Report: Texas S Tyler Owens to enter NCAA transfer portal

The Texas Longhorns career of junior safety Tyler Owens is potential approaching its end with a Friday report from Inside Texas that the former high school track standout is considering entering the NCAA transfer portal.

The 6’2, 203-pounder was an honor roll student at Plano East who drew attention during his recruitment for running a 10.35 100m, helping Owens earn an offer from Texas after a standout camp performance in 2018. Less than two months later, he committed to the home-state Longhorns over offers from schools like Baylor, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, and UCLA.

By the end of the 2019 cycle, improvement on the gridiron and the blistering track times off the football field helped Owens vault to No. 24 nationally and the No. 3 in the 247Sports rankings. In the 247Sports Composite rankings, he finished as the No. 107 player nationally and the No. 9 safety.

As a freshman, Owens primarily contributed on special teams, though widespread injuries throughout the Texas secondary resulted in his first career start against TCU, during which he was repeatedly and successfully attacked in coverage. He finished the year with eight tackles.

Owens flashed some ability on special teams in 2020 with a punt block against Texas Tech returned for a touchdown by Texas, but otherwise only finished with two tackles.

Even with the coaching change — as Pete Kwiatkowski became his third defensive coordinator in three seasons — Owens wasn’t able to crack the rotation at safety, making two tackles in five appearances.

And now it appears that Owens may be ready to move on to seek success elsewhere.