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Rice Football: Defensive line one of spring’s happy surprises

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One of the biggest surprises of the spring was the dominant performance of the Rice football offensive line. Their development is just getting started.

The youth movement is in full force on South Main and few position groups are immune. The defensive line looked to be one of the deepest groups on the team following the 2018 season. Then the transfers of Roe Wilkins and Zach Abercrumbia put a near-certainty into a state of flux. Between Abercrumbia, Wilkins and rush end Graysen Schantz, Rice will have to replace 151 tackles and 13 tackles for a loss.

Void of their old leaders, new guys have been forced to step up and lead the way. The results after spring ball were extremely encouraging.

“It’s a new group with a new identity,” said defensive line coach Cedric Calhoun. “They want to be good. They want to understand the concepts and want to play at a [higher] level.” That next level was evident from the very beginning. Trey Schuman and Elijah Garcia have stepped up their efforts, so too did guys like Myles Adams and Kenneth Orji.

More: 5 predictions following spring practices

Their success came at the expense of the offensive line. That unit, buoyed by the addition of grad transfer Nick Leverett, was expected to take a large step forward in 2019. That still might be the case, but the intensity and disruptiveness of the new-look defensive line made any sort of sustained rhythm out of reach this spring.

While the defensive line may lack “star power” they plan to make up for it with execution and poise. Calhoun said the mindset he’s working to instill in his guys is simple, “If you know your job assignment and your job description along with your motor… you’ve got a chance.”

To some extent, the process isn’t rocket science. “We teach smart, tough and being reliable… Fundamentals are day in and day out,” Calhoun said. His group has approached the task at hand with the level of focus necessary to find success. They’ll need to find a way to transfer that knowledge to the field on Saturday’s in the fall.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Staff juggles 2019, 2020 and 2021 classes this spring

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Spring ball is over, but recruiting season never ends. The 2019, 2020 and 2021 Rice football recruiting class are moving quickly through the spring.

The Rice football spring game was the last big on-campus push the Owls will have for a few months. With spring workouts complete, the coaching staff will hit the road and start another run of visits before the camp circuit begins in earnest in the summer. Entering another busy recruiting season, here’s where the Owls stand on several recruiting fronts.

Wrapping up 2019

Rather than reach for additional high school prospects the staff didn’t love, Rice left a handful of spots in the 2019 class open following National Signing Day. One of those spots will go to Reagan Williams, a fullback transferring to Rice from Stanford.

Rice came extremely close to picking up a commitment from Texas transfer Kyle Porter, losing out to Houston at the last minute. They’ve made more lasting traction with a few other transfer targets, a few of which could make their decisions in the next few weeks. Ideally, Rice wants to have all of their 2019 spots full before summer practices get underway in June.

Keep an eye out for two more additions to finish off the class.Rice Football, Rice Football Recruiting

Digging deeper on 2020

After a fast start on that front. Rice has hit a few snags in early April. Wide receiver Logan Kyle opted for Vanderbilt over Rice while both offensive lineman Drake Metcalf and tight end Drake Dabney have picked up offers from Power 5 programs. Several other top targets could follow.

An offer from a Power 5 program isn’t a hard stop for Rice, at least, not anymore. Current commit Braedon Nutter has a Colorado offer, but that didn’t deter him from staying home. The value proposition of Rice is gaining traction. Playing D1 football and earning a nationally recognized degree has value. Rice won’t win all of these battles, but don’t be surprised if they start winning more of them in the near future.

Looking ahead to 2021

The first batch of offers for the 2020 class went out this February. It’s probably safe to say the first 2021 offer comes out significantly quicker. Rice has been quicker on the game this year with the younger classes.

Although they haven’t extended any formal offers yet, several 2021 prospects were on campus for the Owls’ spring game. Several current sophomores had the chance to take in the game and meet with the staff including corner Miles Jones, wide receiver Cameron Moore and quarterback Wyatt Begeal. The impact of the Owls’ new Director of Recruiting Alex Brown is being felt in a very tangible way.

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Rice Football lands former Stanford Fullback Reagan Williams as grad transfer

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Just like last year, Rice football went west to snag a grad transfer full back. This time earning a commitment from Stanford product Reagan Williams.

Grad transfer fullback Reagan Williams will transfer to Rice. He’ll join center Brian Chaffin, another Stanford transfer and a former teammate of Williams, both of which have followed their former coach to Rice. The duo made the decision together this spring. Williams’ paperwork went through this week, finalizing his 2019 plans.

Williams’ decision to head to South Main is a year removed from another grad-transfer fullback who made a significant impact for the Owls both on and off the field.

Gio Gentosi came to Rice from UCLA last season and quickly became an important leader on a young Rice team. Even though fullback isn’t a position most consider glamorous, Gentosi still managed a career year, capped off with a touchdown run in his final collegiate game. Williams hopes to follow in those footsteps.

The No. 3 fullback in the nation in the 2015 recruiting class, Williams drew interest from teams like Michigan, Boston College and Purdue before choosing Stanford. Like Gentosi, he wasn’t a focal point of the offense, but paved the way for the likes of Christian McCaffrey and Bryce Love during his three seasons playing for the Cardinal.

On the field, Williams can step in immediately and fill the void left by Gentosi. But what he provides off the field might be equally as important. Williams bought into the culture Mike Bloomgren was selling at Stanford, following Rice’s current coach to Palo Alto four years ago. Now he’s taking another step on the journey, committing once again to be a voice championing Bloomgren’s cause.

Williams never registered a carry at Stanford. Given how Bloomgren and offensive coordinator Jerry Mack have utilized the position so far, that’s something likely to change. Williams will see more action at Rice, something that could benefit both parties tremendously.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFcLE26F5pQ

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Rice Baseball: Previewing the Middle Tennessee series

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Rice baseball returns to Reckling Park for a pre-Easter series against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. Here’s everything you need to know for the games.

Listen online // Watch Thursday (CUSA TV) // Watch Friday (CUSA TV) // Watch Saturday (CUSA TV)

The see-saw ride of the Rice baseball season marches on as Rice returns home. Middle Tennessee is a few spots above Rice in the conference standings, but still within reach if the Owls can win a few this weekend.

Middle Tennessee has won each of their last two CUSA series, posting big run totals against Western Kentucky and UAB. Here’s how the Blue Raiders will line up against Rice:

Projected Pitching Matchups

Thursday – 6:30 pm: Matt Canterino (4-4, 3.32) vs Carson Lester (1-3, 4.75)
Friday – 6:30 pm: Evan Kravetz (2-2, 4.78)  vs Peyton Wigginton (4-1, 4.45)
Saturday – 12:00 pm: Jackson Parthasarathy (3-6, 4.57) vs David Zoz (2-2, 3.53)

MTSU Pitching

Much like Rice, Middle Tennessee has a handful of trustworthy arms and a few less-reliable options who have shown flashes. The starting rotation is solid, led by Peyton Wigginton’s 62 strikeouts, a mark comparable to Rice ace Matt Canterino’s 66 Ks. He’s joined by Carson Lester and most likely David Zoz, the latter of the two has spent some time in the bullpen this season.

As for the bullpen, Scheldon Paulk has a team most 18 appearances. Batters are hitting .268 against him this season and struggling to make hard contact. Tyler Holcombe has been given a lot of innings, but has allowed at least one run in each of his last 11 appearances. Josh Young has been slightly more effective, throwing at least one inning without allowing a run in three of his last four relief appearances.

MTSU Hitting

The Blue Raider lineup isn’t one that hits for average, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t pack a punch. MTSU’s .257 batting average is second-to-worst in CUSA so it’s not too surprising they’ll bring just two regulars with averages above .300. Aaron Antonini and Darien Prewett barely eclipse that threshold. Each enters the weekend hitting .301.

Behind those two, Blake Benefield might be the most dangerous hitter. He leads the team with 18 extra base hits, including eight home runs. His issue has been strikeouts, 45 this season, compared to six walks. He’s one of four Blue Raiders with 35 or more whiffs this year. This is a team that makes their hay at the top half of the lineup.

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Football: Quarterback depth gives Owls options in 2019

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A year removed from starting a rotation of unproven passers, Rice football has a quarterback room with plenty of depth entering 2019.

Wiley Green was the scout team quarterback during fall camp last season. By the time the Owls played their final game, he was the starting quarterback. The reasons for Green’s ascent are two-fold. First, he’s really good at football. Second, the depth chart ahead of him became a MASH unit by season’s end.

Shawn Stankavage and Evan Marshman both suffered multi-week injuries. Jackson Tyner and Parker Towns had work to do in other areas. That propelled Green, a player whom the coaches still had complete trust in despite his standing on the depth chart, into the starting role.

He’ll be the frontrunner for the job entering 2019, but he’ll have company. Harvard transfer Tom Stewart has a live arm and didn’t come in to sit. Marshman will be back and healthy, as will Towns. And last year alone is proof that incoming freshman Jovoni Johnson could play his way to the top spot if the right circumstances arise.

More: Takeaways from Blue – Gray Spring Game

Ideally, Johnson gets at least one year in the system under his belt before playing meaningful snaps at Rice. Even still, the combination of Green, Stewart and Marshman gives Rice three starting caliber players who’ve played meaningful college football games. Entering last fall the Owls really only had one proven passer, Tyner, and he wasn’t able to win the job. It’s not too much of an overstatement to say Rice has more than doubled their depth at quarterback in one offseason.

Green, Marshman and Towns got their feet wet this spring. Now it’s time for each of them to hit the books and learn this offense inside and out. If they can master the mental aspect of the game the results will be felt in tangible ways this fall.

Having lots of quarterbacks doesn’t win you games. Head coach Mike Bloomgren found that out the hard way in 2018. But having multiple quarterbacks who have played “big-time college football”, as Bloomgren is known to say, could be the difference in multiple close finishes. The pecking order isn’t set, but the depth at the quarterback position is better than ever.

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