The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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PLAYER BIOS ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ MARCH 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 49 BY EJ HOLLAND Three-star Alcoa (Tenn.) High tight end Eli Owens wasted no time making his decision. While in-state program Tennessee was an appealing option and Kentucky made him an early priority, Owens just didn't get the same feeling he got at Michigan. It's what kept him going to Ann Arbor over and over again. In total, Owens visited Michigan more than 10 times before making his com- mitment in early January 2024 — al- most a full year before the early signing period. "I don't like showing off," Owens said. "I like rough-and-tumble foot- ball. I want to play as early as possible, but I also want to be developed. I think Michigan has done a great job with peo- ple like me — lower-rated recruits. You see what the tight end room has done for the last 10 years, and it's exceptional. I'm glad I have the opportunity to be a part of that." Owens committed to Michigan during a period of transition. Rumors swirled about the future of then-head coach Jim Harbaugh, who eventually left Michigan for the head coaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL. But that never im- pacted Owens' decision-making pro- cess. "I had visited all these different schools, and they just didn't feel like Michigan," Owens said. "The first time I visited, I had a feeling. That feeling never left me. I just wanted to jump on the opportunity as quickly as I could. It didn't matter what was going on. It was the best place for me." Michigan offensive line coach Grant Newsome, who previously worked with the tight ends, initially served as Owens' lead recruiter. However, that changed when the Wolverines hired Steve Casula later in the offseason. Owens and Casula immediately jelled and formed a strong relationship. "The first time I met Coach Casula, he was fired up," Owens said. "He has that energy all the time. I have gotten to know him over the last several months, and he's such a character. He's going to be such a great guy to play for over the next four years. I feel like he can bring the most out of me on the field." At 6-foot-1, 223 pounds, Owens, the No. 34 tight end prospect nation- ally, has drawn plenty of comparisons to Michigan tight end/H-back Max Bredeson. Like Bredeson, Owens has a compact build and takes pride in being a de facto fullback. "Seeing the leaps and bounds that Max made over the last few years made me realize that I can be like him one day," Owens said. "He's been 100 per- cent in on his mission. It's the same way with me. If you want me to be a fullback like him, I'm going to be the best dang fullback you've ever seen." ❑ Tennessee Tight End Eli Owens Could Be Michigan's Next Max Bredeson Owens' skill set as a blocker and receiver is a perfect fit for a hybrid tight end/fullback role in Michigan's offense. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND 2025 Projection Owens was recruited to fill the role set to be vacated by Michigan ght end Max Bredeson a er the 2025 season. With Bredeson returning for another year, Owens will likely redshirt as a true freshman. This will give him an opportunity to develop and learn. Like Bredeson, Owens is a devasta ng blocker who takes pride in pu ng defenders on their backs. However, he offers a bit more as a pass catcher and could see some me in a more conven onal ght end role. STATISTICS Year Rec. Yds. TD 2024 — 315 4 2023 35 415 8 2022 33 385 5 HONORS • Tennessee Secondary School Athle c Associa- on Class 3A Mr. Football semifinalist as a senior. • Class 3A All-State pick at linebacker as senior. • Class 3A-2 All-District and All-Region pick his last three years of high school. RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan Jan. 4, 2024, a er receiv- ing offer in April 2022. • Picked U-M over Kentucky, Michigan State, Tennessee and others. • Recruited by ght ends coach Steve Casula. DID YOU KNOW? • Part of four 3A state championships at Alcoa, which has now won 10 consecu ve tles. • As a senior on defense, he had 53 tackles (22 solo) with 12.5 TFL, 1 sack, 8 pressures, 2 pass breakups and a blocked punt. • Helped lead Alcoa's basketball team to two state tles. • Le ered in soccer while playing goalkeeper. • Volunteers for the Lost Vets Associa on. • Son of Kendall Owens. • Born July 5, 2006. THEY SAID IT On3 director of scou ng and rankings Charles Power: "Eli Owens is an interes ng prospect in that he plays ght end and works as a pass catcher for his high school but has po- si onal versa lity at the college level given his size. He's a guy who can move around and be used as an H-back and fullback. I think his pass- catching ability would be rela vely advanced for those two roles. It's hard to envision him as an in-line ght end in Michigan's offense. But given how mul ple they are and how many different ght end and fullback sets they run, he would give them some versa lity as a pass catcher." ELI OWENS TIGHT END 6-1 • 223 ALCOA HIGH ALCOA, TENN. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ 619 34 20 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 80 31 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 36 18 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 26 21 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 13 8 INDUSTRY