Texas A&M running back signee Rueben Owens flashed eye-popping fluidity and burst in the open field throughout the week. He was extremely impressive working with the ball in his hands and as a receiver in the passing game. His ability to catch the football and make people miss in a phone booth was on full display each and every practice.

Rueben Owens looks to be fully up to speed after missing some time with an injury earlier in the season. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder had a huge game against Navasota (Texas) High on Friday, rushing for 291 yards and five touchdowns on 35 carries. Owens ripped off a number of big runs, showing strong initial burst and a considerable juice at the second level. Owens’ pace in the open field is among the best among running backs in the 2023 cycle. We also saw the top 100 prospect see time and make plays as a safety. Owens has long been one of the more productive rushers in the cycle, but his usage within the El Campo Ricebird offense doesn’t fully showcase complete skill set, as the Louisville pledge is also a refined pass catcher.

Rueben Owens is a top performer at OT7 due to the skills he showed as a pass-catching threat over the weekend in Las Vegas. As we noted in the prior Top Performer pieces, Owens flashed a receiving skill set that would be considered elite for a running back prospect. The El Campo (Texas) High standout lined up at receiver for Premium LA and made sound outstanding highlight catches over several days at OT7. His quarterback play was probably not as consistent as some other skill players, but Owens still made plays. We saw him make a one-handed catch on a back shoulder route, extend for a toe-tapping touchdown in the end zone and make a nice catch over his outside shoulder. Owens will bring some real versatility to the table at the next level as a receiving threat out of the backfield.

The 7-on-7 setting is an excellent platform for backs like Owens, the On3 Consensus’ No. 2-rated back, who is a workhorse for El Campo (Texas) High School. Owens amasses big numbers week in and week out, but he’s also a dynamic all-purpose back that’s sure-handed and also electric in the open field.