One of the prospects in the 2023 recruiting class who was verbally committed to Clemson has withdrawn his pledge from the Tigers.

Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) four-star offensive tackle Zechariah Owens confirmed to The Clemson Insider on Thursday that he would be walking back his pledge from Dabo Swinney’s program.

Owens told TCI in a message that it was a decision he made in the best interest of himself and his family.

“I love my family to death and I stick beside them just how they would me,” he said.

His family is currently in the process of moving and Owens didn’t want to put his mother in a situation, where she would have to take money out of her own pocket, just to come to see him play for every home game.

“I’d rather her or myself pay for her gas than rather a whole plane ticket and a car and a hotel,” Owens added.

With that, Florida State appears to be the leader in Owens’ newly re-opened recruitment.

Owens – a 6-foot-6, 365-pound senior – is ranked as high as the nation’s No. 16 offensive tackle and No. 121 overall prospect in the country for the 2023 class by 247Sports. ESPN considers him the No. 17 offensive tackle and No. 71 overall prospect in his region, while Rivals tabs him as the No. 20 offensive tackle and No. 188 overall prospect.

Owens held more than 30 total offers, including offers from schools such as Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, North Carolina, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Tennessee and Southern Cal.

Clemson extended an offer to Owens after he attended the Tigers’ junior day in early March. He was back on campus to watch Clemson’s first scrimmage of the spring at Memorial Stadium on March 30, then returned to Tiger Town for an official visit from June 3-5. He was also on campus to participate in the Dabo Swinney Camp last summer.

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