Tenn. OG hearing from Kentucky
Despite being 6-foot-4 and nearly 300 pounds, Alcoa (Tenn.) offensive lineman Dalton Ownby has only been lining up with the men in the trenches for less than a season's worth of games. The Middle Tennessee State commit made his bones as a tight end, before being switched to tackle late in his junior season.
"I only played three games at tackle last year," Ownby said. "This year it's my full-time position and I really think I'm doing well."
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Even though the Blue Raiders have provided his only offer as of yet, Ownby said he's starting to pick up more interest from Kentucky.
"I still talk to Kentucky quite a bit," said Ownby, who grew up rooting against the Wildcats as a Tennessee fan. "My commitment to MTSU is pretty firm but I'm still keeping my options open and still talking to people."
Ownby took a couple unofficial visits to Lexington last season, but has spent most of his Saturdays this fall at MTSU home games. He said he's built a pretty strong bond with Blue Raiders' coaching staff, and even if the Wildcats do deliver and offer it's going to be tough for him to change his mind.
"I talk to the coaches a lot, at least once a week," he said. "And my and my parents have gone to every home game so far."
MTSU's turnaround after its disappointing start to the year has also helped Ownby feel better about his decision.
"They've been doing really well," he said. "They had the big win against Georgia Tech, that was huge and then the win this week against FIU. I'm really excited about the way they're playing."
The coaches have also told him that with his size, Ownby will likely get a chance to contribute early.
"They said they don't think I'll get redshirted because of my strength and my attributes in the weight room," he said. "I'm not sure how much playing time I would get, but it would just to be nice to contribute anyway I could."