Interview: 3-Star 2022 RB/ATH Tahj Owens Talks Recruiting and San Jose State Visit
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
The last two seasons have been a blur on the field for Class of 2022 running back Tahj Owens flying past California defenders. The all-purpose back earned All-CIF honors as a sophomore rushing for 761 yards off 122 totes with seven scores while pulling down 14 passes for 111 yards. On special teams, Owens pushed his all-purpose yardage over 1,284 yards taking back 18 kicks for 430 yards. Adding a little extra dimension to his play for Loyola High School, he also lined up in the Cubs secondary putting an end to 19 plays with a pick. The abbreviated 2020 season did not stunt Owens’ growing talents rushing for 226 yards off 29 carries with six scores in three games.
College programs needing a back that can do it all with every gear in the book are loving what they are seeing in Owens. The three-star recruit has seven offers with more interest building as he makes the rounds this summer at college camps.
*Click link for Feb. 2021 RNG interview with Tahj Owens
Interview
Tahj, this spring has been great for you in regards to recruiting picking up offers from Nevada, Dartmouth, and Columbia. How many total offers do you have now?
Seven total.
Owen’s Offer Sheet: Colorado State, Columbia, Dartmouth, Kansas, Nevada, San Diego State, and San Jose State
Which programs are checking you out but have not offered yet?
UCLA, Princeton, Yale, and Sacramento State are all I can think of right now.
With the high-achieving academic schools showing interest and offering you, what is your cumulative GPA?
My cumulative GPA, I think it is a 3.9.
Have you taken the ACT and/or SAT?
I took the SAT and scored a 1230.
Nice. Have you visited any programs this month since the Dead Period lifted?
Yes, I took one visit, an unofficial, to San Jose State. I also went to a camp there as well. That was a good experience, I had not been in that area before. It was cool seeing that.
How did the San Jose State visit go?
The visit was great. I talked to and met the coaches. I saw the campus and I enjoyed my time.
How did the camp portion of the trip turn out?
There were a lot of great coaches there. I received great coaching at their camp. That helped me and the overall experience.
What were some of the tips you picked up from the coaches?
Reinforcement of ball handling and control. They showed me different stuff on steps, how to run certain routes, and how to attack the line of scrimmage. The coaches had us do some drills that help with reaction time and getting your feet up. They gave me some stuff for me to work on. I really enjoyed that.
During the competition portion of the camp, how did that go?
It went really well. I had a lot of great coaching, as mentioned. I got great work in and went through some great drills and did the one-on-ones. It was great going against that competition. It was a good camp overall. There were a lot of different coaches there, UCLA, Utah, Arizona, and Sacramento State, just to name a few, were all there. It was a great experience.
What all did you see and do overall with the visit?
I talked to a lot of the coaches including the head coach. I took pictures, did the photo shoot, toured the facilities, saw the new stuff they are building, and saw the main campus. We were on the southside of the campus, by the stadium, most of the time. We also saw the different sports they have there, like volleyball and tennis. I enjoyed that.
When talking X’s and O’s, how do the Spartans’ coaches see you fitting into their scheme?
They have a lot of quick speed backs now. They want me to come there and be that as well. The coaches are looking for me to be an all-around back. I talked to their weight training and field training coaches. When we talked, they told me about the attributes of their running backs, their speed and quickness and how they use different training for different people. They are focused on speed.
Which schools are you planning on visiting next?
I have a visit with Nevada this weekend and then UCLA on the 14th.
Which national camps have you been to so far?
I already went to Under Armour and a Rivals camp.
Are you going to any college camps?
Yes, I am going to a Stanford camp on the 16th. That is it for right now. But I am planning on going to more, I just have not scheduled it yet.
Tahj, it was great catching up with you today. Wishing you the best of luck with your upcoming visits and camps.
Thank you, sir.
Photo credit: Owens family; Tahj Owens at San Jose State