Just a week on the job, Rice football head coach Scott Abell proudly introduced a dozen members of the Owls’ newest signing class on Wednesday.
When he wasn’t jetting back and forth across the country, new Rice football head coach Scott Abell was talking. He was talking to members of the 2025 Rice football recruiting class, a dozen of whom signed with the Owls on Wednesday. He was talking with members of the Rice staff, leaning on them to build relationships with players he had only just met.
Abell was talking to the players, themselves. He carved out some time with every single member of the current roster, getting face time with everyone he could.
And despite the whirlwind, a smile never left Abell’s face. “Relationships continue to be built every day,” he said.
So far, Abell’s been able to fall back on strong, existing bonds. As of Wednesday evening, the Owls had signed 12, kept commitments from two and only lost four scholarship players from its incoming signing class. For most programs, that’s a pretty solid return for Day 1 of the Early Signing Period. For a program in the midst of a coaching change with three confirmed returning coaches? That’s almost unbelievable.
Abell announced on Tuesday he was retaining defensive coordinator Brian Smith. On Wednesday, he added linebackers coach Jon Kay to that list. Right now, it’s Abell, Smith and Kay along with an unwavering recruiting staff willing this class to signing day.
More: Rice Football Early Signing Period Live Blog
“My part in this was simply looking at the committed roster, how they fit us and then making sure they understood how much we want them here,” Abell said. “There’s so much value when there’s athletes that want to be a certain place and see value in your institution and your program. And these young men did that. And I am so grateful for that. And I said from the start we were going to honor the young men that were committed to be Rice Owls.”
Perhaps it’s that commitment to a program, not a person, that sets this bunch apart. But whatever it is, the Owls aren’t content with one minor miracle. They’re on the hunt for more.
Become a Patron!“We’re still not where we need to be or want to be,” Abell said of the program right now. “But we’re catching up, which is important. Still on the docket: a quarterback, the right transfers and completing his staff. Abell joked things might finally slow down by Christmas Eve.
Abell can’t worry about that right now, though. He’s taking things one day, and one conversation, at a time. For him, it has always been all about the people.
“It’s one of the best days on the calendar for college football,” he said. “The opportunity to bring new people into your family, for your family to grow and expand.”
