Mike Elko addresses timeline of Rueben Owens injury

Sophomore running back Rueben Owens was reported to have suffered a season-ending lower-body injury last week during Texas A&M‘s first scrimmage of fall camp.

One week after the injury, head coach Mike Elko updated Owens’ status — providing a glimmer of hope that fans may see him back on the field if the Aggies’ season goes as planned.

“Unfortunately, he suffered a foot injury last week, and so he’s going to be out for an extended period of time, most likely the season,” Elko said on Saturday. “There’s an outside chance that if the season extends beyond the regular season, we’ll have a chance to get him back for something. A lot to be determined on that, but that was an unfortunate thing last weekend. Other than that, we’ve managed to stay healthy and have a really strong camp.”

The loss will sting for the Aggies, as Owens was a 2023 SEC All-Freshman Team selection after rushing for 385 yards and three touchdowns a year ago. Owens also recorded 12 catches for 109 yards as the team’s most producing receiving back. He got work in on special teams, too, tallying 12 kick returns for 249 yards. His 743 all-purpose yards led all true freshmen in the SEC in 2023.

However, Texas A&M still has strong depth at the running back position. Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels are the team’s leading returning rushers.

Daniels totaled 532 yards and six touchdowns on 105 carries while Moss compiled 484 yards and five touchdowns on 96 carries. Elko also brought in Stanford transfer EJ Smith — son of NFL legend Emmitt Smith — earlier this offseason to beef up the team’s depth in the backfield.

While Owens’ injury is a tough pill to swallow, the Aggies still have potential on offense. Quarterback Conner Weigman has been named to multiple preseason award watch lists after showing flashes during his freshman and sophomore seasons in College Station. His 2023 season was cut short after suffering a season-ending injury four games into the season but looks to have a clean bill of health heading into 2024.

He’ll need some weapons to step up as he gets back into the swing of things. His wide receiving corps will feature Noah Thomas, who led the team with five receiving touchdowns one year ago, and Jahdae Walker, the team’s top returning receiving with 35 receptions and 590 yards to his credit. Moose Muhammad III also returns for his senior year after hauling in 27 receptions, 345 receiving yards and two touchdowns as a junior.

Elko also brought transfers Cyrus Allen, Jabre Barber and Jacob Bostick into the mix this offseason as well to round out an offense that looks to lead Texas A&M to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.