The first pledge of the 2027 Rice Football Recruiting class is on the board. Wide receiver Brody Diel has committed to the Owls.
The initial offers to prospective members of the 2027 Rice Football Recruiting class were first extended in the spring of 2025. After months and months of relationship building, the first fruits of those efforts are starting to show, including the first member of the class. Wide receiver Brody Diel has committed to the Owls.
A product of Central High School in Baton Rouge, LA, Diel started to garner D1 interest last fall, which further intensified this spring. Rice extended its offer in February, the first FBS school to do so. Arkansas State, Air Force, Army, Navy, Southern Miss and others followed as the calendar stretched into the summer. That’s when Diel made the call and pledged to Rice.
Diel is the first commitment, but he didn’t have to wait long. After a busy official visit weekend, Rice also secured a pledge from offensive lineman Jackson Koeppel and hopes to continue making headways into this next wave of players as the summer progresses.
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At 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, Diel has a strong, physical presence to his game and has plenty on tape that suggests he’s willing to do all that he can to get the football. In addition to the toughness, he’s fluid in the open field and looks comfortable lining up across multiple locations in the formation. It will be fascinating to see how he gets utilized in the Owls’ system.