Tennessee
Michigan beats Tennessee, Alabama for three-star tight end Eli Owens
Anytime you can pull a high school prospect out of an SEC state when that kid has an offer from the in-state school, it’s an impressive feat.
That’s exactly what Michigan football did early this year with three-star Alcoa (Tenn.) tight end Eli Owens, who committed to the Wolverines way back on Jan. 4 among a ‘Top Nine’ which also included Tennessee, Alabama, Ohio State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Cincinnati and South Florida. Owens was the third high school prospect to commit to Michigan in the 2025 recruiting class.
To the leaders and best… #committed @grant_newsome @alcoafootball @NatlPlaymkrsAca @NCEC_Recruiting @UMichFootball pic.twitter.com/tXnXawicsS
— Eli Owens (@Eli_Owens19) January 4, 2024
At 6-foot-2 and 243 pounds, Owens is considered the No. 451 overall prospect, No. 23 tight end and No. 15 player from the state of Tennessee in this current cycle, according to 247Sports Composite rankings. He was primarily recruited to Michigan by assistant coach Grant Newsome, who served as the Wolverines’ tight end coach for the past two seasons but has since been moved to offensive line by head coach Sherrone Moore. This offseason, Moore hired Massachusetts offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Steve Casula to coach the U-M’s tight end room in 2024.
Casula added to Michigan’s tight end haul in the 2025 recruiting class by landing a commitment from high four-star Center Valley (Pa.) Southern Lehigh standout Andrew Olesh, who gave his pledge to the Wolverines on July 8. It’s unlikely that U-M will add another tight end in this recruiting cycle, but the coaching staff must be thrilled to have both Owens and Olesh in the fold.
Currently, Michigan has 16 high school prospects committed to their 2025 recruiting class, which ranked No. 12 in the country and No. 3 in the Big Ten behind only Ohio State and Oregon. The Wolverines’ average player rating of 91.63 is the eight-best mark in the nation.
– Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI –
For additional coverage of University of Michigan athletics:
GREENBRIER, Tenn. (WSMV) – A Middle Tennessee man is facing a 64-count indictment involving child sex crime charges, according to the Greenbrier Police Department.
GPD reports that James Mackenzie Gay was indicted by a Robertson County grand jury following an investigation by the department’s Criminal Investigations Division.
Investigators arrested Gay on Wednesday and he’s now being held at the Robertson County Jail.
Gay has been indicted on the following charges, according to GPD:
- 20 counts of aggravated sexual battery involving a child under 13
- 36 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, possession
- 5 counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, production
- 1 count of solicitation of a minor for rape of a child
- 1 count of sexual exploitation of a minor by electronic means
- 1 count of criminal attempted sexual exploitation of a minor by electronic means
GPD expressed its gratitude to the 19th Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the Robertson County Child Advocacy Center for their assistance in this case.
No other information has been released at this time.
Copyright 2026 WSMV. All rights reserved.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — On the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Tennessee Republicans unveiled a new monument at the State Capitol honoring unborn children.
The Roe v. Wade decision allowed states to set their own abortion laws and triggered Tennessee’s Human Life Protection Act, which bans nearly all elective abortions in the state. The law has saved about 10,000 lives each year since taking effect, according to Tennessee Right to Life.
The Tennessee Monument to Unborn Children is located on the southeast side of the Capitol grounds. Lawmakers say it recognizes unborn children whose lives ended through abortion and serves as a place for reflection and remembrance.
The monument was approved by the General Assembly in 2018 and was paid for entirely through private donations.
Republican leaders said the monument reflects Tennessee’s commitment to protecting unborn children and honoring the value of human life.
See Dolly Parton celebrate Tennessean Travel Stop grand opening
The country music legend opened the first location of her Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee.
CORNERSVILLE, Tenn. — Out on the street, the traffic started jumpin’ as travelers made their way to Dolly Parton’s Tennessean Travel Stop on opening day.
“Dolly is on her way,” Tennessean Travel Stop owner Gregory Sachs told the media gathered at the new truck destination in Cornersville, saying Parton would cut the ribbon at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24.
The anticipation had been building all morning at the new roadside destination along Interstate 65. The 80-year-old country legend arrived wearing a blue-and-pink fringe ensemble, complete with her signature stiletto heels.
The “9 to 5” singer used the moment to make a playful quip about travel stop competitor Buc-ee’s.
“I’m sure some of you want to know why I wanted a truck stop,” Parton said. “Well, I couldn’t leave it to beavers.”
Parton ended the brief ceremony with a ribbon cutting, marked by an explosion of multicolored confetti featuring her signature butterfly.
The message drew cheers from guests who had spent the afternoon exploring the property, sampling food from DLY BBQ and trying a “Cup of Ambition” coffee, waiting to see whether Parton would make an appearance. Earlier promotional materials for the grand opening had stated that the country music icon would not attend the public festivities.
The appearance marks one of only a handful of public events for Parton in 2026.
In March, the East Tennessee star returned to Dollywood to launch the theme park’s 41st season after stepping back from several appearances while recovering from health issues and grieving the death of her husband, Carl Dean. During that appearance, Parton told fans she had been rebuilding herself “spiritually, emotionally and physically.”
Parton, who has been open about dealing with kidney stones, said in May that she is working with doctors after “my immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack over the past three years.”
What is Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop?
Located at Exit 22 off Interstate 65 in Cornersville, Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop officially opened to the public on June 24. The flagship location is a partnership between Parton, her longtime manager Danny Nozell and Gregory H. Sachs, owner of the Tennessean Travel Stop brand.
Inspired by Parton’s decades spent traveling the country by tour bus and her East Tennessee roots, the destination combines fuel services, food, shopping, live music and Tennessee-themed hospitality.
Bryan West is a music reporter at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
-
Vermont1 minute ago
VT Lottery Gimme 5, Pick 3 results for June 25, 2026
-
Virginia8 minutes agoVirginia man uses art to heal after years in prison, mental health battle
-
Washington11 minutes agoAJ Dybantsa arrives in Washington, ready to work on turning Wizards around
-
Wisconsin16 minutes agoWhat’s the Wisconsin wolf population? DNR issues latest estimate.
-
West Virginia23 minutes agoRegister now: West Virginia’s largest yard sale grows with more Webster County sellers for 2026
-
Wyoming26 minutes agoDan Speas Fish Hatchery temporarily closed to visitors as construction begins on new cool-/warm-water expansion
-
Crypto31 minutes agoCrypto Insiders Say Daily Senate Meetings Keep CLARITY Act Alive | PYMNTS.com
-
Finance38 minutes agoHow digital payments are reshaping a fast-growing digital banking market
