On Tuesday night, the Illinois football team extended an offer to another player from the state of Texas.
The Illini targeted Tyler Owens with this scholarship offer. He is a 6-foot-2, 202-pound safety from Plano East High School in Plano, Texas. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 500 player in the class of 2019 and the No. 41 safety in the nation.
Illinois is the most recent offer Owens has received. He also has offers from 13 other programs, but 247Sports has Baylor and UCLA as the leaders for his commitment with the Bears having a lead at 75-percent.
There is a lot to love about Owens’ game. The size he brings to the table – 6-foot-2, 202-pounds – is something that teams are looking for nowadays at the safety position. This size is going to go a long way in making him one of the most dangerous safeties in the country.
Another reason I think Owens can be special is that he has a knack for the ball. He reads the quarterbacks well, and this enables him to break on the ball before it comes out of the quarterback’s hands. This ability is tremendous to have in the college game.
I also like Owens’ ability to lay a hit on the ball carrier as well. He isn’t afraid to just lay into someone, and his tackling ability is also great. He wraps up the offensive player and that is something missing in the game today. The technique is beautiful.
The player Owens reminds me of is Kam Chancellor. They both have great size and are tremendous at the safety position. I really think he could be a special player in the college game. That is why I want him in the Orange and Blue.
Illinois needs safety help right now as well. Bennett Williams has a starting job the rest of his Illini career, but Stanley Green is going to be graduating soon. Behind them, there isn’t much in the way of depth. Getting Owens would be huge for the program.
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I honestly believe Illinois might be able to get in on the recruitment of Owens. He isn’t that far along in the process and the teams that supposedly have the lead aren’t juggernauts. I think the Illini have enough pull in the state of Texas to potentially make an impact soon on his recruitment. Hopefully, they can get him up to Champaign for a visit soon.