Rueben Owens admitted his mistakes cost him a 1,000-yard season. Now the Texas A&M running back must prove he’s ready to become the Aggies’ RB1.
Rueben Owens isn’t blaming Texas A&M’s offensive line, the play calling or injuries around him for falling short of a breakout season.
He’s blaming Rueben Owens.
After the Aggies’ first preseason practice Wednesday, the redshirt junior running back delivered a blunt assessment of his 2025 performance. Owens rushed for a career-best 639 yards and five touchdowns, but he believes poor vision, shaky footwork and costly mistakes kept him from reaching 1,000 yards.
That kind of honesty sounds great in August. Now he has to prove it wasn’t just another training camp quote.
Owens appeared ready to take control of Texas A&M’s backfield after Le’Veon Moss suffered a season-ending injury against Florida. The former five-star recruit had already flashed his ceiling with 142 rushing yards in a 31-9 victory over Mississippi State. He followed that performance with 102 yards and two touchdowns in a road win over Missouri.
Then the momentum disappeared.
Texas A&M’s running game became inconsistent, and Owens struggled to create when blocking broke down. He too often lost his balance, missed running lanes or failed to finish plays after catching the ball. Those issues were especially damaging in the Aggies’ road loss to Texas, when Owens managed only 48 rushing yards and dropped multiple passes that could’ve extended drives.
The talent has never been the question.
Owens arrived in College Station carrying the expectations that follow an elite recruiting ranking. His speed, explosiveness and receiving ability give him the tools to become one of the SEC’s most dangerous backs. But potential doesn’t win starting jobs, especially when a younger player is pushing for touches.
Rising sophomore Jamarion Morrow will battle Owens over the next several weeks for the top spot in Texas A&M’s running back rotation. That competition could be one of the most important position fights of Aggies preseason camp.
Owens should have the advantage because of his experience and proven production. But he’ll have to run with better balance, make quicker decisions and become more dependable in the passing game.
Accountability is a strong first step. Execution is the one that matters.
Owens knows exactly what prevented him from becoming a 1,000-yard running back last season. If he fixes it, he could finally become the star Texas A&M thought it signed.
If he doesn’t, Morrow may take the job before Owens gets another chance.
