The source for Rice sports news

Wide receiver Bradley Rozner commits to Owls

By

The 2019 Rice football recruiting class keeps growing. The latest addition comes in the form of playmaking JUCO wide receiver Bradley Rozner.

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

On the same evening the Owls landed a commitment from defensive back Josh Landrum the Rice offense picked up a weapon of their own. Wide receiver Bradley Rozner has committed to the Owls. Rice beat out offers from Incarnate Word and HBU to earn Rozner’s commitment.

Rozner is the third pass catcher in the Owls’ 2019 class which includes wide receiver Zane Knipe and tight end Jack Bradley. He’s the first junior college player of the class and likely would be expected to contribute a meaningful role quickly.

The Roost Podcast: Get the latest Rice Football news and analysis

Originally a product of Needville High School, Rozner will join the Owls this winter from Cisco Junior College. While there he racked up 616 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in the span of nine games this season. His 13 touchdowns led all NJCAA players. Strong stat lines can put anyone on the map, but it’s Rozner’s play that drew an offer from Rice.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound wideout ran circles around his JUCO competition but what stands out the most are his hands. He attacks the ball in the air and has a knack for turning 50/50 jump balls into 80/20 tosses. D’Angelo Ellis was thrust into that role later in the 2018 season, but Rozner’s size makes him a natural fit for that assignment in 2019.

Rozner paired with Aaron Cephus and Brendan Harmon will give the Owls three big-bodied receivers 6-foot-4 or taller next season. The fade to Cephus became a go-to play in the redzone, and adding another physical wideout on the other side will make the offense that much better and more difficult to defend.

As much as Rice wants to be a run-dominant offense, they’re going to need pass catchers who can make the big plays when it matters. Rozner makes plays.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Cornerback Josh Landrum commits to Owls

By

The 2019 Rice football recruiting class picked up a big addition in the secondary with the commitment of Cedar Hill corner Josh Landrum.

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

Josh Landrum and teammate Kirk Lockhart played their high school ball together at Cedar Hill. Next year they’ll share the same field in college. Landrum and Lockhart, who made their pledges to head coach Mike Bloomgren and the Owls over Homecoming weekend, have now both announced their commitments to Rice.

Rice beat out offers from Air Force, Delta State, Georgetown and others to secure Landrum’s commitment. At the time of his commitment, eight other programs had offered the talented defensive back. The Owls won the race.

He was able to step foot on campus on game day against UTEP and take in the facilities, speak with the staff and interact with some of the Owls many recruits who were in for the weekend. It was a big weekend for the Owls, who picked up 2019 safety Hunter Henry as well.

Brandon Douglas-Dotson and Justin Bickham have played the majority of the reps at corner for the Owls in 2018. Both are upperclassmen, Douglas-Dotson being in his final year of eligibility, with little in the way of experienced players behind them. Strengthening this unit will be a priority of the 2019 class and Landrum is an excellent start.

Landrum stands 6-foot, 165-pounds. 247 Sports tabs him as a 2-star recruit and a top 300 corner in the nation.

The accolades are nice, but what’s most important to the Owls is how he fits on the field with this secondary. He provides a skillset Rice desperately needs on the outside, a lockdown corner that can play on an island and win one-on-one battles — something that’s absolutely critical in Brian Smith’s defensive scheme.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year: Prudy Calderon

By

Rice football played a host of first-year players on defense. None shined brighter than safety Prudy Calderon, our 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Rice played 12 games in 2017 and intercepted three passes. The secondary had a long way to come from where it was, and strides were made in 2018 thanks primarily to the emergence of safety Prudy Calderon at strong safety, our 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Calderon made his first start against UTSA, the same game in which he registered his first career interception. He’d end the season with four picks on his own, the most by any defender for Rice this season and one more than last season’s total. Nine players in Conference USA tallied four or more picks, Calderon was the only underclassman in that group.

Mike Bloomgren said earlier this season that we’d only “scratched the surface” of who Calderon is going to become. He’s fast, instinctive and attacks the football from his center field position with tenacity and focus. He knows where he’s supposed to be but still finds a way to insert himself into the play whenever and wherever he can.

The Roost Podcast: Get the latest Rice Football news and analysis

By season’s end Calderon finished fifth on the team in solo tackles (26) and second on the team in passes defended. He forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and picked up one tackle for a loss. Calderon did more than build up his own stats, he gave new life to a troubled defensive backfield.

Prior to Calderon’s first start against UTSA the Owls had allowed 11.0 yards per attempt to opposing offenses and 18 touchdown passes in eight games, a rate of 3.6 touchdowns per game. From the UTSA game on the Rice defense allowed 10 passing touchdowns in eight games, a rate of 1.25 touchdowns per game and 8.3 yards per attempt.

Collin Whitaker and Tyrae Thornton, along with Calderon, led the resurgence in the secondary, but the lack of touchdown passes should be credited to Calderon and fellow safety George Nyakwol. The future is bright for this unit and Calderon is leading the charge.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year: Cole Garcia

By

Rice football played several first-year players on offense, but guard Cole Garcia stood above the rest. He’s our 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Outside of his days as a GA at Alabama, Mike Bloomgren’s first Power 5 coaching job was as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator for Stanford. He honed his craft in the trenches before attempting to bring intellectual brutality to South Main.

It took a while for the offensive line to gel for the Owls this season. The starting five remained the same through the UTSA game, but an injury to left tackle Uzoma Osuji and inconsistent play across the board opened up room for some new faces to see more playing time. One of those new faces, true freshman Cole Garcia, seized a starting job the next week and never looked back.

Garcia made his first career start against FIU, starting the final six games of the season and appearing in nine of the Owls’ 13 contests. The offense, which had combined to score three points in the two games prior to Garcia claiming the starting spot, tallied 17 points or more in four of the final six games.

The Roost Podcast: Get the latest Rice Football news and analysis

Rice ranked 33rd in power success rate, a measure of how frequently teams convert on third or fourth down with two yards or fewer to go. Garcia didn’t move the mountain himself, but the consistency with which the Owls moved the ball between the tackles was noticeably improved with him in the lineup.

Garcia attributed the scheme and the opportunity to his success, saying earlier this year “there’s no other program that would be a better fit for me.” The tenacity he brought to the field every day and the intensity he played the game became a part of the culture of this unit. As long as he’s on the team, Rice won’t have to worry about the left guard position.

“Anytime I can put somebody in the dirt is a good day,” remarked Garcia, somewhat jokingly but tinged with a good amount of truth. Mike Bloomgren couldn’t have said it any better himself.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Potseason Mailbag (12/1)

By

The 2018 Rice Football season is in debrief mode, so we’re taking your questions about the team, the season and everything else.

Q: We had a lot of true freshmen get some playing time this year. How many of them could crack the starting lineup again next year? I’m thinking a player like Prudy Calderon is a lock. Who else?

Prudy Calderon is your starting strong safety next season, that’s a done deal. He’ll be one of several sophomores that retain a starting spot next season. On defense, linebacker Antonio Montero and linebacker Treshawn Chamberlain head into the offseason with a secure starting role.z

Linebacker Kebreyun Page and defensive end Cameron Valentine are both guys that didn’t see much of the field this year as true freshman because of injury. They’ll have a decent shot to land a starting job next season. They could find their way into the lineup a few games down the line, similar to the progression we saw with the freshman that forced their way into starting spots this season.

The Roost Podcast: Get the latest Rice Football news and analysis

There’s a lot more ambiguity on offense. The only lock entering the offseason is left guard Cole Garcia. He started the final six games of the season and has earned himself a spot on the line. Clay Servin and Jake Syptak both got starts during the year and should be in the mix for an open tackle position.

If they win the starting jobs, Wiley Green and Juma Otoviano could be the biggest difference makers on offense. It was pretty telling when Mike Bloomgren went to the pair of freshman in the final game of the regular season rather than starting healthy seniors Shawn Stankavage and Aston Walter. The passing of the torch was clear, but there will still be a legitimate competition at both positions this offseason, which I still expect Green and Otoviano to win.

Wide receiver is the position that’s most up in the air. Brendan Harmon and August Pitre would have seen more of the field if they’d been healthy. D’Angelo Ellis did well down the stretch, but the coaching staff still seems to think he’d be a better fit in the secondary. Either of those guys could fill his role next year.

Q: In this offense, I thought the TE’s were supposed to be more involved in the passing game. What was the reason for their absence and can we expect more in 2019?

First off, I don’t think we really truly saw what this offense is meant to look like this season. There were moments, but injuries and the understanding and implementation of the scheme limited what Bloomgren and offensive coordinator Jerry Mack were able to do this year. I’m not saying the team scraps the offensive results, but there’s still a lot of change to be done before this team is running the ball and controlling the clock like Bloomgren wants.

The tight ends were a little more involved than most might have noticed. Jordan Myers’ season-long production combined Jaeger Bull’s tallies up to 20 receptions for 267 yards and two touchdowns. That would have put the tight end group fourth on the team in receptions, yards and total touchdowns – trailing Austin Trammell, Aaron Cephus and Austin Walter. Given how significant those three players were to the team this season, the tight end production seems realistic.

As the offensive line and running game grows the tight end position should continue to become more involved in the offense. For year one, I’m not too concerned.

Have a question for the next mailbag? Drop it in the form below or send it over on Facebook or Twitter.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts