2021 Football Roster
Jersey Number 99
Owen Carney Jr.
- Position:
- OLB
- Class:
- Senior
- Height:
- 6-3
- Weight:
- 275
- Hometown:
- Miami, Fla.
- High School:
- Miami Central
Career Notes
- Ranked ninth in Illini program history in career sacks (15.0)
- Two-time All-Big Ten
2021 Senior
- All-Big Ten honorable mention (coaches and media)
- Started all 12 games at outside linebacker
- 46 tackles, 8.0 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, and one pass breakup on the season
- Led Illinois with a career-high 6.5 sacks
- Sixth in the Big Ten and third in the Big Ten West in sacks (6.5)
- Second on the team with four quarterback hurries
- Tied for second on the team with 8.0 TFLs
- 1.0 sack at #20 Minnesota 11/6/21 in Illinois' first every College Football Playoff ranked win
- 1.0 sack at #7 Penn State 10/23/21 in Illinois' nine overtime upset win
- 2.0 sacks against Charlotte 10/2/21
- 1.5 sacks against Purdue 9/25/21
- 1.0 sack against Maryland 9/17/21
- Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Ten first team
- Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten second team
- Represented Illinois at Big Ten Media Days
2020 Senior
- All-Big Ten second team (media)
- All-Big Ten second team (coaches)
- Associated Press All-Big Ten second team
- Started all eight games at defensive end
- 28 tackles, one forced fumble, two QB hurries, 7.0 TFLs including 5.0 sacks on the season
- Fourth in the Big Ten in sacks (5.0)
- 13th in the Big Ten in TFLs (7.0)
- One of three Big Ten players to record three sacks in a game in 2020 (Purdue, 10/31/20)
- Career-high 3.0 sacks against Purdue 10/31/20 tied for seventh all-time in a game for an Illini
2019 Junior
- Played in all 13 games at defensive end
- 15 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks on the season
2018 Sophomore
- Played all 12 games with eight starts on DL
- 21 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, one PBU, one fumble recovery and six QB hurries on season
- Career-high 2.0 TFLs and 1.0 sack vs. Iowa 11/17/18
- Career-high five tackles at Nebraska 11/10/18
- First career start against South Florida 9/15/18
2017 Freshman
- Played in 10 games at defensive end as a true freshman
- Six tackles, one QB hurry on the season
- Made his Illinois debut against Western Kentucky
- Enrolled at Illinois for spring semester and participated in 2017 spring practices
High School
- Four-star recruit by Rivals
- Three-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN & Scout
- Ranked as a top 500 recruit in the nation by 247Sports
- Ranked No. 16 weakside DE by Rivals and No. 30 by 247Sports
- Ranked No. 43 DE in the nation by Scout and No. 54 by ESPN
- Ranked No. 46 recruit in Florida by Rivals, No. 78 by 247Sports and No. 90 by ESPN
- Ranked No. 13 recruit in Miami by the Miami Herald
- Helped Miami Central win fourth straight state title in 2015
- Played football at Miami Central for head coach Roland Smith
- Honor Roll in high school
Personal
- Born Feb. 8, 1999
- Son of Owen Carney Sr. and Valeria Elmore-Carney
- Has one sister, O’Neshia, and one brother, O’Juan
- Relatives Keir Thomas (South Carolina) and Da’Marrio Jackson-Smith (Kansas State) play college football
- Picked Illinois because, “of the relationship developed with the coaching staff.”
- Graduated with a degree in communication
- Graduated with a master's degree in recreation, sport, and tourism in December 2021
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