Cliffs notes: Texas secured its 17th commitment of the 2019 class on Monday afternoon when Plano East safety Tyler Owens announced on Twitter that he had committed to the Longhorns. Owens was offered in late July, visited for the USC game two weekends ago and actually told the UT staff a week ago of his intentions to be a Longhorn.
Key Offers: Nebraska, Missouri, K-State, Houston, Baylor, Boston College, Illinois, Purdue, Vanderbilt
Evaluation: Owens is a bit under-the-radar in terms of offers and media spotlight, but he’s a player that ranks right up there with the best in the state with his physical upside. At 6-2 and 200 pounds, he’s a legit 4.4 guy and just possesses tremendous natural athleticism (he won the fastest man competition at UT’s Under the Lights camp and also participated in the slam dunk contest at that camp). Put on the film and you’ll see a player who does a good job of diagnosing running plays and passes near the line of scrimmage, and Owens does a great job of timing up the play to deliver a big hit. He’s a long, rangy defender right now that looks like he has a body that should really fill out over the next few years. While he’s athletic and fast enough to play as a true strong safety, he could also be a player whose body fills out to enable him to play in the box at times. Tons of upside and athleticism on a guy who is just scratching the surface of his potential.
Why it matters: Craig Naivar did a great job with this evaluation, getting Owens on campus for a camp late in the summer when he was still very much under the radar. This wasn’t a huge head-to-head recruiting win over area rivals the way others have been, but Texas may have found a hidden gem here, and the Longhorns went into the Metroplex to secure a commitment. Owens looks like a prime candidate to compete for the Joker (or Robber) position when Texas goes to its lightning package on defense with his ability to play near the line of scrimmage or drop deep and help in coverage.
