Talented sophomores can find their way onto the field for varsity football teams, but it isn’t easily done. Doing so at one of the most successful programs in the country, well, that is a different level of challenge. Still, that is precisely what Eli Owens has accomplished on both sides of the ball, at tight end and linebacker, for the Alcoa Tornadoes. The 2025 product is already starting to garner national attention as a rare athlete that can be a huge problem at the next level.
Owens is 6’3” and 235 pounds as a sophomore in high school. He also possesses breakaway speed once he gets the ball in his hands, which is astounding at his size. Watching Owens, he often lines up in the slot for the Tornadoes, working exactly like a slot receiver. Owens runs good routes, particularly for his age and position. They look much more like the routes expected of a more experienced player working at wide receiver. Frankly, Owens moves like a wide receiver with the way he gets open, releases, and gets in and out of his cuts. Watching him run routes and catch passes, it is easy to lose sight of just how big the young man is, until he runs through a defender in the middle of the field.
All those tools don’t matter, of course, unless you can bring the ball in. Again, watching Owens catch passes looks more like watching a receiver work than a tight end. He catches the ball away from his body, uses his size to present a large target with a wide catch radius for his quarterback, and shows the ability to secure the catch through stuff contact. All of that adds up to Owens being a holy terror across the middle of defenses, both in high school and likely at the next level as well. Owens possesses the ability to attack the deep middle of the field, to get open with his routes or his speed, to break tackles once he has the ball, and turn small check downs into big gains. Tight ends are often looked at as security blankets for their quarterback. Owens gives that level of comfort, with the bonus of being able to make big plays on short completions.
Part of what makes Owens such a mismatch is his unique blend of size, strength, and speed. As a tight end at the Power Five level, which is where he is likely to end up, Owens is going to be asked to be involved in the run game as well. His blocking and enthusiasm for blocking are areas that Owens can target to develop in the coming years. He so often has a massive size and strength advantage on the defenders across from him, it would be nice to see him utilize it more to eliminate defenders in the run game. This is a common critique of many young tight ends in modern spread offenses, and Owens has the time, talent, work ethic, and coaching staff to help him refine that part of his game.
Eli Owens is a 2025 prospect, but he is already the owner of an impressive offer list. Owens currently has offers from Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Michigan, Michigan State, and Cincinnati, among others. That type of offer list should open eyes to just how good Owens already is, as well as how good he has the potential to become. He still has time to focus on building his skills and finding success with Alcoa, but seeing which school lands this unique offensive weapon at the next level should be interesting to keep an eye on.
