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Rice Football 2020: Spring Practice Day 1 Notes

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The first day of Rice football spring practice is in the books. It’s too early to draw any definitive conclusions, but the groundwork is being laid for the fall.

A full complement of players took the field on Monday for the first day of Rice football spring practice. The complete roster lists 79 players, more than enough to field two full units on both sides of the ball. Some positions will be deeper than others, but the Owls have reached enough bodies to make significant strides this spring.

Head coach Mike Bloomgren likes where the team is at entering the spring, particularly on defense. “I love where our defense is…” he said. “I love that coach [Brian] Smith has them in the mindset that nothing they did last year is going to make a single play for them this year. Everything’s got to be earned again. I can’t wait to see what they can build over there on that side [of the ball]”.

Bloomgren did make sure to mention that the Owls return 20 of 22 players on the defensive two-deep depth chart. That’s the best in the nation in terms of returning defensive production.

Quarterbacks

In a somewhat surprising move, there were no “OR” designations on the first Rice football depth chart of the spring. The quarterbacks, listed from top to bottom:

  1. JoVoni Johnson
  2. Mike Collins
  3. TJ McMahon
  4. Wiley Green
  5. Evan Marshman
  6. Parker Towns

A true No. 1 is far from being finalized, but the decision to put Johnson atop the pack was intentional. “He gained a lot of our trust,” Bloomgren said. “He earned the right, in my opinion, and coach [Jerry] Mack’s opinion, to be on top. So he’s taking those [first team] reps.”

After Johnson, Collins and McMahon have clearly separated themselves from the rest of the group. It would be surprising if one of those three isn’t named the opening day starter for the Owls in the fall. The value of having Mack in the quarterback room as well as having all three starting options on campus for the full duration of spring cannot be understated.

Offensive line

Bloomgren spent the majority of the first practice in the trenches with the offensive line. Injecting his extensive experience into that group will be crucial as the Owls look to reconfigure their front five on the fly.

Rice loses Brian Chaffin, Justin Gooseberry and Nick Leverett. The first reps of spring ball featured this revamped first team line:

LT – Clay Servin
LG – Adam Sheriff
C – Isaac Klarkowski
RG – Shea Baker
RT – Jovaun Woolford

Baker at the guard position probably says more about the uncertainty at that spot than it does about the center position. Klarkowski’s work last season in emergency duty had staying power. “I don’t know if we think of him as a walk-on anymore,” admitted Bloomgren, who showed no qualms about him starting the spring with the first team.

Rice has two full lines this spring as opposed to six or seven healthy bodies at the position at this time last year. The tackle spots seem more or less locked down, but the remaining options on the interior could position themselves for a bigger role in the fall with a good showing over the next few weeks.

Injuries

It seems like having 100 percent of the roster fully healthy at the same time is all but impossible. The Owls are relatively healthy, but these four players are expected to miss all of spring ball.

  • Robbie Blosser
  • Jake Bailey
  • Bennett Mecom
  • Trey Schuman

The absence of Jake Bailey is probably the most notable. Trey Schuman is in line to regain his starting role in the fall. He’s somewhat of a more known quantity. Bailey’s absence from the spring will make things a bit more complicated in a wide receiver room that’s starting to get a little more crowded.

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Rice Football 2020: Breaking down the spring roster

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Spring practice has arrived for Rice football. Here’s where each position stands now. Several things could change over the next several weeks.

The 2020 Rice Football spring roster has been released. Depth charts won’t be finalized until the fall, but here’s how the Owls are most likely to line up at the beginning of camp.

Quarterback

Starter: None
Backup: None
In contention: Mike Collins, TJ McMahon, JoVoni Johnson and Wiley Green
Also at spring ball: Robbie Blosser, Evan Marshman and Parker Towns

This position truly is wide open. Collins, Johnson and Green have all started and won D1 football games. McMahon shattered JUCO records last year. All four offer disparate skill sets and we can’t be certain which variation of the Rice offense we’ll see this year. This will be the most-watched position battle of the spring.

More: 2020 National Signing Day Review and Spring Football questions

Running back

Starter: Juma Otoviano
Backup: Jawan King
Also at spring ball: Cam Montgomery, Ari Broussard, Ayden Noriega

Montgomery had some fumbling issues that prevented him from getting on the field last season. Noriega and Broussard redshirted. King did as well, but his absence from the field was driven by the wealth of upperclassmen tailbacks Rice had on the roster last year. Barring a late transfer addition, it’s most likely going to be a two-man show this spring.

Fullback 

Starter: Brendan Suckley
Backup: Luke Armstrong, Jerry Johnson

Suckley became the starter last season after transfer Reagan Williams went down and played well. Johnson appears to be a position switch for the spring.

Wide receiver

Starters: Brad Rozner, Austin Trammell, August Pitre
Backups: Zane Knipe, Jake Bailey
Also at spring ball: Chris Boudreaux, Austin Conrad, Jashon Palmer

I’ll be paying close attention to Knipe and Bailey this spring. We only scratched the surface of what both were capable of last year. With Knipe fully healthy, this is his chance to force his way into the starting three. Pitre’s inconsistency has opened up the door. Whether he bounces back or someone else rises up should be interesting to see.

Tight end

Starters: Jordan Myers, Jaeger Bull
Backup: Jack Bradley
Also at spring ball: Jonathan Sanchez, Robert French, Bennett Mecom

The staff really likes what Bradley was able to do as a true freshman last season. Now in his first spring, his role should only continue to grow. That could put pressure on a guy like Bull.

Offensive line

Starters: Jovaun Woolford, Cole Garcia, Shea Baker, Adam Sheriff, and Clay Servin
Backup/In Contention: Brandt Peterson, Derek Ferraro, Izeya Floyd, Regan Riddle, and Isaac Klarkowski
Also at spring ball: Connor Hughes, Nick Wagman

Rice has more than enough options on the offensive line this spring after running extremely thin this time last year. Floyd’s transition to the offensive side of the ball will be worth keeping an eye on. Beyond that, there’s room for one or two more younger players to emerge and challenge for a spot at guard.

Defensive End / Rush End

Starters: Trey Schuman, Kenneth Orji
Backups: Ikenna Enechukwu, Jacob Doddridge
Also at spring ball: Kebreyun Page, Miles Adams, Josh Pearcy

Orji came on strong last season and should cement his starting role this spring. Page and Pearcy are two developmental guys who have taken big strides during the fall and could be more in the mix this time around.

Defensive Tackle

Starters: Elijah Garcia, De’Braylon Carroll
Backups: JaVante Hubbard, Cam Valentine
Also at spring ball: Will Martinez, Hunter Hanley

Carroll is going to be a starter this season. Watching him go up against an offensive line in the midst of solidifying its rotation could spell trouble for the Rice football offense. How the coaching staff chooses to deploy Garcia and Hubbard should be telling.

Linebacker

Starters: Blaze Alldredge, Antonio Montero
Backups: Garrett Grammer, Myron Morrison, Adrian Bickham
Also at spring ball: Garret Braden

Linebacker might be the deepest position on the team. Alldredge and Montero are locked in as starters, but the rotation could change significantly this year. Morison and Bickham came on strong in the fall. Both should be in the mix.

Corner

Starters: Tre’shon Devones, Tyrae Thornton
Backups: Andrew Bird, Jason White
Also at spring ball: Miles McCord, Collin Whitaker

Josh Landrum’s departure made the pecking order at corner pretty clear. Devones and Thornton started the majority of last year. Bird was the next man up with White sliding in at nickel. I don’t foresee any surprises here before the freshmen arrive in the fall.

Safety

Starters: George Nyakwol, Naeem Smith, Treshawn Chamberlain
Backups: Prudy Calderon, Isaiah Richardson
Also at spring ball: Jacob Grams, Matthew Sams, Kirk Lockhart, Chike Anigbogu

Another deep position, the backup roles at the safety spots could see some changes. Lockhart appeared in 10 games last season as a true freshman and should push further into the rotation this spring.

Specialists

Kicker: Will Harrison, Nick McQuarry
Punter: Charlie Mendes
Long Snapper: Cam Riddle

Incoming Stanford transfer Collin Riccitelli will be the placekicker for Rice football in 2020. What the Owls do at the spot before he arrives is unlikely to move the needle much at all.

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Rice Baseball 2020: Bats quiet in road sweep by UC Irvine

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Swept for the second time in as many weekends, Rice baseball leaves a three-game stint at UC Irvine with an 0-6 record for the season.

THREE FOR THE ROAD | UC Irvine wins series 3-0

1. Roel Garcia will be the Owls’ ace

Transfer Alex DeLeon has failed to seize the Friday night role after his first two outings with the Owls. He gave up six runs in four innings on Opening Day. He followed that up with a three-inning, four-run outing against UC Irvine. His 14.09 ERA through two starts won’t knock him from the rotation just yet, but the juxtaposition of Garcia’s first outing in more than a year with DeLeon’s work against the same lineup was telling.

Garcia struck out three and allowed no hits in two scoreless innings. Some rust was understandable in his first time back on the mound since the 2018 season. Holding the Anteaters scoreless through one inning would have been an encouraging sing. Blanking them in two innings is an indication he could be closer to returning to his usual self than might have been anticipated.

The Friday night role will be Garcia’s when he’s back to 100 percent, or perhaps sooner. How DeLeon, Blake Brogdon, Dalton Wood and others fit into the rest of the rotation remains to be seen.

2. Sputtering offense struggles to string together hits

Saturday’s 2-1 nail biter was even more agonizingly close than the final score reveals. After being no-hit through four innings for the second day in a row, Rice had a runner in scoring position in the final five innings. That runner got all the way to third base in four of the final five frames. Rice recorded zero hits in eight opportunities. The only RBI came on a groundout, a productive out, but a hollow showing nonetheless.

The pitching staff has been largely a net-positive through the first two weeks of the season. Singular crushing outings by one pitcher here (and another there (DeLeona and Bordwine in this case) have led to the jagged box scores.

On most days, the Owls won’t need 10 runs to walk away with a victory. Getting two to three of those hits in clutch moments could sway games, even some series, in the Owls’ favor. What Rice can’t do is disappear completely at the plate every time they have the chance to put up a crooked number.

Rice baseball has scored 14 runs through their first six games. Frankly, that’s not good enough. Rice capped the UC Irvine series with four runs on 10 hits on Sunday. Their opponents managed twice the run total (nine) on just one fewer hit.

3. The continued development of Trei Cruz

Coaches and fellow players raved about the growth of Trei Cruz this offseason. A Cape Cod League All-Star and the Preseason Conference USA Player of the Year, Cruz has played well in the Owls’ first two series. The shortstop has made multiple Sportscenter Top 10-caliber plays in the dirt, showcasing his defensive prowess.

His bat has been as productive as the rest of the Rice hitters, but it’s been his discipline that’s been most impressive. Cruz is tied for the team lead in walks (five), taking advantage of pitchers who know how dangerous a mistake thrown his way can be.

Finding protection behind in the lineup should get him more hittable pitches. But for the time being, Cruz is extending innings and giving his teammates opportunities to produce runs. He can’t do it all himself, and he’s not trying to force it.

FRIDAY | UC Irvine 10 – Rice 1

Despite having no offensive output for most of the game, Rice kept the game within reach through five innings. Roel Garcia got the Owls off to a strong start. Alex DeLeon got roughed up upon his entrance but navigated the fourth and fifth innings allowing just one run. Then the floodgates burst and UC Irvine took complete control of the game with a 4-run sixth inning.

Aaron Baulaurier doubled to right center in the eight, breaking up UC Irvine’s combined no-hit bid. Justin Dunlap scored later that inning on a wild pitch. But salvaging a run was too little too late in a one-sided series-opening loss much more convincing than any of the Owls’ losses to Texas on opening weekend.

SATURDAY | UC Irvine 2 – Rice 1

This was the ultimate game of missed opportunities. Rice baseball was one hit away from winning this one for what felt likes hours. The hit never came. Blake Brogdon’s strong night (5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K) came up void. The two runs Brogdon allowed came immediately following leadoff doubles, one in the fourth and another in the sixth. When faced with similar chances, Rice hitters couldn’t push even the tying run across.

The final effort came with two outs in the ninth. Braden Comeaux and Cade Edwards singled to put runners on the corners. Trei Cruz came to the plate, a hit from tying the game. He popped one down the right field line in foul territory. UC Irvine outfielder Riley Kasper made a play on the ball but was injured and forced to leave the game after an extended delay. Facing one more pitch after the wait, Cruz struck out.

SUNDAY | UC Irvine 9 – Rice 4

Comeaux slapped a leadoff single to start the game, ruining any no-hit bids out of the gate. Rice would tally 10 hits on the day, three more than they’d managed in the first two games of the series. The Owls wouldn’t score until the eighth inning. By that time the game was essentially over.

UC Irvine dealt a three-run blow to Rice starter Drake Greenwood in the second inning. The finishing blow came as soon as he was relieved in the fifth. Kel Bordwine was ambushed upon his entrance. He allowed six runs (five charged to him) on four hits and one walk, retiring two of the seven batters he faced. Down 9-0, Rice baseball played things out to the finish.

ON DECK | at Texas State (Tues), vs Missouri State (Fri-Sun)

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Rice Basketball: Glue-guy Drew Peterson has become one of Owls’ leaders

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Rice basketball has gone through a transformation on and off the court this season. Drew Peterson has been one of the men leading the charge.

The 2019-2020 Rice Basketball season has bounced from high to low and back again. In the midst of those oscillating waves of success and failure, Drew Peterson has been at the center of a team learning to compete at a consistent level. A role player for head coach Scott Pera as a true freshman last year, Peterson has settled into a leadership role with this year’s squad.

In an interview in the early weeks of conference play, Peterson spoke of the changes he’s seen in his own game — changes that have continued throughout the season. “I feel more comfortable out there,” Peterson said. “I’m really trying to slow the game down. I think that’s the biggest thing between this [year] and last year. I was so fast-paced last year and I was chaotic. And now I can really see the whole floor and sit and read situations. I feel really comfortable out there.”

That comfort has translated to more time on the court. Peterson eclipsed 30 minutes once last season. He’s been on the court for at least 30 minutes in 16 of the Owls’ 27 games this season, playing 38+ minutes three times in conference play.

Pera says Peterson’s newfound confidence has turned him into a creator for the Owls’ offense. Pera called Peterson “a unique player because he’s got that size [and] vision and as he continues to be more aggressive he can make plays for us.”

For Peterson, those plays haven’t necessarily meant more scoring for himself. His 10.1 points per game average rank fourth on the team. Instead, he’s freed up others to make easier shots. Peterson has six or more assists in four of his last five outings. His 91 assists this season are Top 10 in Conference USA. His teammates have noticed the difference.

Owls’ leading scorer Trey Murphy credits Peterson for a portion of his success. “He’s been rebounding, getting assists for guys, creating his own shot, and I commend him for it. He gives me a lot of open layups when I cut.”

That’s been the most noticeable difference in Peterson’s game. He’s still rough around the edges. His improvisation has led to occasional turnover struggles that have put the Owls in tough positions. But more often than not, Peterson sets his team up for success rather than failure. The consistency should only improve as he grows into his role as a leader for Rice basketball.

Peterson’s hand will be needed now more than ever. Rice basketball was assigned to the lowest pod for the final four games of the season. Rice is in elimination mode. If they don’t edge two of UTEP, Middle Tennessee and Southern Miss down the stretch, their season is over. Peterson has come a long way. It’s time for him to elevate his game one more time.

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College Football transfer rules could be changing soon

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Changes could be coming to the college football transfer rules. The NCAA could enable one-time transfer exemptions for all sports as soon as April.

There have been rumblings of changes to the NCAA transfer policy for some time. Those ideas have reemerged recently in the national discourse. The Big Ten got things rolling in earnest a few weeks ago by announcing their support of a “one-time transfer exemption.” That policy, if enacted, would allow athletes competing in any sport to transfer to another school without being forced to sit out a year as a penalty.

A more open transfer policy is already in place in all Division 1 sports with five notable exceptions: football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball and men’s ice hockey. This new proposal would bring those five spots into alignment with the rest of collegiate athletics.

The ACC quickly followed suit:

With two Power 5 conferences in support of a revised policy, the NCAA stepped in. They provided a few clarifications to the proposals, announcing potential conditions for a new rule. This proposal, created by a working group, could be enacted as quickly as April of this year. If that were to be the case, the rule would be in place before the beginning of the 2020 football season.

If the transfer rules were indeed relaxed, some language could be added to the rules to account for the fluctuation in players from school to school. The biggest change would revolve around the size of annual signing classes, currently capped at 25 players per year. Transfers currently count against that number.

So how does this impact Rice football?

The short answer is I’m not sure. I’m cognizant of the fears that Power 5 programs will all of a sudden swoop in and steal away all of the top talent from Group of 5 programs.

But let’s not pretend that’s not a threat as things currently stand. And the mobility isn’t limited upward. Rice signed six graduate transfers last year and three more this year, the majority of which came from Power 5 schools. They’ve not taken many regular transfers under head coach Mike Bloomgren, instead, they’ve relying on the JUCO and grad transfer markets.

Rice has seen several players enter the Transfer Portal this offseason. It’s reasonable to believe that a more lax transfer policy would see that number increase. But the doom and gloom preached by some seems a tad excessive. A capable starter at a program like Rice would have to weigh the trade-offs of a Rice degree and playing time with perhaps a lesser role at another institution, albeit one with a bigger football brand.

Beyond that, Rice will be playing by the same rules as everyone else. They’ll have just as much access to talent relative to their peers in Conference USA and the Group of 5. The gap between the bigger state schools is sizable already. I don’t see more transfers tipping the playing field by a noticeable margin.

I’m curious to hear what you think. Do you support these potential changes? How would you propose such a policy were implemented?

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