The name is definitely familiar, and most Stanford fans know that Francis Owusu is the younger brother of the recently graduated Chris Owusu, an All-Pac-10 performer and one of the most explosive receivers in Stanford history.
Because of this connection it had been widely assumed that Francis would be following in his brother's footsteps and signing with the Cardinal, but the younger Owusu maintained throughout the process that Stanford was simply one of the schools on his list. After a visit to campus last June during which he watched his brother Chris receive his Stanford diploma and listened to another former Cardinal receiver (Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark, New Jersey) give the commencement speech, the younger Owusu ended the suspense. Francis committed to Stanford the next day.
As always, I maintain that the list of schools offering scholarships to a player is probably the best barometer with which to judge that player's potential, and Owusu's list matches the four-star evaluations he's received from both Scout.com and Rivals.com. Owusu turned down schollies from fourteen other schools, including Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon State, UCLA, and Washington State from the Pac-12 and Florida, Nebraska, and Notre Dame from elsewhere around the country.
At 6'3" and 195 pounds, Owusu has the size necessary to compete physically with Pac-12 defensive backs, and enough speed to develop into a deep threat. Combined with fellow signee Ryan Burns, Owusu could stretch defenses significantly. Not surprisingly, Owusu's intelligence is listed as a strength, as he often outthinks defenders, but scouts saw him as something of a project physically entering his senior year, citing concerns about his route running. As you'll see in his 2012 highlight package, Owusu may still have some issues in this area, but he more than makes up for this with pure speed and athleticism. Don't be surprised if he makes an impact this fall.
Comments