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Rice Football Recruiting: SLOT Michael Sifford commits to Owls

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An option-offense product is joining the 2026 Rice Football Recruiting class. Former Army slot Michael Sifford has committed to the Owls.

There aren’t many places in the country that produce transfer portal players with experience running an option offense. The 2026 Rice football recruiting class picked up one such newcomer this week from West Point. Former Army slot Michael Sifford has committed to the Owls.

Originally a member of the 2025 high school recruiting class, Sifford had a previous connection to head coach Schott Abell and the Owls, having been offered by Abell while at Davidson. He opted to take a scholarship at West Point. Now, a year later, he’s taking Abell up on that initial interest.

With Sifford on board, the 2026 class boasts a strong mix of young talent and experienced hands in the slot room. Sifford will fit right in the middle, joining veterans Max Mosey (Holy Cross) and Ben Grice (Wake Forest) as well as two incoming freshmen, Fisher Leftwich and Jai Jacobs-Ford.

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A former two-way player at the high school level, the 5-foot-11, 160-pound Sifford showcased his quickness and acceleration. Speed has been a clear focal point of the staff in this portal cycle and Sifford fits the bill, showcasing plenty of juice on his film. He’s definitely the kind of player that has the potential to change a game with the ball in his hands.

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The Roost’s 2025 Rice Football Season Superlatives

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The Roost’s 2025 Rice Football Season Superlatives exist to honor exceptional Owls who made a difference on the field this season. Here’s the complete list.

There were many individual performances worth recognizing in the 2025 Rice Football season. In addition to the more traditional awards below, stay tuned for The Roosties, our seventh annual award show from The Roost Podcast, which offers a unique perspective on postseason honors. From our favorite plays to the players that surprised us the most, we cover some of the more creative superlatives on the show. This list comprises the more traditional recognitions.

Offensive Newcomer of the Year — Slot Aaron Turner | Full Story

Excerpt: “Lines blur between rushing and receiving in this offense, with pop passes that function like sweeps and reverses being awarded as receptions and receiving yards, even though the ball is hardly airborne for any material length of time. No matter how you slice it, though, Turner finished as the Owls’ leading receiver and had more scrimmage yards than any offensive player outside of workhorse running back Quinton Jackson.”

Defensive Newcomer of the Year — DL Tony Anyanwu | Full Story

Excerpt: “Anyanwu had become much more than a situational edge rusher. He was a essential cog in the Rice defense besieged by injuries. The unit limped to the finish line and was in danger of a collapse had it not been for a handful of indomitable players like Anyanwu who refused to go out without a fight.”

Rising Star — RB D’Andre Hardeman | Full Story

Excerpt: “Hardeman did not play in the opener against Louisiana, but saw in every game from that point forward. And it wasn’t just token snaps. Hardeman was the most active member of the 2025 signing class, playing 12 of the Owls’ 13 games. Only two freshman played in every contest, Semaj Pierre and Ty Thames, much of which came on special teams.”

Special Teams Player of the Year — K Enoch Gota | Full Story

Excerpt: “Even with the misses from deep, Gota posted the most successful season from a Rice place kicker since Chris Barnes knocked through 8-of-10 attempts in 2019. No kicker since then had been better than 75 percent, with many delivering extremely underwhelming seasons to the point where the Owls often opted to go for it on fourth down rather than put the game on the foot of their specialists.”

Iron Man — LB Andrew Awe | Full Story

Excerpt: “Awe leaves Rice with 195 tackles, more than half of which he accrued in his final season. The redshirt senior stuck it out, battling through two early years without seeing a snap and a coaching change. And as it turned out, Rice football needed him more this year than either he or the program could have ever imagined as recently as two years ago.”

Defensive Player of the Year — SAF Marcus Williams | Full Story

Excerpt: “Not one to showboat or make a scene, Williams quietly shattered his career statistical highs. He became one of the select few Owls to play in every game, starting 12 of the 13 games. Williams finished third on the team in tackles and third in passes defended, a testament to how well-rounded he was as a player and how necessary he had become all over the field.”

Team MVP, Offensive Player of the Year — RB Quinton Jackson | Full Story

Excerpt: “Jackson battled through injuries, lined up wherever he was needed and wasn’t one to complain. He even saw snaps at wildcat quarterback during the Armed Forces Bowl after starter Chase Jenkins opted out on a week’s notice. Jackson ended the season with 889 rushing yards, 74 receiving yards, eight passing yards and the respect of all his teammates and coaches.”

Jackson was the focus of an in-season player feature, shedding some light on his path from a utility player to feature back and so much more for the Rice football offense.

Check out the 2024 Rice Football Season Superlatives here.
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2025 Rice Football MVP, Offensive Player of the Year: Quinton Jackson

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A do-it-all playmaker on a team in need of a spark, Quinton Jackson was our runaway 2025 Rice Football MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.

The offseason between the 2024 and 2025 Rice Football campaigns was eventful for the program. Of greatest importance, head coach Scott Abell was hired to bring his run-first, gun-option offense to South Main. The twist? He’d be losing the Owls’ star tailback, Dean Connors. While it seemed daunting at its outset, Abell would soon find out the next man up, Quinton Jackson, was more than ready to bear the load.

Jackson entered the year with 58 carries and 19 receptions under his belt. Even accounting for his kick return prowess, he’d seen just 116 touches as a collegiate athlete. And somehow this 5-foot-7, 160-pound dynamo was going to become the engine that powered the Rice football offense.

More: 2025 Rice Football Season Superlatives

If Abell had any doubts as to whether or not Jackson was up to the challenge, they were erased within a handful of practices.

“He plays so much bigger than he is,” Abell said in fall camp. “He has all the ability of a traditional scat back but he’s more powerful than his body indicates and he gets football. He’s a football player. And on top of it, he’s what you want of your leaders in your program.”

Jackson wasted no time proving him right. He ran for 119 yards and a touchdown in the Owls’ upset win over Louisiana in the season opener, putting the young program on the map. At the time, his 22 carries were a career high, proving he had the durability to match the explosive traits Abell and the rest of his staff coveted.

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As the other pieces slowly coalesced around him, Jackson was the straw that stirred the drink. He would average 68.4 rushing yards per game, scoring six times on the ground and once more through the air.

“He’s incredibly multiple. He’s a guy that can get on the edge. He can be involved in the passing game and he can be a downhill guy,” Abell reflected. “And man, “That’s a really nice thing for any offense. He brings a lot of tools to that unit, now how do we utilize all those tools to make everything around him execute on a high level.”

The high point, both for Jackson and the offense, was a double overtime upset of UConn at Rice Stadium in mid-October. Jackson scored four times in that game, including a walk-off touchdown run in overtime to seal the win.

More: Quinton Jackson’s Journey to Rice Football Star

“He’s Mr. Everything, do-it-all, utility player,” running backs coach Jonathan Wilson said. “He’s an explosive, kinda shifty guy.”

Jackson battled through injuries, lined up wherever he was needed and wasn’t one to complain. He even saw snaps at wildcat quarterback during the Armed Forces Bowl after starter Chase Jenkins opted out on a week’s notice. Jackson ended the season with 889 rushing yards, 74 receiving yards, eight passing yards and the respect of all his teammates and coaches.

Abell could barely put into words how much Jackson meant to the program. “If there’s a young man across this country that plays with more heart and plays bigger and more explosive and harder than number 10 does in our program, I’d like to find him,” he said.

** Photo credit: Maria Lysaker **

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2025 Rice Football Defensive Player of the Year: Marcus Williams

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A veteran safety that held an injury-plagued defense together all season long, Marcus Williams is our 2025 Rice Football Defensive Player of the Year.

The 2024 Rice Football defense was one of the better units to come through South Main in several seasons. That group was stacked with experienced playmakers, several of whom went on to get opportunities in NFL camps the following offseason. That exodus left a 2025 unit that had talent, but few proven veteran leaders.

Redshirt Junior Marcus Williams had been around the program for four years, but injuries scattered across multiple seasons had prevented him from accruing the level of on-field production that mandated veteran deference, at least from the outside looking in. But as all the other pieces moved around him, Marcus kept showing up and working.

Williams won a starting spot out of the gate this fall, not a first for the talented defensive back. This time, though, no ill-timed injury thwarted his season. As multiple teammates missed time around him, Williams stayed healthy and never slowed down.

More: 2025 Rice Football Season Superlatives

The years spent studying the defense, even when he wasn’t on the field, would pay massive dividends, allowing defensive coordinator Jon Kay to move him all over the field. He primarily operated as the Owls’ free safety, but would slide into the slot to cover receivers one-on-one and work all the way across the field, showcasing a level of versatility the team prizes in its defenders.

Near the midpoint of the season, head coach Scott Abell reflected on how invaluable Williams’ consistency had been to the team.

“I don’t know where we’d be without him, in all honesty,” Abell said. “When I think about Marcus, I tell him this all the time, I love the way he handles himself. When you walk through our building, when you walk through our locker room, you get on our field. He is a professional. You never know how high he is, how low he is, he’s doing his job. He’s making everybody around him better.”

Not one to showboat or make a scene, Williams quietly shattered his career statistical highs. He became one of the select few Owls to play in every game, starting 12 of the 13 games. Williams finished third on the team in tackles and third in passes defended, a testament to how well-rounded he was as a player and how necessary he had become all over the field.

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Even if it was uncharted territory to some degree, Williams never seemed overmatched or overworked. He was as even-keeled as they come, always prepared for whatever challenges awaited him.

“I kinda expected myself to be in the position that I’m in,” he said. “I worked hard and I’m just proud to be where I am.”

Williams would graduate and enter the Transfer Portal after the season, turning his only true healthy season on South Main into an opportunity as a potential starter in the SEC. But even as he moves on from Rice football, the standard he set for quality and reliability on the back end of the defense will endure because of his efforts.

** Photo credit: Maria Lysaker **

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2025 Rice Football Rising Star: D’Andre Hardeman

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A physical, downhill runner whose role continued to grow as the year went on, freshman D’Andre Hardeman is our 2025 Rice Football Rising Star.

When head coach Scott Abell arrived on campus, he elected to honor the scholarships of every player who had committed to Rice football under the prior coaching staff. For some players, the gesture might have been particularly generous, given many of those players were recruited to play in a different scheme and weren’t hand-picked by Abell or his staff. No such concerns existed with running back D’Andre Hardeman.

A standout at North Shore High School in town, Hardeman came to South Main as the kind of athlete at the running back position few coaches would turn down, particularly those interested in pounding the rock as often as Abell.

Through camp, Hardeman traded off snaps in rotation with several others vying for playing time. While he might not have fully separated himself from the pack at that point, the groundwork had already been laid for a big season from the Owls’ featured room.

More: 2025 Rice Football Season Superlatives

“I think the running back room jumps out at me every day,” Abell said, repeatedly acknowledging he had plans to use multiple backs throughout the season and wouldn’t shy away from playing freshman if they earned the work.

If that was the beginnings of the drum beats for Hardeman’s launch, they would only continue to get louder and louder from there. Coaches and teammates praised both he and fellow newcomer Tyvonn Byars, setting the stage for a season with relatively high expectations for the tandem of first-year players.

“I think the freshmen are going to shock a lot of people,” veteran rusher Quinton Jackson said. “They’re willing to learn. They’re willing to go the extra mile to be the best player they can be.”

Hardeman suffered a minor setback just before the season began, which kept him out of practice for a few days and seemed to drop him ever so slightly down the depth chart. That dip wouldn’t be long-lasting.

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Hardeman did not play in the opener against Louisiana, but saw in every game from that point forward. And it wasn’t just token snaps. Hardeman was the most active member of the 2025 signing class, playing 12 of the Owls’ 13 games. Only two freshmen played in every contest, Semaj Pierre and Ty Thames, much of which came on special teams.

Meanwhile, Hardeman just kept running. He had at least four carries in all 12 contests he played, finishing third on the team in total touches, trailing only Jackson, slot Aaron Turner and quarterback Chase Jenkins. He was quick, decisive and extremely hard to get to the ground, making the most of his opportunities. And they were valuable touches, too.

Hardeman quickly seized short-yardage and fourth down duties, excelling in those high-leverage situations. He finished the season with 325 yards rushing, two touchdowns and one of the brightest futures among all skill players on campus.

** Photo credit: Maria Lysaker **

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