EXCLUSIVE: Longhorns 'Head of the Snake" Rueben Owens Steadfast In Recruitment of QB Arch Manning, 2023 Class

Owens has been hot on the trail of Manning for the Longhorns for quite some time now, with the pair sharing a friendship that has remained strong despite the 400-plus mile distance between them.

And for Owens, his position as the cornerstone of the 2023 class, as well as his status as a lead recruiter for the Longhorns on that front, is extremely important.

"First of all, it’s an honor to be headed of the snake in the 2023 class for Texas but I’m going to keep trying to get guys to join me," Owens told LonghornsCountry.com "I promise this will be something special. It’s only right."

That effort has been paying off as well, As Manning now sits just over a month away from his official visit to Austin from June 9-11. 

Manning's increasing interest in the Longhorns program comes as a bit of a surprise given the SEC roots of his family. 

However, thanks to the relationship with Owens, Texas has found itself in an excellent position to potentially land one of the top quarterback/running back recruit tandems in a cycle since Tua Tagovailoa and Najee Harris joined Alabama in 2017 -- a pair of players Sarkisian utilized to tremendous success with the crimson tide.

Manning is far from the only prospect Owens has his eye on for the Longhorns as well, with Denton Ryan's (Denton, TX) linebacker Anthony Hill, Morton Ranch (Katy, TX) defensive tackle David Hicks, Shiner High School (Shiner, TX) safety Dalton Brooks, and DeSoto High School (DeSoto, TX) wideout Johntay Cook II firmly on his radar.

"Anthony Hill, Jalen Hale, David Hicks, Dalton Brooks, Johntay Cook ll," Owens told LonghornsCountry.com. "That’s in-state. I got a couple of out-of-state that are going to join soon. Just keep your eyes open."