Rice football did not see any players selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, but former wide receiver Austin Trammell has since signed with the Atlanta Falcons.
The 2021 NFL Draft had a much smaller player pool this season than it typically does. Relaxed eligibility rules saw many draft-eligible upperclassmen choose to return to school, including several Rice football seniors. Wide receiver Austin Trammell was the only Owl to make a serious run at the professional ranks.
Trammell participated in the College Gridiron Showcase and did his NFL Pro Day with the University of Houston. He stopped by The Roost Podcast in the weeks prior to the draft to share what the process was like and talk about what life was like during the Owls’ unpredictable 2020 season.
After doing all he could to get himself on the radar of NFL teams, Trammell knows his next steps. Although he was not selected during the 2021 NFL Draft, Trammell has signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
Trammell’s signing is one of several such free agent agreements for Conference USA players. In total, Conference USA had four players chosen during the draft itself:
Conference USA #NFLDraft selections:
Milton Williams, LA Tech (Rd 3, 73) – PHI
Jordan Smith, UAB – (Rd 4, 121) – JAX
Jaelen Darden, NT – (Rd 4, 129) – TB
Josh Ball, Marsh – (Rd 4, 138) – DAL— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) May 2, 2021
Rice Football recent NFL Draft history
The Owls’ streak of drafts without a selection has now stretched to six. Christian Covington is the most recent Rice football draftee. He was selected by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Covington’s selection marked the end of a nice run of selections for Rice. From 2009 to 2015 eight Rice football players were seelcted: Jarret Dillard (2009), James Casey (2009), Cheta Ozougwu (2011), Scott Solomon (2012), Vance McDonald (2013), Luke Wilson (2013), Phillip Gaines (2014), Christian Covington (2015). McDonald was the highest selection, going No. 55 overall to the San Francisco 49ers.
