahoma, LSU, and Texas A&M, and also held offers from Auburn, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Florida State, USC, Penn State, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, Nebraska, and Colorado, among others.

Texas still appears to be the major favorite for Owens, though he insists his recruitment remains 100 percent open. 

Can the Longhorns get Owens back? Comment and join in on the discussion below!

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.

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