After a flurry of transfer pickups, the 2026 Rice Football Recruiting class is adding another from the high school ranks. Running back Justin Powell has committed to the Owls.
While the Transfer Portal has consumed the bulk of the new faces who have recently joined the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class, it doesn’t represent every player the Owls have expressed interest in since the Early Signing Period closed. One such high school target has materialized into an assurance. Running back Justin Powell has committed to the Owls.
A product of Toombs County High School in Lyons, GA, Powell garnered interest in a handful of FCS programs but never landed anywhere in December, choosing to keep searching and sign in February. That patience has paid off, both for him, and for Rice.
Powell joins C.E. King standout and fellow freshman Dionne Sims as the lone tailbacks in the 2026 class. That will make for a younger running back room next fall, but that shouldn’t be a hindrance to production, given the talent from last year’s freshman tandem of D’Andre Hardeman and Tyvonn Byars, as well as returning rushing leader Quinton Jackson.
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Unlike his new teammates, Powell will bring a rather large stature to the running back room at Rice. His film suggests he’s well aware of that and he runs with the power and tenacity one would hope a 6-foot, 210-pound rusher would. He’s aggressive, powerful, and doesn’t go down easy, making him a nice add to the class in this later window.
