Rueben Owens II eyed as 'next man up' following injury to Le'Veon Moss

Click HERE to view Texas A&M’s Tuesday press conference.

Yesterday's news delivered a blow.

Now, it's time to go.

Earlier this week, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko stressed the importance of the "next man up" mentality in the aftermath of Le'Veon Moss' injury, which will sideline him for a "significant" period of time.

"If we're going to allow injuries to impact or derail things, we can't do that," Elko said on Monday. "That's not to dismiss what it's going to mean to lose him because he's going to be a huge loss, but it has to be a next man up mentality in order for us to play in this conference. You can't do it any other way."

Elko also pointed out that next man up.

To nobody's surprise, it'll be redshirt sophomore Rueben Owens II, who was not at all surprised to hear his name highlighted by the Aggie head man.

"It was great to hear it, but you know, we got other backs too," he said. "It's not just going to be me. It's going to be all of us, and we're just going to put on a show and show y'all that we can run the ball."

While Moss' injury brings back bad memories, the difference this season is the availability and productivity of the former five-star from El Campo.

Owens played in A&M's final two games of 2024 after a Lisfranc injury interrupted what was reportedly a very impressive fall camp, so he certainly empathizes and sympathizes with his fallen teammate, unlike most truly can.

"I just pray for him. Tell him it's gonna be all right," Owens said. "You know football. It comes with injuries, but you're going to overcome them.

"I tell him to stay around the team. When I was hurt, being around the team helped me get through it."

Now healthy, he has run 56 times for 327 yards and a touchdown this year, including a career-best 142 vs. Mississippi State in Week 6. He also has four receptions for 55 yards.

Detractors and naysayers will say the differing styles of Moss and Owens will have a significant and perhaps negative impact on A&M's offense. Elko isn't so sure.

Brian Jones

Rueben Owens II is listed at 215 pounds in 2025 as opposed to 200 as a freshman in 2023 and 205 last year.

"Rueben's a lot bigger than people give them credit for. He's a lot thicker than people give him credit for," Elko said. "Rueben's starting the hit his stride, which has been really good.

"He hasn't had a ton of reps in this offense because of the injury. And so he really didn't get healthy, healthy until the middle of the fall camp, where he was really starting to run and cut the way he wanted to. ... Now, he's kind of hitting his groove, and now it's going to be really big for him to go out there and control the load."

Amari Daniels, Jamarion Morrow and even EJ Smith have shown the capability to share that load.

Still, it's time for the "next man" to become "the man" until Moss' return.

"I'm the type of back that whatever I'm feeling or whatever I feel like the best play is or whatever it is, I can break it," Owens said as he finds his groove. "As the game goes on, I get better.

"Real dangerous. Speed. More fluent. Knowing what's going on and just pop it, you know?"