Has Alabama football tight end expectations changed with Richard Owens?

Kaleb Edwards was thrown into the fire as an Alabama football freshman, one expected to contribute despite not joining the Crimson Tide until last summer. Five practices into his first Alabama spring practice, Edwards has already seen a difference in who he is.

“I think I have developed even more than I could have possible imagined just this short time,” Edwards said. “So I think having one spring under my belt now will be a big difference in me and all my teammates.”

It’s a spring with a new voice leading the Alabama tight ends room.

With Bryan Ellis off to coach Alabama quarterbacks after the departure of Nick Sheridan, who is the offensive coordinator at Michigan State, the Crimson Tide hired former Louisville offensive line coach Richard Owens to take Ellis’ place.

And from Ellis to Owens, Edwards sees a shift in philosophy.

Ellis, a former UAB quarterback, was “quarterback minded,” Edwards said, sharing with the Alabama tight ends how signal callers see things. Owens, Edwards said, leans toward the offensive line perspective, honing in on the Crimson Tide’s “refined (and) more focused” run blocking technique and footwork.

“Just learning every day from him,” Edwards said of Owens. “He’s critiquing, just making me better every day.”

Owens played tight end at Louisville and had stints as offensive line coach and run game coordinator.

“Hoth coaches taught me every part of the game,” Edwards said. And to be that all-around tight end both Ellis and, now, Owens expect, that blocking mentality takes priority.

“Just so much pride in both,” Edwards said of pass catching and run blocking. “Just trying to be able to do it all.”

The Crimson Tide has eight workouts over the next 18 days, ending with Alabama‘s annual A-Day spring game Saturday, April 11 at Bryant-Denny Stadium

Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: What Richard Owens expects from Alabama football tight ends