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Conference USA Football: NFL Draft and UDFA Tracker

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There were six former Conference USA football players selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. Many others signed with teams as undrafted free agents.

Conference USA football was well represented in the 2022 NFL Draft, earning six selections through seven rounds. Once the draft ended, many other players latched on with NFL teams, signing as undrafted free agents. Those players will report to training camp and compete for a spot on rosters just the same.

2022 Conference USA Football NFL  Draft Picks

3rd Round (No. 78) – DE Alex Wright, UAB – Browns
3rd Round (No. 82) – EDGE DeAngelo Malone, WKU – Falcons
4th Round (No. 134) – OL Spencer Burford, UTSA – 49ers
4th Round (No. 147) – QB Bailey Zappe, WKU – Patriots
5th Round (No. 153) – CB Tariq Woolen, UTSA – Seahawks
7th Round (No. 259) – S Nazeeh Johnson, Marshall – Chiefs

Undrafted Free Agents

Charlotte

  • SAF Jonathan Alexander – Bears

FIU

  • P Tommy Heatherly – Dolphins
  • RB D’Vonte Price – Colts
  • SAF Josh Valentine-Turner – Seahawks

FAU

  • TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden – Browns
  • LB Caliph Brice – Packers
  • WR John Mitchell – Seahawks
  • OL Desmond Noel – Bengals
  • CB Zyon Gilbert – Giants

Louisiana Tech

  • DB Elijah Hamilton – Dolphins

Marshall

  • OL Alex Mollette, Marshall – Colts

Middle Tennessee

  • LB DQ Thomas – Jets
  • SAF Reed Blankenship – Eagles

North Texas

  • RB DeAndre Torrey – Jets
  • DT Dion Novil – Rams

Old Dominion

  • LB Jordan Young – Bucs

Rice

  • DT Elijah Garcia – Rams

Southern Miss

  • TE Grayson Gunter –  Jaguars

UAB

  • TE Gerrit Price – Jaguars

UTEP

n/a

UTSA

  • LB Charles Wiley – Ravens
  • LB Clarence Hicks – Bengals
  • RB Sincere McCormick – Raiders

Old Dominion

  • TE Stone Smart – Chargers
  • LB Jordan Young – Bucs
  • OL Isaac Weaver – Chargers

Western Kentucky

  • WR Jerreth Sterns– Bucs

Additional signings could continue to trickle in over the next few days. Training camps are still weeks away. For now, it’s safe to say there will be a new crop of Conference USA football players off to make their mark on the league. Soon it will be time to find out who will stick.

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Rice Football: Undrafted free agent signings after 2022 NFL Draft

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The NFL Draft has come to a close and a new crop of Rice football pro hopefuls have signed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents.

Every college football player hopes to one day be an NFL Draft selection, but that’s not how every pro career begins. Conference USA had six players chosen.

Alex Wright, a defensive end from Charlotte was the first C-USA player taken. He came off the board in the third round. Marshall safety Nazeeh Johnson was the final C-USA selection, going to the Chiefs at pick 259, the fourth to last selection of the draft.

Rice did not have any players chosen in the 2022 NFL Draft. This year’s crop of Rice football NFL hopefuls will attempt to make their marks as undrafted free agents. We’ll keep you updated as announcements come out.

So far, these former Rice football players have signed with teams:

Elijah Garcia, a three-year starter on the defensive line for Rice, Garcia signed with the Los Angeles Rams shortly after the conclusion of the draft. After not hearing his name called during the draft, one of the Owls’ best shots at a selection this year was the first to sign on with a pro team.

As any additional updates come, they’ll be shared here. Safety Naeem Smith, offensive lineman Jovaun Woolford, running back Jordan Myers and quarterback Jake Constantine are the names to watch.

Rice Football recent NFL Draft history

The Owls’ streak of drafts without a selection has now stretched to seven. The last time a Rice football player heard his name called on stage was the 2015 NFL Draft when Christian Covington was chosen by the Houston Texans in the sixth round.

Covington’s selection marked the end of a nice run of selections for Rice. From 2009 to 2015 Rice had eight players chosen: Jarret Dillard (2009), James Casey (2009), Cheta Ozougwu (2011), Scott Solomon (2012), Vance McDonald (2013), Luke Wilson (2013), Phillip Gaines (2014), Christian Covington (2015). McDonald was the highest selection, going No. 55 overall to the San Francisco 49ers.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Phillip Gallegos commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class will be well-stocked in the trenches. Offensive lineman Phillip Gallegos has committed to the Owls.

The average size of the 2023 Rice football recruiting class is among the largest in the nation. That’s the sort of thing that happens when you open your next wave of incoming talent with a string of commitments along the offensive line. Four of the Owls’ five 2023 commits are offensive lineman, with the newest addition coming from within the state. Somerset, TX product Phillip Gallegos has committed to the Owls.

Gallegos took multiple visits to Rice this spring, checking in most recently at the spring game. That late push by the Owls made a difference, giving him the confidence he needed to pull the trigger and make his pledge official.

Dartmouth and Sam Houston State each extended official offers to Gallegos before the Owls. Although Rice didn’t get in the door first, they were able to seal the deal. In the world of recruiting, that’s all that matters.

Gallegos is the fifth offensive lineman to commit to Rice in the past two weeks.  Nate Bledsoe started the run on April 17. The most recent addition before Gallegos came from the JUCO ranks. Center Weston Kropp committed to Rice on April 25.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Standing 6-foot-7, Gallegos will dwarf the majority of his 2023 Rice Football recruiting classmates. And while those size metrics do look good on a roster, they’re even harder to miss when he’s on the field. Gallegos is a bruiser who wins in the trenches with his physicality. His film highlights how he uses his hands to and size to hold defenders at bay.

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Rice Baseball: 2022 MiLB Owls late-May update

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While several Rice Baseball alums are producing at the highest level, others are working their way up the ladder. Here’s the latest on the MiLB Owls.

Triple-A

Jon Duplantier (Dodgers) has made six appearances out of the pen so far this season, dazing with a 1.04 ERA. He’s allowed just one run so far and did not surrender a hit in five of his six outings, the longest of which lasted two innings.

Tristan Gray (Rays) started has gotten off to a slower start through the first 17 games of the 2022 season. He’s hitting .180, a good clip below his lifetime .238 MiLB average, but he has hit four home runs and driven in 11 runs.

Ford Proctor (Rays) has been right by Gray in the Durham Bulls’ lineup with a modest .236 average and a .348 on-base percentage. Both marks are on the lower end of his career MiLB averages.

Double-A

Matt Canterino (Twins) made the jump from High-A to AA to start the season and has fit right in at the higher level. He’s started four games as an opener, never going longer than three innings while compiling a 2.79 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting .152 against him this season.

Dane Myers (Tigers) is pummeling the baseball through the first few weeks of the year. He’s hit eight extra-base hits in 17 games, helping lead to a .935 slugging percentage. Myers’ .323 average leads the Erie Seawolves by a wide margin. None of his teammates are hitting better than .294.

More on Rice Baseball: Latest from the MLB Owls

Ricky Salinas (Reds) has made four long relief appearances through the young MiLB season, striking out 11 batters in 11.1 innings pitched. He owns a 3.18 ERA, which would be the best mark of his MiLB career.

Single-A

Trei Cruz (Tigers, High-A) rose from rookie ball to High-A in his first pro season and that’s where he begins his sophomore campaign. Through 15 games he’s hitting .224 with a .764 OPS, a positive step after an inconsistent start at the plate last season. He has drawn 14 walks, pushing up his OPS to .397.

Evan Kravetz (Reds, High-A) jumped through several teams last season but has found a home in Dayton with the Reds’ High-A affiliate to start the season. He’s appeared in four games with one start and has a 4.38 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 12.1 innings pitched.

Addison Moss (Rays, High-A) has gotten off to a masterful start in his third minor league season. He’s appeared in three games so far, not allowing an earned run in 5.0 innings pitched. In addition to a sterling 0.00 ERA, Moss has surrendered just four hits.

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Rice Baseball: 2022 MLB Owls update – Apr 27

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The 2022 MLB season is underway and Rice baseball alums are busy on the mound and at the plate. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls.

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angles

Rendon’s bat has started to heat up. After sporting a .118 average through five games, Rendon has hit .278 over his last 10 contests, including his second home run of the season and three doubles. Meanwhile, his glove remains as amazing as ever.

Through April 27, Rendon is hitting .226 with five extra-base hits, 10 walks and 13 strikeouts. His OPS is .750 and he’s collected six RBI.

Tyler Duffey – Minnesota Twins

Duffey’s first outing of the season was rocky, but he bounced back quickly, putting together much better appearances over the course of the next few weeks. Duffey has allowed two earned runs in his last five appearances, whittling his season ERA down from 18.00 to 6.00. He picked up his first win and his first hold of the season during that time.

Through April 27, Duffey has a 6.00 ERA with a 1.500 WHIP. He’s averaging 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

Lucas Luetge – New York Yankees

Luetge has been busy over the last few weeks. Since April 13, he’s appeared in five games, three of which were spotless, one inning relief appearances in which he allowed no runs. He picked up his first hold of the season in that span as well.

His last outing was more tenuous. Luetge allowed three runs to the Orioles in 0.2 innings. Fortuantely for him, the Yankees still won 12-8.

Through April 27, Luetge has a 6.00 ERA with a 1.500 WHIP. He’s averaging 12.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

J.T. Chargois – Tampa Bay Rays

Shortly after his first appearance of the season, the Rays were forced to play Chargois on the injured list with an oblique injury. Manager Kevin Cash told reporters this week Chargois has begun playing catch, but there does not appear to be an official timetable for his return.

Through April 27, Chargois has a 0.00 ERA with a 0.000 WHIP. He’s averaging 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

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