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SCOUT'S TAKE

Pros: He is very strong at the point of attack, able to hold off and occupy multiple blockers while possessing the quickness to penetrate the line of scrimmage. He has excellent upper body strength and always gives a good effort. Owens has shown that he is coachable throughout his stay in Athens, as he continues to work at his craft. Even though he doesn’t have eye-popping numbers, Owens’ value comes in making his teammates better and more productive.

Cons: Squatty, he lacks upside and will not be a dynamic pass rushing tackle at the next level. Owens is not explosive enough to be a three-technique type difference maker, and he also lacks the ideal bulk to man the nose. He lacks the closing speed as a pass rusher, struggling to seal the deal even after breaking through the line of scrimmage.

Skinny: After recording 22 quarterback hurries in ’07, his third season as a fulltime starter “Between the Hedges” projects to be his best. Owens separated his right shoulder during spring, but should be ready for the fall. He’s a solid one-gap tackle who has the ability to start on Sundays if he continues to work on his game.

Quote of Note: "I’m excited because I get to hang around him another year. He’s one of the most pleasant guys in the world, he loves the game, he loves to practice, he loves his teammates - he loves Georgia. If he would’ve had a great senior year and would’ve been healthy, I would’ve been happy to see him move on to the next level. But he got hurt, and even though that was very bad, the good news was that I get to be around the guy." - Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt on CFI Radio

NEWS

01.31.10 - Jeff Owens (Georgia) – Came out of the Senior Bowl as a big riser that helped himself a lot. After a fairly mediocre season at UGA, Owens was thought to be slipping to the second or even third round. Was hoping for an invite to NFL Scouting Combine and likely earned one. – Atlanta Journal Constitution

01.26.10 - Georgia defensive tackle Jeff Owens arrived at the 60th annual Senior Bowl early and has been busy interviewing with several NFL teams. He’s already talked with Minnesota, Green Bay, New Orleans and Jacksonville. “The interviews have been going great,” said Owens, a 6-foot-3, 300-pounder, after Monday’s practice at Fairhope Municipal Stadium. Owens also did well in some one-on-one drills. “There is a lot of talent here, a lot of great athletes,” Owens said. “I’m just happy that I got an opportunity to be down here, play and showcase my ability.” Owens started all 13 games for the Bulldogs last season and finished with 32 tackles and 13 quarterback hurries. He earned the school’s David Jacob Award, which goes to the player that portrays courage, spirit, character and determination. — Atlanta Journal-Constitution

02.11.09 - The members of Georgia's press corps had better watch their backs. There is a newcomer within their midst - and he has all the dirt on what's happening within the Bulldogs' locker room. But Jeff Owens is no gossip columnist. The senior defensive tackle is simply using his recently established blog, jeffowens95.blogspot.com, to inform his readers about the lives of Georgia's football players. "One day I was just reading one of my friends' blogs and it just dawned on me," he said, "like, 'I have a lot ideas. I have a lot to talk about. People say I'm a very talkative person, so why not just put it on paper and start my own blog?' " Owens is a natural candidate for such a forum. One of the team's friendliest players and most willing interview subjects, Owens says he's simply getting an early start on a future in media punditry. Once his football career is over, Owens wants to become a sports radio talk show host. "That's my long dream and that's what I hope to do," he said. "I hope that by creating this blog, it can pave the way."

02.08.09 - Jeff Owens on his own blog, “Jeff Owens: The Real Deal…” about the pride he takes in wearing the G and representing the University and the state of Georgia. The first time I heard the phrase “playing for the G”, I was in freshman orientation for the signing class of 2005. We sat in a room for seven hours going over what would be expected of us as freshmen student-athletes. Chester Adams, one of the upper classmen, spoke about wearing the “G”. At first I did not understand what it meant; I did not know that I was not just playing for myself but for all the men that have ever worn the “G”. I tell the guys everyday that what we do here reflects on the whole program. Georgia football is bigger than any one player on the team. I asked some of my teams this same question, “what does it mean to wear the ‘G’?” Rod Battle said “playing for the ‘G’ is like competing for the United States in the Olympics. It’s my home state, a place where I’ll be forever connected to. Plus I have all the extended family members I have grown to love here”.

12.19.08 - Georgia defensive tackle Jeff Owens will return for his 2009 senior season. Owens was considered Georgia's top defensive lineman and a candidate to enter the 2009 NFL draft as a junior before he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Bulldogs' season opener against Georgia Southern. He said Thursday he won't enter the 2009 draft. "I'm looking forward to having a big senior year," he said. "This year, I played one quarter. If I came out now, maybe I don't get picked or I do and then get cut, and I wasted one college year."

09.01.08 - Two days after losing his season to what he called a “freak” knee injury, Georgia defensive tackle Jeff Owens seemed upbeat Monday. “You’ve always got to face adversity to be the best, and this is my first true big test of adversity here at Georgia,” said Owens, who is scheduled to undergo surgery Sept. 9 to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. “I’m just going to … stay positive and get back.” Owens, a senior, can take a redshirt season this year and return for a fifth year of eligibility in 2009. He seemed inclined to do that Monday but said he has not had time to fully think matters through. “My main thing is just get healthy and come back 100 percent — get my knee healthy and let it go from there,” he said. Georgia coach Mark Richt has said he expects Owens to return next year. Owens said he faces six to nine months of rehab.