5-Star RB Rueben Owens Commits to Texas A&M After Decommitting From Louisville

The Louisville Cardinals are losing a major piece from their 2023 recruiting class, while Texas A&M is gaining one.

Running back Rueben Owens II told Nick Harris of Rivals he decommitted from the Cardinals on Wednesday. Harris reported Ohio State, Georgia and Texas A&M were the front-runners to land him, and it didn't take long to make a decision.

Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports reported the running back chose the Aggies.

Owens is a 5-star prospect and the No. 23 overall player, No. 2 running back and No. 5 player from the state of Texas in the 2023 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Gabe Brooks of 247Sports suggested Owens could eventually be an early-round draft pick in the NFL, underscoring his overall potential to be a game-changing addition for Texas A&M.

He is the first running back in the Aggies' 2023 recruiting class.

The first thing that jumps out about Owens is his speed, which follows since he also competes in high school track and field. That helps him turn small gains into long touchdown runs, and Brooks highlighted his elusiveness and moves in the hole as well.

He is also a solid receiver and physical enough to power through arm tackles and convert short-yardage situations if needed.

That Owens is leaving Louisville doesn't come as a major surprise given the change in the coaching staff.

Cincinnati hired away head coach Scott Satterfield, while ESPN's Chris Low reported the Cardinals are bringing in Purdue coach Jeff Brohm to fill the vacancy. Brohm is returning to his alma mater after leading the Boilermakers to the Big Ten Championship Game this season.

Coaching changes inevitably impact recruiting since prospects were so often recruited by the previous staff, and Owens is headed to Texas A&M as a result.