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Rice Football Recruiting: SLOT Jacob Swain commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class just picked up another playmaker on offense. Melissa (TX) wide receiver Jacob Swain has committed to the Owls.

Do-it-all players at the high school level tend to become difference makers at the next. The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class picked up one such star player from in-state. Melissa athlete (and former Cy product) Jacob Swain has committed to the Owls.

During his recruiting process, Swain caught the eyes of programs across the country, landing an early offer from Louisville last summer to kick-start his journey. Offers from South Florida, UNLV, SDSU, the academies and others would follow, but ultimately, Swain picked South Main and Rice football.

Whether listed as a dual-threat quarterback, wide receiver or athlete by recruiting services, a common thread emerges when assessing Swain’s viability on the field. He’s someone who should be fed the ball often. To achieve that, he’ll slide in as a SLOT in the Owls’ gun-option offensive attack.

Swain’s pledge comes days removed from the commitment of wide receiver Prince Hall and gives the 2026 bunch some offensive skill pieces for quarterback Aiden Smalls to target.

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The highlights are a parade of wow plays by Swain in space. He can line up outside, take the ball directly at the snap or make an explosive play as a return man. As long as he has the football, good things tend to happen. That’s exactly what the Owls are looking for in new additions to this scheme.

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Rice Football Recruiting: WR Prince Hall commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class continues to stockpile offensive weapons. Ellison wide receiver Prince Hall has committed to the Owls.

Following a spring bent on filling the final roster spots before the 2025 season arrives, the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class has taken center stage in the focus of the staff on South Main. The Owls entered a busy official visit weekend to cap off the month of May with three commitments in the 2026 class, intent on growing that number. Following his visit, Ellison wide receiver Prince Hall has committed to the Owls.

Hall had received offers from Wake Forest, UTSA, Texas State, Arkansas State, Sacramento State, Navy and others, with interest in his availability ramping up significantly during the spring. Rice jumped into the mix with an offer in mid-March, earning his pledge a few months later.

While he’s listed as an athlete by some services, the plan as of now is for Hall to start with the offense and play wide receiver. With him on board, the 2026 class has the early foundations of an offense brewing. Led by quarterback Aiden Smalls, Rice also has commitments from offensive lineman Clay Mitchell and tight end Colten Cole.

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A two-way player, Hall’s athleticism is one of the first things that jumps out when you turn on the film. At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, he’s long with great range and a knack for pinpointing the ball in the air. He can make the first man miss in traffic and powers through contact. Adding him to the Owls’ offense should produce plenty of fireworks.

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Report: Rice Baseball to hire two new assistants

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Rice baseball head coach David Pierce has started to assemble his coaching staff, including a former Rice assistant who is heading back to South Main.

First reported by Kendall Rogers of D1 Baseball, the first additions to the Rice baseball coaching staff under David Pierce are taking shape. Rogers reports that Clay Van Hook, who spent the last two seasons across town as an assistant with Houston, will join the Owls’ staff. The report also says Pierce intends to hire J.J. Altobelli to his staff.

Van Hook served as an assistant at Rice under Wayne Graham from 2012-2017, arriving on South Main as Pierce was leaving following the 2011 season. While Van Hook was at Rice, the Owls had six consecutive postseason appearances and was part of the team that won the 2013 Oregon Regional.

More: Rice Baseball Season Review – Lineup

Altobelli is the son of legendary Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, who passed away in 2020 when the helicopter he was traveling on crashed in Calabasas, California. That was the same accident that led to the death of former NBA star Kobe Bryant.

After a playing career at Oregon, Altobelli joined the coaching ranks and is currently serving in the Boston Red Sox organization.

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Judge Approves Historic House v. NCAA Settlement

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Following a lengthy process, a federal judge on Friday granted final approval of the House v. NCAA Settlement, paving the way for schools to pay athletes directly.

In a landmark decision that will alter the landscape of collegiate sports, Judge Claudia Wilken of the Northern District of California approved a far-reaching settlement of the House v. NCAA case on Friday. The settlement touches on a host of important issues:

1. $2.8 billion in back pay to former NCAA athletes

The settlement will reward damages to athletes dating back to 2016 who were not allowed to sign NIL deals and thus were not able to profit in the same way current athletes are able. The bulk of this money is expected to go to former football and men’s basketball players.

2. $20.5 million in revenue sharing per school

A formula derived from a percentage of average power school revenues will establish a maximum revenue sharing pool for each institution, expected to be around $20.5 million for the upcoming 2025-2026 academic year. Schools are not required to spend this much — many won’t — and distributions are expected to weigh heavily toward football.

3. Roster Limits

All roster spots can now be given scholarships with defined limits for each sport. For example, football rosters are now capped at 105 players (previously 85), and any number of those players are allowed to be given scholarships. Baseball (previously allowed 11.7 scholarships) can now scholarship as many as 34 players.

4. NIL Clearinghouse

A Deloitte-run NIL clearinghouse will be established. All third-party deals of at least $600 must go through that clearinghouse to be either approved or disapproved, with mechanisms existing for resubmission and alteration of said deals.

What’s Next?

Ross Dellenger (Yahoo) and The Athletic have written in more detail about the settlement. The ramifications of this massive decision are only just beginning. More details will come out over the days and weeks ahead.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 200 – 2025 Rice Football Opponent Previews: Navy

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The 2025 Rice Football season previews march on. This week, we’re joined by Omar Borja of Redshirt Sports to talk Navy.

The second edition of our Rice Football opponent summer preview series is in your podcast feeds. Returning guest Omar Borja, an Army alum who covers Navy for Redshirt Sports, stopped by to walk us through a somewhat surprising season for the Middies last fall and to look forward to what to expect from this team this coming season.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 200.

Episode Notes

DCTF

The Roost Podcast is now part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner.

Homefield

We’re thrilled to partner with Homefield Apparel, the premier proprietor of college football clothing. First-time buyers can use the code ROOST for 15% off their order. The Owls hoodie is a personal favorite as is the Luv-Ya-Owls shirt. Make sure you check out the sailor hat (pictured below) as you shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

Homefield

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Get exclusive insight on Patreon. Be the first to get the inside scoop on what’s going on with Rice football and stick around for even further analysis. That includes practice updates, analysis and more. Your support matters and makes The Roost better. Join our discussion on Discord here.

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Rice Football Opponent Preview: Navy

  • Where did the 2024 Navy season come from?
  • Can Blake Hovarth and company do it again?
  • What are realistic expectations for this team moving forward?
  • Names to know on offense and defense
  • Turnover luck and upside for the program in 2025
  • The Lightning Round

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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