Texas A&M’s first day of spring practice kicked off on Friday afternoon, and while much of the focus is on the Texas A&M basketball team, set to face Houston in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, third-year head coach Mike Elko and his revamped coaching staff will have the next month to evaluate the 2026 roster, which now includes 17 transfer addtions, and 26 freshmen from the 2026 signing class.
Among the players returning from the 2025 season, senior running back Rueben Owens is entering the most important year of his football career, officially taking over as the starter after serving as Le’Veon Moss’s primary backup. While injury issues kept him sidelined for all but two games during the 2024 season, the former five-star prospect produced 639 yards and five touchdowns on the ground last fall.
However, after Moss was lost for the year midway through the season, Owens stepped up and immediately looked the part, but did not play with the physicality needed to help starting quarterback Marcel Reed settle in the pocket to due to an unbalanced offense that relied too much on the passing game in losses to Texas and Miami in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
In an effort to become a more reliable every-down back, Owens, who spoke on Friday, stated that he has continued to put in the work this offseason to add more muscle mass to his frame, already looking stronger with the necessary mass to take hits and keep his feet moving.
After averaging an efficient 5.4 yards per carry, the goal is to average at least six yards per tote next season, and barring poor play from the offensive line, this is wholly possible if the senior back stays healthy over the next four months. The combination of freshman running back KJ Edwards, sophomore Jamarion Morrow, and redshirt freshman Tiger Riden is more than enough depth behind Owens to average 200 rushing yards or more per game.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M RB already looking, bigger, stronger ahead of 2026 season
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
