The first commitment of the 2026 Rice Basketball recruiting class is on the board. Guard Jason Thompson has committed to the Owls.
Once head coach Rob Lanier and his staff had retooled the existing roster they were able to turn their attention to the upcoming 2026 Rice Basketball recruiting class in earnest. They scoured the country for the right fits, zeroing in on an elite point guard from just north of Houston. Greenhill School point guard Jaxson Thompson has committed to the Owls.
For Thompson, the decision to come to Rice was an easy one. “The staff made me feel like a priority from the very beginning of the process. When I got on campus for my visit, the coaches and players that I was with made me comfortable. The vibes in the building felt genuine,” he told The Roost. “It was like one big family.”
Thompson picked Rice over offers from George Mason, Holy Cross, New Mexico State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, among others.
More: Rice Basketball 2025 Roster Tracker
Stylistically, Thompson dominates as a catch-and-shoot shooter with the quickness and instinctiveness to get to the rim in a hurry if he wants to head downhill instead. He has experience playing multiple guard spots, providing the Owls with an extra level of flexibility. Above all else, he’s a contagious worker.
“I’m most proud of my motor,” Thompson said. “No matter how I’m playing when it comes to making or missing shots, I always make sure to play hard.”
