Tag: Zechariah Owens

Offensive tackle transfer Zechariah Owens commits to Colorado

Another big offensive lineman has committed to Colorado

One of my takeaways from Colorado’s spring football game on Saturday was how much bigger the offensive and defensive linemen were for the Buffs. Well, Colorado is getting even bigger as Clemson transfer offensive tackle Zechariah “Zack” Owens committed to CU on Sunday.

Nicknamed “Flapjack” for his ability to hand out pancake blocks to defensive linemen, Owens is a massive college athlete. Tipping the scales at 6-foot-6, 375 pounds, he spent one season at Clemson, getting playing time in two games while maintaining four years of eligibility via a redshirt.

Owens appears to have the ability to play either guard or tackle, depending on how he develops as a pass protector.

According to 247Sports, Owens was a four-star prospect and a top-200 player in the 2023 recruiting class. A mauler in the run game, Owens stands as an excellent addition to the Buffs who could develop into a starter for years to come.

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Four-star OL recruit flips back to Tigers

Clemson lands its second offensive tackle of the 2023 recruiting class with Owen’s re-commitment on Tuesday.

A 2023 recruit has decided to stay with Clemson following his decision last week to pursue other options.

Four-star offensive tackle Zechariah Owens announced via Twitter on Tuesday that he had  re-committed to the Tigers despite decommiting last week due to family reasons prior to his visit at Florida State for their matchup with Clemson. The Peach State native had originally verbally committed to the Tigers back on July 5 after attending junior day last spring.

“After a long time thinking, praying and reconsidering my family and I have decided that I will stay and continue to be committed to Clemson University,” Owens said. “I want to thank the Clemson coaching staff and my fellow teammates for sticking beside me through this and also I want to thank everyone for reaching out to my family and I through this process, but with that being said I’m 1000% ALLIN #GOTIGERS”

The 6-foot-7, 365 pound early enrollee out of McDonough, Georgia (Eagle’s Landing Christian) is a huge addition to the Tigers 2023 class, becoming the No. 20 overall commit and the second offensive tackle (Ian Reed) to join the Tigers latest class, which is currently ranked eighth overall in the nation by 247 Sports.

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Owens back with Tigers after FSU visit reinforces how different Clemson is

Clemson has regained a verbal commitment for its 2023 recruiting class. After decommitting from the Tigers last week, Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) four-star offensive tackle Zechariah Owens has opted to jump back on board with …

Clemson has regained a verbal commitment for its 2023 recruiting class.

After decommitting from the Tigers last week, Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) four-star offensive tackle Zechariah Owens has opted to jump back on board with Dabo Swinney’s program.

On Tuesday, Owens (6-6, 350) announced his decision to re-commit to Clemson.

“After a long time of thinking, praying and reconsidering my family and I have decided that I will stay and continue to be committed to Clemson University,” Owens wrote in a Twitter post. “I want to thank the clemson coaching staff and my fellow teammates for sticking beside me through this and also i want to thank everyone for reaching out to my family and I through this process but with that being said I’m 1000% ALLIN #GOTIGERS”

Owens originally committed to the Tigers on July 5 of this year before withdrawing his verbal pledge last week.

Owens told The Clemson Insider in a message last Thursday that it was a decision he made in the best interest of himself and his family.

“I love my family to death and I stick beside them just how they would me,” he said.

After walking back his pledge from Swinney’s program, Owens made an unofficial visit to Florida State this past weekend, and we can tell you his time in Tallahassee reinforced how different Clemson is.

Owens obviously had a change of heart regarding his decommitment decision and wanted to get back in the fold with the Tigers. Swinney then had a decision to make, and of course, it appears any wounds that might’ve existed have now been healed.

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.

Owens is ranked as high as the No. 121 overall prospect in the country for the 2023 class by 247Sports, which considers him the nation’s No. 16 offensive tackle and No. 10 prospect from the Peach State regardless of position.

He lists 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.

Owens is planning to be an early enrollee.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Clemson loses a key piece of their 2023 recruiting class

Four star offensive lineman Zechariah Owens decommits from Clemson

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson program lost a significant piece of their 2023 recruiting class as 4-star offensive lineman Zechariah Owens has decommited from the Tigers.

The Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) is currently the No.18 ranked offensive tackle and the No.191 overall ranked player in the 2023 class according to 247Sports compositing rankings. For a team that is regularly looking to bolster their offensive line, losing the 6’6, 365-pound rising senior is a major blow for Swinney’s 2023 class.

Owens has not only decommitted from Clemson, and he will visit Florida State this weekend for the Tigers’ matchup with Florida State as a guest of the Seminoles. It looks like Florida State is the new favorite to land Owens.

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Clemson commit’s teammate reports offer from the Tigers

A four-star prospect from the Peach State and teammate of a Clemson commit announced an offer from the Tigers via social media Wednesday night. Eagles Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) offensive lineman DJ Chester reported the offer on …

A four-star prospect from the Peach State and teammate of a Clemson commit announced an offer from the Tigers via social media Wednesday night.

Eagles Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) offensive lineman DJ Chester reported the offer on Twitter.

Chester is a teammate of Clemson four-star offensive line commit Zechariah Owens.

The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Chester is ranked as high as the No. 51 overall prospect in the 2023 class by 247Sports, which considers him the No. 6 offensive tackle and No. 4 prospect in the state of Georgia for his class.

–Photo courtesy of DJ Chester on Twitter (@DJChester6)

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Big-time Texas OL loving life as a Clemson commit

Ian Reed is loving life as a Clemson commitment. The big-time offensive lineman and consensus four-star prospect from Vandegrift High School (Austin, Texas) gave his verbal pledge to Dabo Swinney’s program earlier this summer, and he couldn’t be …

Ian Reed is loving life as a Clemson commitment.

The big-time offensive lineman and consensus four-star prospect from Vandegrift High School (Austin, Texas) gave his verbal pledge to Dabo Swinney’s program earlier this summer, and he couldn’t be happier about his college decision.

“It’s been awesome – just nothing but good things from the community that supports me,” Reed said to The Clemson Insider recently of being on board with the Tigers. “They’re just amazed how I’m committed to Clemson. I love Clemson, and Clemson’s going to be home forever.”

The bond between the commits in Clemson’s 2023 class has been getting stronger, and Reed expects it to become even tighter when he and many of the others arrive on campus as midyear enrollees in January.

“It’s been growing, for sure,” he said. “We’ve got to spend more time with each other, but most of the commits are probably coming in early, so we’ll get to spend a lot more time around each other. For sure I love my other future teammates. They have the same goals as I do and the same mindset as I do, and we want to go win championships and just continue the success Clemson has consistently had.”

As for Reed’s relationship with Clemson’s coaching staff, it continues to develop as well as he communicates with them regularly, including offensive line coach Thomas Austin.

“Just talking to them like probably once a week,” Reed said. “I know it’s the dead period right now, but we’ve just been talking over text message, and sending me love and support and just talking to me about life. I love Coach Austin. He’s a great guy, great coach.”

The last time Reed traveled to Tiger Town was in late July, when he attended the All In Cookout and had a blast with his fellow recruits and future coaches at Clemson’s signature summer recruiting event.

“Everyone enjoyed it,” he said. “It was super fun just seeing each other again, hanging out with the coaches again, just having a great time with each other basically, seeing the families again and having a good time relaxing and playing games and all that. It was awesome to me.”

Reed’s parents and youngest brother accompanied him to the cookout, and his mother came away impressed after her first experience at Clemson.

“It was my mom’s first time visiting campus, and she loves it,” he said.

Clemson beat out schools like Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, Alabama and Texas, among others on Reed’s list of around 30 scholarship offers, to land his commitment back on June 7.

The consistency of Swinney’s program, and the coaching staff he has put in place, are a couple of things that played a big role in Reed’s decision to be a Tiger.

“Just the continued success that Clemson has, the vision that they have for you as a man of life and just as a player too, that really stuck with me,” he said. “I love how the coaches are very honest and transparent, and they’ll love you hard and they’ll coach you hard at the same time. I just really like that. With the new staff Coach Swinney got, this is a really great staff, development staff too. They like to develop you, and he’s got high-quality coaches. So, I’m really excited about that.”

Reed was the first offensive line commit in Clemson’s 2023 class, and he has since been joined by a couple of other big-time O-line prospects – Permian High School (Odessa, Texas) four-star Harris Sewell and Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) four-star Zechariah Owens.

Each of them is ranked as a top-150 national prospect, regardless of position, by at least one of the major recruiting services.

“I’m really excited to work with (Owens) and Harris,” Reed said. “They’re very talented O-linemen, too. They’re physical, they’re mean, they’re fast, they’re agile, they’re mobile, and they’re very good people, too, and very good people to work with. So, I’m just really excited to be their teammate.”

Reed certainly looks forward to enrolling at Clemson in January and beginning his collegiate career, but first, he is focused on taking care of business during his senior season at Vandegrift.

“I’m very excited about that,” he said, “but I’m just going to take it one step at a time, help my team, help finish and complete our goals for my high school team and what we want to do first, and then it’s on to Clemson and start again basically. So, I’m really excited about the midyear enrollee stuff and just getting ready to work.”

What can Clemson fans expect to see from Reed on the Tigers’ offensive line in the future?

“Someone that’s loyal,” he said. “I’ll give 110 percent every play. I’m physical and mean, athletic, very smart. I have a great bend, speed off the edge, too. Just a mauler and physical.”

Reed is ranked as high as the No. 14 offensive tackle and No. 147 overall prospect in the 2023 class by Rivals.

–Photo courtesy of Ian Reed on Twitter (@Ian_Reed72)

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Clemson football 2023 recruiting class tracker

Clemson football is on a recruiting tear. Check out the Tigers 2023 class so far.

Updated 8/9

We are in full swing with the 2023 recruiting cycle, with this past month being a busy one for Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program.

There have been ups and downs during the process, but the Tigers have had a great start in the 23′ class. Though the team has dealt with decommitments from four-star wide receiver Nathanial Joseph and three-star tight end Reid Mikeska, Clemson still ranks among the top of 247Sports 2023 recruit team rankings.

According to the 247Sports rankings, Friday’s addition of five-star defensive lineman Peter Woods has pushed Clemson up to the No.3 ranked class in the country with eleven commits and 260.28 total points.

Swinney and the Tigers are one of the hottest teams on the recruiting trail right now after snagging Woods from his home state and power house program, Alabama.

Here is a look at the Tigers’ current 2023 class with their 247Sports composite ranking:

Clemson commits react to their official offers from the Tigers

August 1 marks the day that colleges around the nation start doling out official offers to prospects. Clemson is of course among the schools that have been sending out official offers to their commits and targets in the class of 2023, and many of …

August 1 marks the day that colleges around the nation start doling out official offers to prospects.

Clemson is of course among the schools that have been sending out official offers to their commits and targets in the class of 2023, and many of the Tigers’ pledges have been announcing and reacting to their official offers on social media.

Here’s a look at official offer announcements from future Tigers:

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

4-star OL commit Owens says ‘the sky’s the limit’ for Clemson’s 2023 class

Among the commitments in Clemson’s 2023 recruiting class who were on hand for Monday’s All In Cookout was Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) four-star offensive tackle, Zechariah Owens. The 6-foot-6, 365-pound rising senior had a …

Among the commitments in Clemson’s 2023 recruiting class who were on hand for Monday’s All In Cookout was Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) four-star offensive tackle, Zechariah Owens.

The 6-foot-6, 365-pound rising senior had a blast at the Tigers’ signature summer recruiting event and recapped his experience in a phone interview with The Clemson Insider this past Tuesday.

“It was fun, man,” Owens said. “It was so much fun. It felt good seeing all my guys again. I can say this and speak for everybody, we’re all like brothers. The way we look at each other. The way we talk to each other, play with each other. I know when we get to college, I already know the sky’s the limit for us.”

Before we went further into Monday’s festivities, Owens peeled back the curtain and walked us through his decision to commit to Dabo Swinney’s program back on the Fourth of July. 

If you can recall, Owens told The Clemson Insider back in early March that Clemson was his No. 1 school following a junior day visit that culminated in an offer. At the time, it was not only Swinney’s message that resonated with Owens but his ability to connect with Thomas Austin on a personal level. 

“I’m looking at him as an example,” Owens said of Clemson’s offensive line coach. “He was an offensive lineman. He came from Clemson and look where he is now. He’s the offensive line coach — that’s his dream job. Every time someone comes out of Clemson, no matter where they go
dreams come true at Clemson. I just know that if I stick with the plan they have for me, I could do the same thing.”

Now, you may be asking why when Owens’ commitment video panned into a Penn State logo before turning into his Clemson commitment graphic. Well, word got out that he silently committed during his official visit and he didn’t want that to be public information until he announced his decision.

“I knew I was going to Clemson,” he said. “My family knew I was going to Clemson. We’ve been All In. We all knew I was going to Clemson
It wasn’t no disrespect towards the school or nothing like that. I just wanted to get people off my back thinking they know where I’m going when I didn’t want to make it public.”

While Monday’s All In Cookout wasn’t about recruiting, Owens said that Clemson’s staff was still acting like they were recruiting him. Even though Clemson had 16 of 17 committed prospects on campus earlier this week, the Tigers haven’t grown complacent. They haven’t treated the commits any differently just because they’re committed. They’re still actively recruiting them and their families each and every day, especially Monday.

“I don’t know how to explain it, it’s really like a family thing,” he said. “It’s really like a family. I can’t really explain it, you really just got to be there. It’s no favorites
All of them are just family.”

That especially can be said for Clemson’s offensive line commits like Vandegrift (Austin, TX.) four-star Ian Reed and Permian (Odessa, TX.) four-star Harris Sewell.

“We might be the best o-line class Clemson has gotten,” Owens said. “Development-wise, we have the best o-line class. We’re dawgs. I got my boy, Ian, he’s tough. I’ve seen Harris’s film. Harris is tough. Harris be hittin’
We all act like brothers too, so our chemistry’s already there. The way we act towards each other and around each other, we don’t try to one-up each other. No, none of that. The chemistry is actually there and very genuine with my boys.”

The same could be said for the remainder of Clemson’s 2023 recruiting class and the five-star quarterback that Owens has been tasked with protecting.

“Everybody loves CV,” Owens said of Christopher Vizzina. “CV is like boy wonder. How could you not love Chris? He’s cool. I love CV. He’s like a brother for real. He’s the one that recruited me and helped me come to Clemson. I was gonna choose Penn State and he was like ‘Yeah, you’re not going to Penn State.’’

Owens listened. He was not going to Penn State.

— Photo for this article courtesy of  @z6ckk on Instagram.

Dear Old Clemson has added to the store posters signed by all 20 members of Clemson’s 2022 football class.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Clemson offensive line target sets commitment date

One of Clemson’s priority offensive line targets has announced his commitment date.

One of Clemson’s top offensive line targets has set his commitment date.

2023 three-star interior offensive lineman Connor Lew took to Twitter on Saturday to announce he will make his commitment on August 5.

Lew’s finalists are Auburn, Clemson, Georgia and Miami.

The 6-foot-3, 280-pound Lew is the No. 42 interior offensive lineman and the No. 612 overall recruit in the class of 2023, according to 247Sports Composite rankings.

Lew officially visited Clemson on June 3 and has since visited his three other finalists.

“It was impressive to see how Clemson focused on character development and preparing their student-athletes for life,” he told The Clemson Insider following the official visit. “It starts up with Coach Swinney, and he did a good job of explaining to us and describing the process and how there’s tools and resources for everyone to grow as a person and develop their character while they’re at Clemson.”

He is one of 14 offensive line recruits the Tigers have offered, three of which, Harris Sewell, Zechariah Owens and Ian Reed, have committed.

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