Owens keepin' it 100 on his quest for 1,000

Rueben Owens II is keeping it 100.

Except he wants to add an additional zero to that.

“I want to be a 1,000-yard rusher,” the redshirt junior running back said on Wednesday. “I want to make it to the next level, and I want to win. We fell short a little bit last year, but this year, we got to finish.”

Texas A&M won 11 games in 2025, though the Aggies haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since De’Von Achane rattled off 1,102 in 2022.

Since joining the SEC, only five different Aggies have reached the milestone for a total of seven 1,000-yard seasons. Trayveon Williams and Isaiah Spiller each did it twice.

Joining an exclusive list that also includes Johnny Manziel and Tra Carson would hopefully add more zeros to a potential signing bonus come April.

But what’s to keep Owens from getting there?

“When I break out this year, I need to stop stumbling,” he said. “That has to stop. I feel like, this summer, I worked on that. I worked on a lot of balance stuff because that’s not good. … I really do need to stop falling and make them big runs, make them big plays for the team so that we can win.

“I could’ve been a 1,000-yard rusher last year if I didn’t fall so many times. That’s on me, and I’m gonna pick it up.”

If he goes from stumbling to rumbling, he could get to 1,000 in his first season as “the guy” in the Aggie backfield.

Except, with 639 yards in 2025, he was A&M’s leading rusher with a team-high 119 carries.

“When I wasn’t the lead guy, I still came in with the mentality to practice like I’m going to be the lead guy,” Owens said. “I practice hard every day. Every chance I get to go out there, I play hard because you never know when your opportunity will come.”

Of course, feature back Le’Veon Moss suffered an ankle injury vs. Florida and missed six games, forcing A&M to turn to Owens and then-true freshman Jamarion Morrow.

Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

In 27 career games with 10 starts, Rueben Owens II has rushed for 1,090 yards and eight touchdowns on 236 carries.

Those two now project to take the bulk of the carries this fall.

They’ll be supported by a cast of tailbacks that includes Tiger Riden Jr. and true freshmen KJ Edwards and Carysn Baker.

“It feels good to be the lead guy, but we got some guys in that room too,” Owens said. “It’s going to be a good season for the stable.”

Oh, and don’t forget the damage quarterback Marcel Reed can do with his legs.

A competent, let alone potent, ground attack is not a certainty behind a rebuilt offensive line, though it would be a luxury if the Aggies could find it.

Last year, A&M ranked 30th nationally and third in the SEC with 184.7 rushing yards per game.

As Moss can attest, health can be the determining or limiting factor for tailbacks in the nation’s most physical league, and Owens has had previous bouts with injuries.

In 2023, he played in all 13 games en route to SEC All-Freshman Team honors. After a fall-camp Lisfranc injury limited him to just two contests as a sophomore, he bounced back to play in 12 of 13 with five starts a year ago.

From 2024 to 2026, Owens has added 10 pounds to his 5-foot-11 frame. That should help when it comes to withstanding the wear-and-tear of carrying the ball in the SEC.

“I put on a lot of size. I put on a lot of muscle,” the 215-pounder said. “I feel good. I feel like I can still do the same things I’ve been doing. I’m just more stronger and going to be able to break more tackles.”

If Owens can stay on the field, he’d need to average just over 83 yards across 12 games to reach his self-imposed benchmark.

That’s 83.4 yards per game, to be exact.

That seems doable if we’re keeping it 100.