On Monday, 2023 five-star running back Rueben Owens, out of El Campo, TX, announced his commitment to Louisville. Owens, the top-rated running back in the country’s 2023 recruiting cycle, had been a Longhorns commit as recently as June of 2021, however had ultimately de-committed prior to the start of last year’s football season.
Although the Longhorns are still very much in the race for top targets such as quarterback Arch Manning, Monday’s announcement from Owens certainly serves as a blow to Texas’s recruiting efforts. In fact, the two heralded recruits seemingly have been able to bond over the recruiting process and it seemed possible that the two would end up eventually committing to the same school. However, barring any unforeseen circumstances, it appears that Owens will be under scholarship at Louisville, although a recruitment is never truly over until after National Signing Day.
In covering two of El Campo’s games last year, the main thing that stood out about Rueben’s skillset on the football field was his ability to make defenders miss in open space and his versatility on offense. Thanks to these traits, Owens was able to rush for 2,989 yards and 46 touchdowns last season, ultimately being named the MaxPreps National Junior of the Year.
