Florida LB Leroy Owens Could Be Syracuse’s Next Diamond In the Rough
D.A. | Jul 20, 2011 | Comments 9
It had been two weeks since Syracuse reeled in a recruit, so when the Orange picked up Jacksonville linebacker Leroy Owens it marked more noise for an unusually quiet football recruiting scene. With the explosive way July started for SU, going that long without a commitment was a substantial amount of time. But Syracuse plucks their fifth recruit of the month with Owens (Palatka HS Panthers) and marks the program’s 4th recruit from the Sunshine State.
Owens fits the same mold as many of the other SU commits this summer. He’s not highly rated by the scouting services and Syracuse didn’t really beat anyone to get him. In fact, Syracuse was his only offer.
- 12 days until Big East Media Day. Follow The Fizz on Twitter for live updates from Newport, RI on Aug. 2nd and the freshest SU recruiting news.
Owen’s highlight tape is not exactly spectacular but to an informed eye, one thing sticks out. The kid is incredibly disciplined. He never leaves his assignment. For a coach like Marrone who is sure to utter the phrase “assignment football” in nearly every press conference this year, Owens is certainly appealing.
Owens doesn’t think of himself as a big hitter, but instead a form-tackler. However, he has uttered one of the quotes of the summer already: “I like knocking people over.”
At 6’3”, 205 lbs, Owens will play linebacker at SU despite spending a lot of time with his hand on the ground at Palatka. While on the line, he could always be counted on to have backside contain, on top of being effective as a pass rusher (10 sacks). Owens says he likes playing MLB, but the Orange coaches like him on the outside.
If Owens is another signature Marrone diamond in the rough, he can be a toy for Scott Schafer to play with. A player who understands his job and can step into multiple positions on the field is invaluable. With a possible redshirt year to learn under Marquis Spruill (who would be a third-year starter at that time) and another season to play under him during Spruill’s senior campaign, Owens has a tremendous opportunity to make the best of his one and only scholarship offer.
The question is, as it is with a handful of the SU recruits in the class of 2012, does he have the talent and natural ability to play in a BCS conference? We won’t know for a few years, but for now… In Marrone We Trust.
Posted: Craig Hoffman
Filed Under: Featured • Recruiting
Love it. Funny to hear all these people on the Post Standard site talking crap about this kid how he looks horrible and there has to be a reason he hasnt been recruited.
Well, the one thing that Marrone has been consistent on is getting big, fast, strong players. This kid is enormous (and just a jr in high school)…once he gets taught the proper techniques and hits the weightroom hard, hes going to be a beast. You can’t teach size…so Marrone is taking all the kids with good frames and developing them on his own into great athletes. Love it.
There are over 1.5 million HS football players in the USA. Scout/Rival/ESPN can’t rate them all. Good find!
I’m curious as to how long we can expect to hold on to Scott Schafer. He has done an amazing job with the defense over the past few years and I have to imagine other schools are after him (or will be at some point).
This kid is 6’3″ and 205 lbs and only a junior in high school. The upside to this young man is he gains another 40 lbs while learning the system. Moves to the ILB position and becomes a recking ball for the CUSE. If he stays healthy then Mr. Owens definately has a shot at a career in the NFL.
Another nice job by the coaching staff,and a great catch for the Orange.
GO CUSE..
Evan – It kinda scares me that he wasn’t be recruited by ANYbody else. Like no one, but he definitely has size and speed.
Frank – That’s a great point. Never thought of it in sheer numbers that way.
Matty – That’s a great question and possibly a million dollar one. Schafer isn’t exactly a hidden name and if a smaller program wants to take a shot on him as a head coach, he could be gone. Don’t know Scott at all and don’t have any inside info, but its always hard for competitive people to say no to being “the man”.
Ron – Pump the breaks kiddo! Yes he has size. Yes he has speed. Yes he has discipline. Yes guys can go from NR on Scout/Rivals to the NFL, but can he play his senior year first?!? Pulling for the kid. Hope he proves all that doubted him wrong, but let’s not put him in the draft just yet.
Hey Hoffman; If everything goes accordingly I project him to go as a 1st round and no deeper than a 2nd round draft pick.
Glad you looked at my post,I know it’s early but it’s just my opinion and it’s my way of telling all of the nay-sayers that Coach marrone and staff are doing just fine and Syracuse Football is better for it.
Go CUSE!
The rumor on Scott Schafer according to a coach I know who has been to a few of the coaching camps put on by Marrone & Company is that he really enjoys Central New York for his family and his kids are in high school and would like them to see them graduate here. Which I would say is a good sign. If the defense has another great year I don’t see how a lot of lower tier BCS Conference teams aren’t going to look/offer him. He took the worst defense in division 1A football (I refuse to say bowl subdivision) and turned it into a top 25 defense in 2 years. That’s a stat that is hard to ignore especially at the college level where there is such a disparity in talent from team to team. So we will see what the future holds for him. I think that would be a great interview for you guys if you can get it booked. His success at each program he has been to is hard to ignore. Great post by the way Hoffman.
MC good to hear…and yes it is hard for those teams to ignore what Coach Schafer has accomplished here in such a short period…we also should give the players credit for buying into a system and making themselves coachable….I love what is happening with the program right now…G’ORANGE
One of the things that Marrone did from the start that Grob failed to do and contributed to his downfall, was HCDM started with a great staff. I think that is something that he learned from his time in the pros.. the importance of the coach as the CEO and a good staff to carry out the CEO’s vision and plan. We have a great staff, a great system on offense and defense that the support staff can coach players up to. You have to love what Marrone has done from Day 1 on the job….. Go Cuse