Tragic Loss: College Football Mourns James E. Owens Jr., Rising Defensive Talent Cut Short at 20

The college football community is gripped by profound sorrow following the tragic death of James E. Owens Jr. on November 10, 2025, in a fatal head-on collision in Chilton County, Alabama. The 20-year-old defensive lineman, a junior at Huntingdon College—a Division III program in Montgomery, Ala.—was driving a 2019 Chevrolet Camaro when it collided with a Toyota Tundra around 5:30 a.m. on U.S. Highway 82, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Highway Patrol Division. Both Owens and the Tundra’s driver, 42-year-old Justin E. Carlee of Maplesville, were pronounced dead at the scene. The crash remains under investigation, with no additional details on causation released.

 

A Tuscaloosa native and former Northridge High School standout, Owens (6-foot-3, 280 pounds) brought explosive burst, instinctive reads, and unyielding motor to the Huntingdon Hawks’ defensive front. Over his career, he tallied 45 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks—stats that, in scouting circles, marked him as a “sleeper” prospect with rare gifts for his level. High school tape showcased his dominance, drawing quiet buzz from SEC programs like Texas A&M during his recruitment. Insiders recall Aggies’ staff viewing him as a “decade-defining talent”—a blend of size, speed (sub-4.9 40-yard dash), and football IQ that could have translated to SEC stardom had he chosen a higher profile path. Projected by some mocks as a mid-round NFL pick or even first-round riser with a transfer, Owens was the kind of player who could anchor a defense and chase accolades like Defensive Player of the Year.

Though he committed to Huntingdon for its faith-based community and personal fit—forgoing Power Five offers—his story has resonated deeply in Aggieland, where unfulfilled “what ifs” amplify the grief. Just three days prior, on November 7, Owens was baptized on the Hawks’ practice field at Charles Lee Stadium, a moment of unshakeable faith that underscored his character. Huntingdon chaplain Rhett Butler described him as “the most abundantly assured person” he’d baptized, noting Owens’ insistence on public witness to inspire others.