Clemson picked up a big-time commitment Monday from a highly touted Peach State offensive lineman.
Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) four-star Zechariah Owens announced his commitment to the Tigers.
Owens – a 6-foot-6, 365-pound rising senior – is ranked as high as the nation’s No. 8 offensive tackle and No. 67 overall prospect in the country for the 2023 class by 247Sports. ESPN considers him the No. 17 offensive tackle and No. 135 overall prospect in his class, while Rivals tabs him as the No. 21 offensive tackle and No. 182 overall prospect.
Owens held more than 30 total offers, including offers from schools such as Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, North Carolina, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Tennessee and Southern Cal.
Clemson extended an offer to Owens after he attended the Tigers’ junior day in early March. He was back on campus to watch Clemson’s first scrimmage of the spring at Memorial Stadium on March 30, then returned to Tiger Town for an official visit from June 3-5. He was also on campus to participate in the Dabo Swinney Camp last summer.
“Every time I go back up there, I just love it,” Owens told The Clemson Insider this spring.
“It’s a home feeling,” he said of Clemson in an interview with TCI earlier this year. “I love South Carolina in general, but the fact that there’s a good college there, speaking of Clemson, I love it. I love everything about the school and the community.”
The visits Owens made to Clemson stood out from his trips to other schools.
“I’ve been to different schools and nothing changed,” he told TCI. “Nothing has been like Clemson. Nothing is the same from Clemson. Literally, Clemson’s just Clemson.”
Owens becomes the third offensive line commitment in Clemson’s 2023 class, joining Permian High School (Odessa, Texas) four-star Harris Sewell and Vandegrift High School (Austin, Texas) four-star Ian Reed.
Owens is the 16th total commitment in the Tigers’ class, joining Sewell, Reed, Rome (Ga.) four-star defensive tackle Stephiylan Green, Woodward Academy (College Park, Ga.) four-star defensive end A.J. Hoffler, Warner Robins (Ga.) four-star defensive lineman Vic Burley, Briarwood Christian (Birmingham, Ala.) five-star quarterback Christopher Vizzina, St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.) four-star defensive end David Ojiegbe, Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star cornerback Avieon Terrell, First Baptist Academy (Naples, Fla.) four-star tight end Olsen Patt Henry, St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star cornerback Branden Strozier, Sumner (Riverview, Fla.) four-star safety Kylen Webb, Rockwall (Texas) four-star wide receiver Noble Johnson, Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.) four-star linebacker Jamal Anderson, Denmark (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star linebacker Dee Crayton and Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) three-star tight end Markus Dixon.
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