Texas A&M Running Back Stepping Set for Major Role vs. LSU in Death Valley

After the Aggies were able to finish a three-game homestand with victories against Auburn, Mississippi State and Florida, they lost a key player due to a late injury against the Gators in Le'Veon Moss.

Prior to his injury, Moss led the team in rushing yards with 389, meaning his absence would certainly be felt out on the field. Something that the Aggies have a lot of though are good running backs, as they have Rueben Owens II, Amari Daniels, EJ Smith and Jamarion Morrow.

All four were able to get touches during the Aggies' most recent matchup against Arkansas, yet Owens stood out the most as he was able to lead the team with 69 yards and two touchdowns, as he has stepped filling the absence of Moss.

Owens' Growth On The Season

Texas A&M Rueben Owens I — Oct 18, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies running back Rueben Owens II (4) celebrates after rushing for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

As he now leads the Aggies in rushing yards with 369, Owens is nowhere close to slowing down as the Aggies hit the road to face LSU this weekend. The Aggies have a huge test, as they have never won in Tiger Stadium since being in the Southeastern Conference.

"Rueben was a big-time high school player when I was still here as a defensive coordinator and so you know, as much success as he had at the high school level, you know, there's still a transition when you get to the college, right?" Mike Elko said about Owens.

With Owens being a redshirt sophomore this season, he still has plenty of collegiate football ahead of him. As a freshman in 2023, Owens was able to have a breakthrough season as he led the SEC's true-freshmen in all-purpose yards, rushing yards, and kick return yards.

"I wasn't here with him his freshman year, and so I don't really know how that went for him," Elko said. "From the time we got here, you know, you saw development, you saw evolution, and then unfortunately he goes through the foot injury, and so he has not played a lot of football in this system."

With Moss out for an unspecified amount of time, Owens is now the go-to guy in the running back room as he has already shown his importance to the team in the Aggies' gutsy 45-42 win over the Razorbacks.

"I think he's one of the kids who gets a lot better every week that he goes out there because those reps are so valuable for him, and I think he's getting more and more comfortable with what we're asking him to do in the run game," Elko said.