AUSTIN - The Texas Longhorns are one of five teams set to receive an official visit from top 2023 running back, Rueben Owens of El Campo (TX).
The other teams on the list for Owens include Texas A&M, Georgia, TCU and Louisville, LonghornsCountry.com has confirmed.
He is the latest major Longhorns target to set an official visit to Austin, alongside Arch Manning, Will Randle, Cedric Baxter, and Isaiah Robinson, among others.
Owens has not scheduled a firm date yet to visit Austin, College Station or Athens, but will visit TCU and Louisville in June.
“I am going to TCU (June 3-5) and to Louisville (June 17-19) for official visits,” Owens told On3's, Chad Simmons.
Louisville and TCU are both new relatively additions to the race for Owens, who originally had Texas, A&M, Georgia, Oklahoma and LSU in his recent top 5 finalists.
“Both schools are something different for me, so I want to check them out," Owens told Simmons. "I don’t know too much about TCU yet, so I will what the visit is like. I have been talking to the running backs coach (Anthony Jones, Jr.) and coach Eron Hodges for a while now."
If these dates indeed hold, Owens will be visiting the 40 Acres at a different time than Arch Manning, who he has previously expressed explicit interest in playing with both at the college level.
He has also been close with top 2023 wideout Johntay Cook, and hopes to play with him at the next level as well, with Cook echoing those sentiments in a recent interview.
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.
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 been to the 40 Acres multiple times alongside Manning and Cook over the last few months, most recently in April.
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.
One reason Texas still appears to be a top contender for Owens, is the relationships he has developed with head coach Steve Sarkisian and running backs coach Tashard Choice.
“I really like how Texas would use me in their offense. I like coach Sark’s (Steve Sarkisian) scheme, so that is something that stands out," Owens told Simmons.
“Coach Choice and coach Sark are great guys too. Coach Choice is always real and honest. I like that a lot about him. Then, he took Jahmyr Gibbs at Georgia Tech and did great things with him too. Coach Sark is cool too. We are in a group chat, we talk a lot, and he is a smart guy.”
As for a decision, Owens tells LonghornsCountry.com that he plans to narrow things down around December and the Early Signing Period.
You can follow Matt Galatzan on Twitter @MattGalatzan
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