Rice Football continues heads to South Bend this week to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Here’s the latest from the field.
Even with the 1-0 start, it didn’t take long for injuries to interrupt the Rice football season. Suddenly, who will be on the field when Rice takes on Notre Dame this weekend has become just as crucial as what the Owls will do in their efforts to engineer an upset.
More: Rice Football vs Notre Dame Game Preview
This update hits on those key injuries and the ripple effects that have spread across multiple position groups as a result, while the program readies itself for its biggest challenge yet.
All Eyes on 10
Slot Quinton Jackson will make the trip but will not play against Notre Dame on Saturday after suffering what Abell called a “pretty significant injury” on his second touchdown against Houston Christian. Expected to be one of the focal points of the Owls’ offense this season, Jackson watched practice from the sideline this week while undergoing the requisite testing.
The ripple effects of Jackson’s absence will be far-reaching. Slot Max Mosey, who Abell identified as one of the standout performers against Houston Christian, will see an elevated role at his position, but it’s not only the slot room that has production to fill.
The quasi-positionless nature of Jackson’s fit on this team means the running back room will be making some changes too. Colin Leahey, who worked with the running backs in the spring and played there in high school, is moving back to that room, where he’ll provide another depth option behind Tyvonn Byars, D’Andre Hardeman and Carson Morgan.
Morgan, who led all Rice running backs with a staggering 7.7 yards per carry last week, was limited in practice. While he’s expected to be good to go for Saturday, getting another back ready was crucial with Jackson’s touches up for grabs.
The name to keep in mind for the future is freshman runner Justin Powell. The buzz was muted given that the newcomer was operating as running back five or six throughout camp, but there was chatter from those on staff that he was a home-run late addition to the 2026 class. Powell was next up against Houston Christian behind Morgan in the pecking order, taking one carry for three yards.
Abell compared Powell’s potential journey to that of Hardeman from a season ago, who gradually saw his role increase throughout the season. Hardeman had the advantage of being an early enrollee and participating in spring ball; Powell did not, but the upside is there for the 6-foot, 210-pound rusher once he’s fully immersed in the Owls’ offense.
Against the Irish, expect Byars and Hardeman to warrant the bulk of the carries with Morgan covering the remaining portion.
Tight End Shuffle
Apart from the Jackson injury, the late camp injury to Preston Zinter and one more position change have this room looking significantly different than it was expected to even two weeks ago. Zinter’s status remains up in the air, but with his removal from the depth chart and lacking practice participation this week, things aren’t trending in the right direction for the Notre Dame transfer to suit up against his former program.
Previously, that would have suggested backup Jack Renda was in line for a larger portion of those snaps, but the UCLA transfer has officially moved to the wide receiver room. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound athlete excels vertically and was always thought to be a potential pass-catching weapon when he was signed. The staff decided adding his presence to the outside outweighed the loss to the tight end room.
“His skill set is probably more outside,” tight ends coach Wayne Lineburg said. “I think just putting his skill set more to use is why we made that decision.”
With Zinter currently sidelined, Renda playing outside and Micah Barnett not currently eligible, the room has thinned out significantly. Against Houston Christian, James Falk and redshirt freshman Will Swartz saw the bulk of the snaps with Falk operating as the primary blocking tight end and Swartz the more versatile pass-catching option. He was the target of Jacurri Brown’s endzone shot in the first half that sailed just beyond his grasp.
Swartz appeared in four games on special teams last season, making this his first meaningful dose of collegiate football on offense.
“He did a nice job for a first time,” Lineburg said. “He’s still got a lot to learn. He’s still got to play faster. He’s a guy that’s shown a lot of promise, has bright things for the future.”
That future needs to materialize quickly, with him and Falk set to carry the bulk of the load on Saturday against Notre Dame. True freshman Colten Cole is the next man up in that room right now.
Secondary Passes First Test
No position group had more pressure riding on it in the Owls’ season opener than the secondary. With returning starter Daveon Hook sidelined, the rebuilt room received its first challenge against a team that wasn’t afraid to throw the ball downfield and passed it with flying colors.
The safeties and corners were the defensive group Abell pointed to first when reviewing the most encouraging performances from Week 1. “Did we answer the question in the secondary?” He asked. “At least against Houston Christian, I can say without question, yes.”
Words cannot sufficiently explain the chasm that exists in offensive potency between Houston Christian and Notre Dame. Abell and the team understand that a good showing against an FCS team doesn’t guarantee the Owls’ secondary concerns are vanquished completely, but Saturday’s outcome indicated that this team has improved one of its most concerning units from a season ago, which is a win in itself.
“We were challenged this whole week,” corner Jamir Benjamin said. “We knew Houston Christian wanted to take shots, so that was the whole model the whole week of practice: eliminate the deep ball and be physical.”
The challenge rises this week, and so far, the secondary continues to trend upward. Safety Jo Chavez snagged three interceptions in the span of an hour-long practice period on Wednesday, giving the scout team offense fits all day long.
Odds and Ends
- After leaving the Houston Christian game with an injury, center Nate Bledsoe was back at practice this week and should be good to go for Saturday. That’s welcome good news on the injury front for the Owls, although Abell noted he was encouraged by the performance of backup Scott Becker, who had one bad snap but otherwise played well in relief.
- The secondary could be without Hook again this week, with no clear timeline on when the team captain will get back on the field. He was in a boot on the sidelines against Houston Christian on Saturday and has yet to resume practicing.
- Benjamin, who transferred to Rice from UCLA said the Owls are locked in and ready for this challenge. “At the end of the day, we’re all men. They bleed the same way we bleed. We just gotta go out there and play our game. Don’t let the game get too big,” he said. “That’s what I’ve explained to the guys in the room. I’ve been a part of a team where we’ve got upset and I’ve been a part of a team where we upset [the opponent]. We just have to play our brand of football.”