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Rice Basketball Recruiting: F Alex Leeth commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Basketball recruiting class is off to a strong start. Forward Alex Leeth has committed to the Owls.

The future is bright on South Main, with new talent on the way in the form of an initial wave of commitments joining the 2026 Rice Basketball recruiting class in recent weeks. The Owls’ upcoming class added two impact pieces recently, including this 6-foot-7 forward. Alex Leeth has committed to the Owls.

Leeth cut his teeth as a member of the Tennessee Impact and helped lead his high school squad to a 34-2 record last season. A winner with an exciting combination of strength and finesse, it’s not hard to see why his skillset appealed to the Owls’ coaching staff.

He joins guard Jaxson Thompson as the first two commitments in the 2026 Rice Basketball recruiting class, giving the program a strong foundation from the high school ranks.

More: Rice Basketball 2025 Roster Tracker

Leeth’s versatility and power jump out on film. He’s able to win inside and use his body to create advantageous shots while still threatening opponents as a shooter on the outside. He’ll be able to fill multiple roles for the Owls and should give head coach Rob Lanier flexibility when he designs his rosters and how he wants to rotate different pieces on and off the court.

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Rice Football 2025: PVAMU presser quotes and depth chart

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Next up for Rice football, a home tilt against Prairie View A&M. Here’s what head coach Scott Abell had to say about the matchup and a few depth chart notes.

Head coach Scott Abell and a set of players met with the media for their customary weekly availability. They recapped the Houston game and looked ahead at their upcoming matchup with Prairie View A&M.

The Roost Podcast: Rice Football vs Houston Recap

We touch on those items, then dig into the Rice football depth chart and what the team looks like heading into the weekend. First, the quotes:

Press Conference Quotes

This is going to be a learning curve for the roster. It’s going to be a learning curve for the program. Our guys are going to have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. We may get it just right. Louisiana, we got it just right…. Houston, we did not…. I think the learning curve for the offense will be the flexibility to adapt as the game changes and people make adjustments, whether its coming into the game or halftime, and that’s easier said than done. But getting some live games now, getting some experience, is going to be really impactful for us. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on what the team has to improve on following the Houston game

I think our guys will be incredibly focused. They’d better. Prairie View has plenty of talent. They’ve got a lot of guys who have played at our level… We’re coming off a week where we’re disappointed. We need to refocus ourselves and we need to be at our best Saturday. And that will be the challenge for our guys. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the PVAMU matchup

I think they have really good size up front. To be honest, they’ll be one of the biggest fronts that we’ve seen so far in our first two weeks. I think they run well in their back half. They’re not a whole lot different from us where everything they’re doing right now, new offensive scheme, new defensive scheme, they’re building confidence through that every week. How does that look? I think we’ll have to be prepared for a couple different things this week out of their defense?– Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on PVAMU’s roster and makeup

A lot of new guys breaking in for that phase of the game, breaking in new quarterbacks, so that is probably going to take some time. I do want to see some improvement there. I think part of that is getting confidence to throw the ball downfield more. We have to do that. We have to take some shots downfield and have some confidence in our guys making some plays. That’s what I’m looking for. We’re completing the simple stuff and we’re getting it out quick to our athletes, which is important… The next phase is we gotta get some downfield threats going and find out who are playmakers are downfield. – Rice Football head coach Scott Abell on the passing game

Our main focus is running the ball. Establishing that, I feel, will open up the pass game. I feel like if we run the ball well, they’ll crowd the box and also open up the passing lanes. I feel like our is going on a good step. I’m not really worried or anything like that. It’s only Week 2. As long as we keep going out and practicing hard, doing what we need to do, everybody executing their one eleventh, I think we’ll be fine. – Slot Aaron Turner on the passing game

I think he’s a great teacher, especially in the areas I needed to improve on, in terms of complete DB play with run, pass and all those aspects, especially in my off coverage, he’s been a great teacher in terms of just helping me perfect my technique and be the best DB I can be. – Corner Omari Porter on the impact of position coach Jeremy Modkins

Depth Chart

Depth Chart Notes

Three weeks in the offensive line depth chart is finally starting to matchup the lineups Rice football has utilized during games. They have rotated those players a lot more than most other staffs, but the two-deep listed above is the most accurate representation we’ve seen thus far. Similarly, the X receiver with Artis Cole backed up by David Kasemervisz is now more correct.

On defense Dillan Botts moves in front of Chris Clark and Ejike Adele replaces Sam Carrell. Both Botts and Adele saw more action in the Houston game than their counterparts they’re replacing on the two-deep.

In the secondary, Daveon Hook has been removed after missing the Houston game entirely. That freshman Ahran Ogbor is listed at two spots reflects the relative lack of healthy depth Rice has at the position right now. His status, along with the available of other recovering players, will be noted in the weekly practice report later this week, available to those subscribed to our Starting Lineup Tier on Patreon.

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

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Rice Football 2025: NFL Owls Week 1 Roundup

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Rice Football is well represented on 2025 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 1.

There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

TeamNFL Owl(s)This WeekResultNext Week
Detroit LionsJack Fox (P)at PackersL, 27-13vs Bears
Philadelphia EaglesKylen Granson (TE)vs Cowboys (TNF)W, 24-20at Chiefs
Pittsburgh SteelersChris Boswell (PK)
Calvin Anderson (OL)		at JetsW, 34-42vs Seahawks
Washington CommandersLuke McCaffrey (WR)vs GiantsW, 21-6at Packers (TNF)

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OL, Steelers*

Anderson was active but did not play in the Steelers’ Week 1 game against the Jets.

Luke McCaffrey – WR, Commanders*

McCaffrey saw a handful of snaps with the Commanders’ offense on Sunday, primarily contributing via special teams. He had a 36 yard kick return in a winning effort against the Giants.

Kylen Granson – TE, Eagles

Granson caught one pass for one yard in his Eagles debut. He also played a core role on special teams, making one tackle in that phase.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox punted three times in the Lions’ Week 1 loss to the Packers, averaging a healthy 47.3 yards per kick with a long of 55 yards.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell turned in a stellar performance in the season opener, connecting on all four extra point attempts and a 56-yard field goal attempt at the beginning of the second quarter. Then he one-upped himself with a career-best 60-yard conversion which would prove to be the game-deciding kick. He’s made 2-of-2 field goals this season.

His head coach was quite pleased:

More Owls in the NFL

From practice squads to current free agents, there are other Owls on the cusp of returning to active rosters. Find more details on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 211 – 2025 Rice Football falls to Houston

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The last Bayou Bucket for a while is staying across town. Rice Football dropped their home contest against Houston with growing pains readily apparent.

Rice football fell to 1-1 on the season with a home loss to Houston. While a split in the first two games of the year is undeniably a net positive, the nature of the loss still stings. What did we see from the Owls offense as it learns in real time and what should can we takeaway as they lean on new faces doing new things?

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 211.

Episode Notes

Patreon

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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

Rice Football vs Houston Game Recap

  • The offense sputters and struggles with consistency
  • Growing pains vs talent deficiency
  • What to make of the passing game woes
  • Secondary stands out amid another impressive defensive performance
  • Thank goodness for an FCS opponent next week

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s College Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner. If it’s happening in college football in Texas, we’re talking about it. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

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American Conference Football 2025: Week 2 Roundup

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American Conference Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron this week.

TeamRecord This WeekResultUp Next
Army1-1 (0-0)at Kansas StW, 24-21— OFF —
Charlotte0-2 (0-0)vs N CarolinaL, 20-3vs Monmouth
ECU1-1 (0-0)vs CampbellW, 56-3at Coastal Carolina
FAU1-1 (0-0)vs FAMUW, 56-14at FIU
Memphis2-0 (0-0)at Georgia StW, 38-16at Troy
Navy2-0 (1-0)vs UABW, 38-24at Tulsa
North Texas2-0 (0-0)at W. MichiganW, 33-30 (OT)vs Washington St
Rice1-1 (0-0)vs HoustonL, 35-9vs PVAMU
Temple2-0 (0-0)vs HowardW, 55-7vs Oklahoma
Tulane2-0 (0-0)at S AlabamaW, 33-31vs Duke
Tulsa1-1 (0-0)at NMSUL, 21-14vs Navy
UAB1-1 (0-1)at NavyL, 38-24vs Akron
USF2-0 (0-0)at FloridaW, 18-16at Miami
UTSA0-2 (0-0)vs Texas StL, 43-36vs Incarnate Word

Storylines // Standings // Preseason Poll

Running of the Bulls

South Florida stole the show in Week 1 with a rousing win over Boise State on the national stage. A week later, they’ve done it again, this time taking down a ranked Florida team in the Swamp. Not only are the Bulls suddenly the frontrunner in the American, they’ve pulled firmly into the driver’s seat for a College Football Playoff bid.

The Troops Bounce Back

Following a disappointing loss to Tarleton State of the FCS ranks, Army responded with an upset over a Power Conference team in a week’s time. Kansas State had just two drives in the entirety of the second half as the Black Knights held on to the ball for a staggering 40:29 minutes on their way to the landmark victory.

Rotten Weekends for Lone Star Squads

It wasn’t all good news for the American Conference this week, though, particularly for the Texas-based teams. North Texas narrowly escaped upset at the hands of Western Michigan and has to be concerned about their performance, even in victory. UTSA and Rice both lost their rivalry games which each began competitive before spiraling late.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Surely Lightning Won’t Strike Thrice?

Beating Florida already made the 2025 season an unforgettable year for USF, but it could get even better. The Bulls plays Miami this coming weekend in a game the Hurricanes certainly won’t be looking past any more. A loss in this contest wouldn’t damage the Bulls outlook much, if at all, but a win probably should thrust them into consideration for a Top 15 ranking, at a minimum.

The Mensah Bowl

Former Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah famously departed the program this offseason for a sizable NIL deal at Duke. That the Green Wave would host the Blue Devils the next season with him at the helm is ironic, at best. There will certainly be some folks in New Orleans hopeful that he has a rude return to Louisiana.

Don’t Mess Up 3-0

Memphis, Navy and North Texas all enter next weekend with 2-0 records and are favorites in their upcoming matchups. Three wins is a far cry from where these teams expect to finish their seasons, but it’s halfway to bowl eligibility in mid-September and would keep each near the top of the standings in the American Conference. Don’t mess it up.

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