Eli Owens is a rising 2025 tight end prospect out of Alcoa High School in Alcoa, Tennessee. He has a scholarship offer from Michigan State, and additional offers from several other schools as well.

Owens, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and says he's up to 230 pounds now, recently made the trip up to Detroit to participate in last week’s Supermax 100 Midwest Invitational. Spartans Illustrated caught up with Owens at the event to get his thoughts on Michigan State and his overall recruiting process thus far.

“I’ve been to East Lansing, it’s a beautiful city, a beautiful campus,” Owens said. “Facilities are great. Coaches really believe in the players. It was a down year this year (in 2022), but that won’t happen again.”

What Owens likes about Michigan State is the Spartans’ willingness to fight through the adversity that the 2022 season brought and the ability to stay connected as a full team.

“They’re big about just staying together, and I really believe in that,” Owens said. “Just the way they want to stay together as a unit, as a team, even when they’re doing bad, they stick together and they know they’re better (that way).”

As a sophomore this past season, Owens recorded 45 receptions for 501 yards and six touchdowns. Alcoa used him in a variety of ways, including as an in-line tight end, in the slot, split out wide or as an H-back. In addition to Owens' receiving prowess, he is also an impressive blocker.

Alcoa won its eighth-straight state championship in 2022, breaking the school's own record for consecutive Tennessee state titles.

Saeed Khalif, who works as Michigan State’s general manager/executive director of player personnel and recruiting, extended an offer to Owens in late April 2022 following his first visit to campus.

As a 2025 prospect going into his junior year in 2023-2024, Owens can’t have much private communication with Michigan State’s coaches until Sept. 1 of this year, but he was able to meet and chat with offensive analyst Nick Ruffing during his visit.

“I’ve talked to Coach Ruffing a lot,” Owens said. “The times I’ve been up there (to East Lansing), I’ve been able to talk to him. He’s a cool guy. I love what he brings to the table.”

Owens believes in what head coach Mel Tucker is building and sees Michigan State as a program on the rise.

“Everybody up there (at Michigan State) believes in the program, the atmosphere and just what they can be and what they will be,” Owens said.

In addition to Michigan State, Owens has scholarship offers from Tennessee, Michigan, Cincinnati, Louisville, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, Central Michigan and others.

As of now, Owens is high on Michigan State, Tennessee, Michigan, Cincinnati and Louisville, but he says that no one school in particular is sticking out yet as it’s still early in his recruiting process. He’s taken game-day visits to see the Volunteers, Cardinals and Bearcats thus far, as well as a few others.

Of note, Owens says that he “loves the cold,” so playing in the East Lansing weather wouldn’t be a detriment to his eventual commitment decision. He just wants to find the school that feels like the best fit for him.

While there is no plan or timetable set, Owens does hope to make it back to MSU at some point in 2023.

“I love it up there (at Michigan State),” Owens said. It’s a beautiful campus. I can’t wait to get back there.”