Alcoa tight end Eli Owens talks Tennessee camp, impression of Josh Heupel

As a member of the 2025 class, tight end Eli Owens isn’t very far along in the recruiting process, but when things get serious down the line, it’s a very safe bet that Owens is going to a prospect that Tennessee fans are hyper-interested in.

That’s because Owens (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) is a local product who plays his high school football at Alcoa, less than 15 miles from Neyland Stadium. His status as a native son who also looks headed to be an SEC-level recruit will pretty much insure his recruitment gets followed under a microscope by Tennessee fans.

For now Owens seems more focused on getting better as a player than on recruiting. To that end, he was at Tennessee for camp this past weekend and enjoyed the experience.

“I enjoyed just getting to learn from Coach (Alec) Abeln and Coach Heupel and see how they teach and see if that’s the way I want to be taught and coached and just liked seeing the vibe and the atmosphere here,” Owens said of spending time working out with the Vols’ coaching staff.

When asked specifically about his impression of Heupel, Owens didn’t hesitate to offer an opinion.

“I like his swagger, his demeanor, his attitude. I like his willingness to help you,” Owens said.

Most followers of football in the state of Tennessee are aware that Alcoa is an absolute powerhouse, winners of an incredible 10 straight state titles. As a result of that kind of dominance, Owens isn’t exactly under a lot of pressure to perform most Friday nights.

His high school team may not always need to utilize his full skill set, but Owens feels like he’s got the kind of varied ability to succeed as an SEC tight end.

“I feel like they enjoy my versatility,” Owens said when asked what he thought Tennessee’s staff liked about his game.

“You can stick me anywhere on the field; backfield, split out wide or in the flat. It doesn’t really matter, I just know I can go make a play.”

As such a versatile athlete one might assume that Owens prefers having the ball in his hands above all else. That’s not the case he cautions, he just loves to play the game.

“I wouldn’t say there’s one specific part of the game I enjoy most. I just like playing football. I just enjoy the game. Blocking is fun, catching the ball is fun, scoring is fun, tackling is fun,” Owens said when asked what his favorite aspect of the game is.

Recruiting is slow for Owens and other members of his class right now, outside of getting on the road and taking visits or attending camps. That will change in less than two months (Sept. 1) though when college coaches can officially begin making phone calls to members of the 2025 class.

When September rolls around, Owens anticipates that he’ll be hearing from Tennessee steadily.

“With me being a 2025 (prospect) there’s still a couple more months before they can start calling, but I feel like once September rolls around everything will really start to get going and pick up from that standpoint,” Owens said of Tennessee’s interest in him.

“I know that they’re really focusing in on ‘24s right now, trying to get all their commits. Once September hits I think they’ll start focusing in on ‘25s.”

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