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Offensive lineman Hunter Jones commits to Owls

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The 2019 Rice football recruiting staff added another key member to its offensive line haul with the commitment of offensive lineman Hunter Jones.

More: Complete list of 2019 Rice football commits after the early signing period

Winning the battle in the trenches has been the priority for Mike Bloomgren and his staff since he arrived in South Main. Establishing a culture of “Intellectual Brutality” plays hand in hand with Bloomgren’s background as an offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Stanford.

The offensive line started to gel at the tail end of the 2018 season and further reinforcements are on the way. Rice went out of state to secure the commitment of 2019 offensive lineman Hunter Jones from Stockton, CA. He joins fellow 2019 offensive lineman commit Regan Riddle, who made his pledge to the Owls in June.

Jones picked the Owls over offers from Hawaii, Fordham, and Utah State. Edging out a few Division 1 programs that had strong seasons in 2018 is a good sign for Rice, who has found a way to continue to draw in talent without the onfield results the coaching staff would like. They’ve now added two commitments since the season ended and more should follow.

Standing 6-foot-3 and tipping the scales at 270 pounds, Jones is a bit undersized compared to the lineman on the Owls’ roster right now. A few months in Hans Straub’s strength and conditioning program will have him in the mix with a relatively young line which will have spots available next season. Several true freshmen made starts on the line in 2018, a clear sign the door is open for Jones to make an impact soon.

Jones’ commitment brings the current total up to 13 commitments for the 2019 class. That means the Owls are more than likely about halfway done with their second class under Mike Bloomgren with the early signing period set to begin on December 19.

Check out some of his highlights available here.

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Rice Football 2018 Defensive Player of the Year: Zach Abercrumbia

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The Rice football defense was a work in progress this season, but Zach Abercrumbia never waiver in the up front. He’s our 2018 Defensive Player of the Year.

Like the offense on the other side of the ball, the Rice defense took a while to get going in 2018. The play in the secondary got off to a slow start and consistent tackling in the linebackers had to be developed over time. Through the noise, defensive tackle Zach Abercrumbia was the steadying force that drove this unit forward.

Named the defensive captain in 2018, Abercrumbia led with his voice and his actions. It was he who gathered the team in post-practice huddles. He called for meetings with the team and challenged individuals to work harder and be better. All that in the midst of a historic statistical season of his own.

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Abercrumbia registered 55 tackles and 4.5 sacks from the interior of the defensive line. He finished third on the team in total tackles and third in sacks. He registered a career-best nine tackles against UTSA.

Those are no small feats for a defensive lineman, and numbers of that caliber haven’t been produced from a Rice defensive lineman since Christian Covington tallied 59 tackles and 4.0 sacks for the Owls in 2013. Covington would later go on to be a sixth round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft following, impressive company for Abercrumbia to say the least.

His impact grew as the defensive line progressed throughout the season. By the time November rolled around there weren’t many teams finding success against the Owls between the tackles or in obvious running situations. Rice opponents averaged 3.6 yards per carry on third down and 1.6 yards on fourth down. Both of those marks were in the better half of Conference USA. Opposing teams simply struggled to make headway with Abercrumbia holding down the middle. The redshirt junior has one more year of eligibility remaining.

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Rice Football 2018 Offensive Player of the Year: Austin Trammell

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Rice football had an up and down year on offense, but Austin Trammell was the steady hand through it all. He’s our 2018 Offensive Player of the Year.

The Rice pass catchers were almost a complete unknown entering the 2018 season. There weren’t any proven wideouts on the roster outside of Aaron Cephus who caught 25 passes for 622 yards last season,

In 2017 Austin Walter was still primarily a running back and the next two closest pass catchers, tight end Jordan Myers and Austin Trammell, caught 11 passes and four passes, respectively. There was plenty of opportunities for another pass catcher to emerge. Austin Trammell seized his chance and ran with it, more than earning the honor of being named the 2018 Offensive Player of the Year.

Dubbed “Mr. Consistent” by head coach Mike Bloomgren in fall camp, Trammell became the linchpin of the Owls’ offense. He led the team in receptions (62), receiving yards (632) and was the only player to register at least one reception in all 13 games.

He set team and career highs with a 10 catch performance against North Texas and 112 receiving yards against UTEP. His 53-yard scramble drill touchdown against the Miners further solidified his status as the safety net for whomever the Owls had under center which, in 2018, varied from week to week.

Short of scoring a few more touchdowns, there wasn’t much through the air that Trammell wasn’t able to achieve. Walter’s 62 receptions ranked seventh-most in school history and were eight-most of any Conference USA pass catcher in 2018.

His successes didn’t go unnoticed. Bloomgren said Trammell was “absolutely the way I would build a football player,” praising No. 10’s work ethic and consistent approach to the game. Trammell was so reliable he was trusted with punt return and kick return duties as well. He led the team with a long punt return on 19 yards and a long kick return of 54 yards, outpacing even all-purpose weapon Austin Walter.

A slot receiver might not be the primary pass catcher of most offenses, but it was for Rice this season. Given how productive Trammell was as a sophomore, it’s hard to imagine the offense moving the ball consistently without him.

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Rice Football 2018 Special Teams Player of the Year: Jack Fox

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The Rice Football special teams were Conference USA’s gold standard thanks to the incredible season of Jack Fox, our Special Teams Player of the Year.

Rice football won’t fully appreciate how special Jack Fox was until he’s gone. The Owls’ senior punter and kickoff specialist was an incalculably important weapon for the team this fall. The nation took notice.

Fox was named a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, was a First Team All-Conference USA selection and has now been named Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year. Frankly there aren’t many more accolades Fox could receive that he hasn’t already been awarded. That sort of thing happens when you have the kind of season Fox did in 2018.

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Highlighted by a career-best 76-yard punt against North Texas, Fox amassed 3,636 punt yards with his leg, the most in the nation. His 80 punts included 31 downed inside the 20 and only 15 returnable kicks. He averaged 45.5 yards per punt with a net of 40.1, both well inside the top 25 punters in the country. His 12 punts against UAB tied a school record for a single game.

On top of all that, Fox recorded two tackles and recovered a fumble on a kickoff. He was also asked to execute a few trick plays this season, rushing for a first down against UTEP and throwing for a first down against UTSA. A former high school quarterback, Fox maintains a career 100.0 percent completion percentage.

Fox leaves Rice as one of the most talented specialists in school history. He was the safety net and the consistent force for a 2018 team featuring, at least at times, an offense and a defense in need of a spark. Every time they asked, Jack Fox delivered. That’s just the kind of guy he is. Talented, consistent, and one of the best punters in the nation.

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Owls named to All-Conference USA Teams

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Rice football‘s 2018 season was filled with incredible individual efforts, a few of which were recognized by Conference USA.

Jack Fox led the way as the only Rice Football player to receive CUSA first team honors following the 2018 season. Rice had no players named to the second team, but landed nine different recognitions as honorable mentions.

First Team Special Teams
P – Jack Fox, Sr., Rice

Honorable Mention – Offense
RB – Austin Walter, Sr., Rice
OL – Sam Pierce, Sr., Rice
WR – Aaron Cephus, So., Rice
WR – Austin Trammell, So., Rice

Honorable Mention – Defense
DL – Zach Abercrumbia, Jr., Rice
DL – Roe Wilkins, Jr., Rice
LB – Anthony Ekpe, So., Rice

Honorable mention – Special Teams
K – Hayden Tabola, Sr., Rice
KR – Austin Walter, Sr., Rice

These honors come in addition to three Owls named to the All-Freshman team:

C – Shea Baker
DB – Prudy Calderon
DB – Treshawn Chamberlain

The full release detailing all selections is available from Conference USA here.

Overall it was a positive start for the Owls in Mike Bloomgren’s first year at the helm. Several of these players are departing the program next season, but the youth taking over is promising and earning recognition of their own. The future is bright.

That’s an uptick compared to 2017 when three  Owls were named to the All-Conference USA first team: Defenders Brian Womac and Emmanuel Ellerbee were joined by Fox and return man Austin Trammell. 2017 also saw four players earned honorable mentions: offensive lineman Calvin Anderson and Trey Martin, wide receiver Austin Walter and defensive lineman Roe Wilkins.

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