The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class added a big newcomer up front, securing a commitment from offensive lineman Nate Bledsoe.
What good is a quarterback without protection? A few weeks ago the 2023 Rice football recruiting class secured its signal-caller, picking up a commitment from Alief passer Chase Jenkins. Now they’ve got the first big body up front to keep their quarterback safe. Offensive lineman Nate Bledsoe has committed to the Owls.
Bledsoe chose Rice over more than a dozen other offers, ranging from AAC programs (Memphis, Tulane), Sun Belt schools (Appalachian State, Arkansas State) as well several Ivies and military academies.
For Bledsoe, the decision was pretty straightforward. “When you know, you know,” he said, adding that “exactly how he felt with Rice.” He praised the people and the coaching staff, noting the environment on campus was “second to none.”
Rice took two scholarship offensive lineman in their 2022 class, making Bledsoe the first of what is likely to be several more men in the trenches. The Owls hope he’ll be the next in a wave of several up-and-coming men in the trenches which currently includes players like Braedon Nutter and Ethan Onianwa, two underclassmen expected to start for the team this fall.
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Bledsoe is fairly quick on his feet for a man his size, something that jumps out quickly when you look through his highlights. His attitude backs it up. “I love to pull across the line and obliterate whatever is in front of me,” Bledsoe said, further reinforcing his commitment to play with, as he calls it, “ruthless tenacity.”
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