College football’s most underrated defensive backs for 2022
By Eric Finney
4. Rodney Owens, Memphis
Rodney Owens, the super senior (sixth year of college football), has had an interesting journey before his time at Memphis. He was a highly rated recruit coming out of Ensworth High School and signed to the University of Louisville. Owens completed his freshman year at Louisville and decided to transfer to Iowa Western Community College. After experiencing success at Iowa Western, he signed with Memphis in 2019.
Standing at 6-foot-0 and 185 pounds, Owens has embodied the role of being a hybrid defender during his time in Memphis’ scheme. Boasting the accolade of a fourth-team All-AAC selection by Phil Steele during the 2021 season, Owens posts career statistics of 134 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, five interceptions, 16 pass breakups, and a forced fumble.
The colloquial football term for his position would be the “nickel” or “star”, which requires the defender to defend the run like a linebacker but patrol the secondary like a safety. It takes a unique athlete both physically and mentally to perform at a high level, due to the fact that the schematics of the defense are based on their ability to specialize in multiple areas, so the defense remains at an advantage.
If a team decides to deploy four wide receivers on first-and-10, the “nickel/star” will be responsible for matching up with a speedy slot receiver; on the other hand, if the offense deploys two tight ends and a fullback, the position will require him to be an aggressive run defender vs a physical offensive set.
Look no further than his goal line stop vs. UCF during the 2020 season. Owens aligned on the line of scrimmage, blitzed off the edge, and forced a fumble on the ball carrier four yards deep in the backfield.
Fast forward to the 2021 season, where he put on a clinic tape in zone coverage. Often, his position requires him to be a physical underneath defender that discourages quarterbacks from throwing the ball into the short, flat areas of the field. During the contest vs. SMU, Owens clinched the game through his knowledge of the scheme and elite eye discipline by baiting the quarterback into a throw that he intercepted.
Owens has been labeled a team leader and lauded for the stability he brings to the defense. Look for him to continue to be a major factor in the AAC this season with the hope of an opportunity in the NFL on the horizon.