Pope High wide receiver Zach Owens had a scholarship offer from a prestigious school just down the road. There was no need to wait, he said, to make his commitment to Georgia Tech.
“I would probably just say I felt it was the right time,” Owens said. “I don’t really think there are any other schools that give you this opportunity in everything. It was just the time.”
On Friday, he called Tech co-offensive line coach Ron West, who had been his primary recruiter, and informed him, coach Paul Johnson and wide receivers coach Buzz Preston of his decision. Owens, 6-foot-3 and 197 pounds, became the third member of Tech’s 2019 recruiting class.
A three-star prospect (247 Sports) rated the No. 89 player in the state, Owens said that West had been recruiting him for the past year. Tech made its scholarship offer about two weeks ago. He also received offers from Troy, South Alabama and Buffalo. Owens said that coaches told him that they were going to have two receivers in the class. He is the first.
Owens holds a 3.4 GPA and is interested in studying business. On a recent visit, he appreciated the opportunity to talk with a professor in the business school. He was intrigued, too, to learn about internships in the summer, an option several Tech football players have availed themselves of in recent years.
Owens was named the school’s student of the week in February, in part because he helped found a club called “We the Minorities.” It is a group that provides minority students a place to talk with peers about the challenges they face. The group brings in guest speakers and hopes to organize service projects.
Assuming he signs and enrolls, Owens will join a wide receiver group that has one senior (Jalen Camp), two juniors (Jair Hawkins-Anderson and Stephen Dolphus) and three players who will be freshmen or sophomores (Malachi Carter, Peje’ Harris and Adonicas Sanders).
His game video portrays a player with long reach, soft hands, ability to adjust to the ball and good quickness and change of direction for his size.
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