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Rice Baseball: Injuries plague MLB Owls in restart

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The injury bug has not been kind to the Rice Baseball alums in the MLB. Tyler Duffey was the first Owl to make his mark in 2020.

The first weekend of the 2020 MLB season is in the books and it didn’t contain many highlights from Rice baseball alums at the next level. Early season injuries have kept the Owls from making their mark on 2020 so far, with the notable exception of Twins reliever Tyler Duffey.

Tyler Duffey – Minnesota Twins

Duffey was the first of the Owls to make his 2020 debut. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning in the Twins 10-5 Opening Day victory over the Chicago White Sox. He threw 13 pitches (11 strikes), striking out two and allowing one hit.

It was a good night at the office for Duffey, who made  Tim Anderson and two-time All Star Yasmani Grandal look silly with some impressive punch outs.

Brock Holt – Milwaukee Brewers

Holt signed with the Brewers this offseason after spending the entirety of his career before that with the Boston Red Sox. A sprained ankle has hindered him from making his debut. He did not play in the Brewers opening series against the Chicago Cubs, which they dropped 2-1.

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

All signs point to Rendon making his Angels debut, but the World Series Champ did not appear in the first three games of the Halos four-game series with the Oakland Athletics. Rendon has been battling an oblique injury but has thus far avoided a stint on the injured list.

Jon Duplantier – Arizona Diamondback

Jon Duplantier made his MLB debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. He started this year in the Diamondbacks 60-man player pool, but off the 30 man roster as he works back from injury. There is no clear timetable for his return.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Late July 2021 recruiting updates

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The 2021 Rice Football recruiting class is sticking near the top of the Conference USA ranks. Here’s the latest of a few of the Owls targets.

I touched base with several members of the 2021 class who currently hold Rice Football offers. Featured below are updates from safety Joshua Williams, defensive end Tommy Dunn Jr. and center Ezra Oyetade.

Saf Joshua Williams

Rice offered Linden, AL safety Joshua Williams on June 24. Less than three weeks later he released his Top 5 which featured Rice, as well as Army, Navy, Yale and Georgia State. He said academics are a big piece of his decision-making process. He also holds offers from in-state schools like Troy and South Alabama.

With everything being virtual these days, Williams says he’s been thinking harder than ever about each of his opportunities. At this point, he says he understands what each of his top schools is like on paper, all that’s left is to find the right connection that offers from “that family feel.”

Ideally, he’s still hoping to make a decision before the fall. The ever-changing timetable regarding high school sports could impact that timetable, but if Williams finds the right fit, I’d expect him to make the call.

DE Tommy Dunn Jr

Tommy Dunn was among the last waves of recruits to make it to Rice in person for an official visit before things shut down. That was his only official visit so far and it left a strong impression. The Garland, TX native loved Houston and praised the atmosphere and the environment on campus.

He went so far as to give a nod to the photo and graphics team for making him feel at home with some of the personalized graphics and images. Rice pulls out all the stops to make their targets comfortable, and the Owls definitely did that with Dunn. He’s stayed in touch with a few schools during the last few months including virtual tours with UTSA and Navy.

C Ezra Oyetade

The battle for Ezra Oyetade, who 247 Sports has dubbed the nation’s No. 1 center, has been fierce from the beginning. Rice was the very first D1 school to offer Oyetade and it’s given them a spot in the race. He says he stays in touch with the staff and has liked what he’s seen from Rice so far. Although official visits have been squashed by the recruiting restrictions he’s checking in on a variety of schools.

Since Rice offered in January, Oyetade has picked up offers from Vanderbilt, Houston, UCF, Arizona State, Missouri, Memphis and others. Being first and being local are points in the Owls favor as they continue to keep themselves in the mix.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep. 43 – Marshall Football Preview with Aaron Coleman

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The Roost Podcast welcomes Aaron Coleman who covers Marshall football with the Runnin’ With the Herd Podcast to break down their upcoming season.

July is almost over and, according to the schedule, the start of the 2020 season is just around the corner. After visiting with folks that cover each team in Conference USA West, the podcast ventured to the other side of the conference this week. We’re excited to welcome Aaron Coleman who covers all things Marshall football with the Runnin’ With the Herd Podcast. Aaron gives us his insight into the recent transfer of quarterback Isaiah Green and what to expect from the Herd this year.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to our chat with Aaron Coleman on Episode 43.

Episode 43 Notes

  • Housekeeping — Thanks to all of you who have followed the show on Twitter and left a review on iTunes. It’s quick, but it makes a difference. Make sure you check out the Runnin’ With the Herd Podcast on Twitter and let him know if you enjoyed having him on the pod.
  • Rice/COVID-19 Updates — The vast majority of Rice football players have returned to campus for mandatory workouts this week. There are a few still on their way, but the Owls have the bulk of their roster back on campus and are doing their workouts in a socially-distant way.
  • Aaron Coleman joins the show — Aaron walked us through what’s turned into a relatively eventful offseason for Marshall and gave us this inside scoop on the latest happenings with the Herd including:
    • The “mild seat” and the plateau of Doc Holliday’s tenure
    • Options at QB with the departure of Isaiah Green
    • Marshall’s sneaky good defensive front seven
    • Brenden Knox’s rise from fourth string to star

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

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2021 Rice Football Recruiting class Top 5 in Conference USA as end of July nears

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The 2020 Rice Football class is well-positioned entering July. The Owls have a Top-5 class in Conference USA and plenty of momentum.

The success of the most recent Rice Football recruiting classes has been a point of pride for Mike Bloomgren and his staff. They have elevated the level of talent in the program, most recently signing the highest-rated class in program history.

According to 247 Sports player rankings, the 2020 class had an average ranking of 82.25. The 2021 class has an average ranking of 82.64 and ranks third in Conference USA. If the Owls can maintain that status, they’ll break last year’s record and earn Rice a Top 5 class in the conference for the first time since 2013.

Of the two classes rated more highly than the Owls, volume plays an important key. Top-ranked Florida Atlantic has a stunning 25 commitments, highlighted by 4-star pledge Shedeur Sanders. UTSA is second with 13 commitments.

The 2021 Rice Football recruiting class has nine commitments, the third most in Conference USA. The class will have somewhere close to the 25 allotted slots, meaning the Owls are a little more than a third of the way complete with five months before the Early Signing Period in December.

So much can change over the course of the next few months. Rice can’t control what other schools do, but they can continue to build their own class as best they can. Their most recent addition was an important one, securing the pledge of Bradenton, Florida quarterback Shawqi Itraish. With the most important position locked down, the Owls can turn their attention to other key targets.

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Rice Football: Updated list of preseason honors and watch lists

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Led by linebacker Blaze Alldredge, several Rice football players have earned preseason honors prior to the beginning of the 2020 season.

This offseason has been anything but typical, but some things have stayed the same. The preseason watch lists and award calendars have remained largely in sync. Rice Football has had several players recognized across a variety of publications. Additional accolades will follow, including Conference USA preseason teams, among others.

Here’s the most up-to-date list of recognition for each Rice player:

Senior linebacker Blaze Alldredge

  • First Team, Phil Steele All-Conference USA
  • First Team, Athlon Sports All-Conference USA
  • Bednarik Award Watch List (Best defensive player in the nation)
  • Butkus Award Watch List (Best linebacker in the nation)
  • Nagurski Trophy Watch List (Best defensive player in the nation)

Redshirt junior wide receiver Bradley Rozner

  • Third Team, Phil Steele All-Conference USA
  • Third Team, Athlon Sports All-Conference USA
  • Biletnikoff Trophy Watch List (Best wide receiver in the nation)

Senior wide receiver Austin Trammell

  • Third Team punt returner, Athlon Sports All-Conference USA
  • Fourth Team wide receiver, Athlon Sports All-Conference USA
  • Third Team wide receiver, Phil Steele All-Conference USA
  • Third Team punt returner, Phil Steele All-Conference USA
  • Hornung Award Watch List (Most versatile player in the nation)

Senior safety George Nyakwol

  • Third Team, Phil Steele All-Conference USA
  • Fourth Team, Athlon Sports All-Conference USA

Additional Phil Steele honorees

  • Junior long snapper Campbell Riddle, Second Team
  • Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Clay Servin, Fourth Team

Additional Athlon Sports honorees

  • Redshirt junior offensive lineman Shea Baker, Fourth Team
  • Redshirt senior defensive lineman Elijah Garcia, Fourth Team

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