Sometimes, the most impactful changes in a football program don’t come with fireworks-they come with precision. That’s exactly the kind of calculated move Alabama is making with the addition of tight ends coach Richard Owens. And with second-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and new head coach Kalen DeBoer steering the ship, the Tide are betting big on Owens to help unlock the full potential of sophomore tight end Kaleb Edwards.
Owens brings with him a résumé that’s heavy on development and versatility-two traits that should immediately resonate in Tuscaloosa. His coaching stops have taken him across the country, from Arkansas to UAB, South Alabama, Georgia Southern, and most recently Louisville.
At every stop, Owens has made his mark by maximizing the tight end position. His players have thrived in systems that emphasize leverage, spacing, body control, and exploiting mismatches-tools that translate in any offensive scheme, against any opponent.
You don’t have to look far to find examples of Owens’ influence. Back in 2010 at Arkansas, he helped mold D.J.
Williams into a John Mackey Award winner. Williams hauled in 54 catches for 627 yards and four touchdowns that season before heading to the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the Green Bay Packers.
The next chapter in Fayetteville saw Owens guide Chris Gragg to a 41-catch, 518-yard season as the Razorbacks’ go-to tight end. Gragg, too, made the leap to the pros, landing with the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2013 draft.
Then came Birmingham, where Owens played a key role in the development of Gerald Everett and Kennard Backham at UAB. Everett, in particular, stood out-his lone season under Owens saw him post 17 receptions for 292 yards and a touchdown.
That was enough to catch NFL eyes, and he eventually became a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams. Backham was no slouch either, putting up 39 grabs for 399 yards and three scores en route to All-Conference USA honors and a sixth-round selection by Green Bay in 2015.
Now, Owens arrives in Tuscaloosa with another high-upside talent in his hands: Kaleb Edwards. At 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, Edwards is the kind of raw, athletic specimen that tight end coaches dream about.
He’s already flashed glimpses of what he can do-last season, he logged 11 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown in limited action across six starts. That was under former position coach Bryan Ellis.
But with Owens now in the fold, the ceiling for Edwards might be about to rise dramatically.
The timing couldn’t be better. Grubb, in his first year orchestrating Alabama’s offense, has already shown a willingness to get the tight end involved in meaningful ways.
That’s a key detail here-because when a coach with Owens’ track record meets an OC who values the position, things can escalate quickly. Add in Edwards’ physical tools, and suddenly you’re looking at a potential mismatch machine lining up in crimson and white.
This spring will be pivotal. Owens will get his first real chance to evaluate Edwards up close, to fine-tune the details, and to start building the kind of trust and chemistry that turns potential into production. If they click-and there’s every reason to believe they will-this pairing could quietly become one of the most important storylines in Alabama’s 2026 offensive evolution.
Don’t be surprised if Edwards becomes a key chess piece in Grubb’s playbook this fall. With Owens guiding him, and a system that’s ready to feature him, the sophomore tight end has the tools-and now the mentorship-to become a nightmare for SEC defenses.