Owen

Carney

Carney (6'3/260) is a former four-star recruit who tallied 68 tackles, 11.5 TFL and 8.5 sacks over his four year career at Illinois. This year was his finest season in Champagne, finishing third in the Big Ten with 5.0 sacks and eleventh in tackles for loss en route to All-Big Ten Second Team recognition from both the coaches and media. Carney’s announcement marks the fifth Illini player to leave the program in the wake of Lovie Smith’s firing earlier this month.

“With a big performance in Atlanta,” Gorney wrote, “Carney could land many more offers and shoot up the rankings. He’s going to face stiff competition among offensive linemen, though.” Gorney and colleague Rob Cassidy both see this as a prime opportunity for the 6-foot-3, 231-pounder to make a rankings impact, with Cassidy believing that the pedigree of talent he faces at Miami Central should help him hold his own against that offensive line talent Gorney is speaking to. Carney holds offers from the likes of Miami and Kentucky, but a strong performance could conceivably net him a wider range of ACC and SEC interest.

"[FSU DE/LB coach Brad Lawing] likes the way I soak up knowledge,” Carney said. “I learned some new things yesterday, and he liked the way I adapted quickly. He said that if I come in and work hard, I could get in the rotation.” The 6-foot-3, 231-pounder is also considering LSU, Duke and Illinois, with Rivals recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy pegging LSU as the most likely team to push the Seminoles for Carney’s commitment.

“Carney is not even close to the most heralded prospect coming to the event,” Cassidy wrote, “but the fact that he runs up against top-flight competition [at Miami Central] every day in workouts helps him progress.” The 6-foot-3, 231-pounder fails to make Rivals’ list of the top 250 recruits for 2017 at this juncture, but ranks as their No. 18 DE prospect. Cal, Duke, Indiana, Kentucky and Miami are among those who have tossed offers Carney’s way.

“When I call one coach – no matter who I call – I get to talk to all the coaches, so I feel like I have a relationship with everyone,” Carney explained. “I feel like that with the guys that aren’t my position coach or even on my side of the ball. They all know me. It’s a family thing.” Scout.com refers to the 6-foot-3, 231-pounder as “a gifted pass rusher [who] provides nice closing speed and athleticism when busting through the offensive line.” They believe he needs to continue to hone his disengagement of blocks as he develops with the Illini.