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Mailbag: Projecting the most impactful football signees

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Rice football inked their first wave of 2019 recruits, filling needs at every position except quarterback. How do those players fit on campus?

Q: Which early signee has the best chance to contribute as a true freshman?

On defense, I’m going with Jake Bailey. This guy could be special. He’s a two-way athlete who started at one of the best high school programs in the country. Frankly, its surprising nobody in the Pac-12 took the trouble to do some digging in their own backyard and offer him a scholarship. The corner position is going to be wide open in 2019 giving Bailey a decent shot to earn a starting role at some point in the season. If he gets it, it’ll be hard seeing anyone taking it away.

Speed being such a big component of this class, I think folks are sleeping on the potential impact of wide receiver Zane Knipe. He’s a quieter guy who hasn’t made a lot of noise on Twitter. His play speaks for itself. He has the potential to be an Austin Trammell-type slot receiver with added turbo. Rice could have used that last year and they’re not going to miss opportunities to get him touches in 2019.

Q: When did the staff find out that Bycznski had flipped to Buffalo? Who are we going after at QB now?

Bycznski played his cards close to the vest the entire process. He called the staff on the first morning of the early signing period to tell them he wasn’t coming to Rice. Although 247 Sports listed him as having a Buffalo offer months earlier, it sounds like it wasn’t a committable offer up until the evening before players could sign. Buffalo lost a quarterback and Bycznski was next in line. The Bulls were always ahead of Rice in the pecking order, a fact Bycznski omitted to share with the Rice staff until the last possible moment.

As for next targets. There are a few names bouncing around and a couple of directions Rice could go. I’ll have more on that soon. There are a few official visit weekends in January where I’d imagine you see at least one if not a few quarterbacks make appearances.

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Merry Christmas from The Roost

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To the readers,

I’ve had the privilege of meeting many of you over the course of the past year and cannot express to you how grateful I am to each of you. Thank you for welcoming me into the Rice community and granting me your eyes and ears over these past few months.

The Roost has grown tremendously since our first post was published this summer. The site will hit 250 posts before the year is through ranging from practice reports, game recaps, recruiting updates and everything in between. We’ve topped 50,000 views and reached nearly 3,000 people — and this is just the beginning.

It’s been a lot of football; this is Texas, after all. I’ll be venturing into other sports, too, but building a strong foundation one sport at a time has been the gameplan out of the gate. Thanks for your patience and understanding on that front as well.

I appreciate every bit of encouragement and feedback I’ve received to this point. I hear you, and I’m working as hard as I can to turn The Roost into a platform that brings you the best coverage of Rice you can find anywhere in the world. It’s a bold goal, but early results continue to make it look more and more achievable.

As for my vantage point, you will always get my honest, unbiased opinion. I’m not here to sugarcoat tough situations, but I’m not going to throw in the towel when I see something worth believing in. I believe in Rice, in Rice football, basketball, baseball and beyond. That’s why I’m here.

I believe there’s a story to be told at South Main, and I’m here to tell it. Thanks for an incredible 2018 and here’s to an even better New Year. Merry Christmas and Go Owls.

Matthew

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Breaking down the 2019 offensive signees

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The 2019 Rice Football signed 17 players during the early signing period including seven on offense and one on special teams. Here’s a further breakdown of the offensive signees.

Offensive line (3) – Hunter Jones, Nick Leverett, Regan Riddle

As long as Mike Bloomgren is in charge at South Main, offensive lineman are going to be a priority. Winning in the trenches is important for this offense so bringing in a high level of talent up front will be a focus of each successive recruiting cycle.

Rice brought in three different offensive lineman, each with a unique set of skills. Nick Leverett, a grad transfer from NC State, will slide into one of the starting tackle positions immediately. He played for offensive coordinator Jerry Mack at NC Central and was described by Bloomgren as someone with “NFL potential.”

Jones and Riddle profile as interior pieces, both of which with plenty of athleticism and ability. Jones was a team MVP in high school and Riddle led a line for a potent Highland Park offense which just won their third straight state championship this year.

Running back (1) – Jawan King

The graduation of Austin Walter plus the transfer of Emmanuel Esukpa presents a much thinner depth chart at the running back position for the Owls in 2019. Juma Otoviano and Aston Walter, who is petitioning the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility, will be the primary backs, but adding talent to this group was still important.

Jawan King isn’t just more talent; he has the potential to be special. King isn’t afraid to initiate contact and run through tackles, and he’s also a tremendous pass catcher with quick acceleration. It’s months before he’ll step foot on the practice field for Rice, but he’s already one of the best ambassadors for the culture coach Bloomgren is working to instill: high-quality football players who are getting a high-quality education.

Tight end (1) – Jack Bradley

There was limited involvement from the tight end position in year one under Mike Bloomgren, but growth should be expected going forward. The Owls utilized this position more for blocking than pass catching, but new addition Jack Bradley can do both. He’s 6-foot-5, 230-pounds and isn’t afraid to get physical at the point of attack. Yet another weapon for a developing offense.

Wide receiver (2) – Bradley Rozner, Zane Knipe

This duo brings complementary skill sets to the table. Zane Knipe is a shifty slot receiver who can stretch the field and take the top off the defense. Adding speed to both sides of the ball was a focus of this class and Knipe will be one of the fastest players on this team in 2019.

Bradley Rozner is the other side of the coin. Rozner led JUCO in receiving touchdowns last year with 13, the same number of receiving scores totaled by the entire Rice offense in 2018. He’s big (6-foot-5, 190 pounds) and physical. Offensive coordinator Jerry Mack called him “explosive” and a key piece in building an even better receiving corps.

Quarterback (o)

The Owls lost their lone quarterback commitment on the first morning of the early signing period. Trevor Bycznski backed out at the 11th hour, leaving the staff with a blank at the position in December. They’re currently evaluating their options — expect Rice to target one more signal caller before National Signing Day in February.

Coach Mack was clear they weren’t going to start throwing out offers at random. “We’re going to take the right person. We want people that want to be here,” he said, before adding, “We want people that are talented enough to be elite players at this level.”

Specialists (1) – Zach Hoban

Rice faces a seemingly insurmountable challenge on special teams next year. They’ll have to find a way to replace to senior specialists with both Jack Fox and Hayden Tobola playing their last games for the Owls in 2018. Zach Hoban could ease the pain from the place kicking perspective.

Hogan has incredible range, recently kicking a 61-yard field goal in Dallas Cowboy Stadium following. The Owls struggled as a unit from deep range, adding someone with that much power is a big win for special teams coach Pete Lembo.

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Breaking down the 2019 defensive signees

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The 2019 Rice Football signed 17 players during the early signing period including nine on defense. Here’s a further breakdown of the defensive signees.

Cornerback (1) – Josh Landrum

Rice needed to find impact players at this position, fast. By the time November rolled around the Owls were starting Collin Whitaker, a convert running back, at corner. He had a strong season and played well, but the mere fact the team had to reach into the skill position players on the other side of the ball to fill an immediate need is concerning.

Given the lack of depth in front of him, Josh Landrum’s path to playing time could be easier than some of the other guys in this class. Standing at 6-foot, 165 pounds, he’ll be one of the tallest corners on the roster. He’s lanky, but the ability is there. Look for the Owls to add at least one more corner before this class is complete.

Safety (4) – Hunter Henry, Kirk Lockhart, Naeem Smith, Jake Bailey

This position might be the best haul of the 2019 class, especially given the premium role the safety position plays in this defense. Each of these four guys brings a little something different to the position and a few of them could see work at a few positions.

Naeem Smith has the athleticism to play corner in a pinch and Jake Bailey has enough talent to run with an opposing pass catcher at any spot in the secondary. Hunter Henry will deliver the boom at the line of scrimmage and Kirk Lockhart has a knack for making big plays.

The versatility is something defensive coordinator Brian Smith said was no accident. “One of the things we wanted to do is get some guys with position flexibility… we wanted to get guys who can play in space, tackle and make plays one on one in the open field. The more guys you can get like that in this defense the better you are.”

Linebacker (3) – Garrett Braden, Adrian Bickham, Josh Pearcy

Garrett Braden is a tackler. It might not be the flashiest superlative, but it’s something this program needs. Allowing opponents to escape in the open field crushed the Rice defense in 2018, making young players like Antonio Montero stars simply because they didn’t miss tackles.

The Rice defense doesn’t need many true linebackers with their tendency to trust other hybrid positions. Adrian Bickham is an edge rusher who could stand up or put his hands in the dirt. His motor is impressive and his ability to get the quarterback is something Rice desperately needs.

Josh Pearcy could play a variety of roles in the Rice defense in the near future. A pass rusher by trade, Pearcy is as athletic as they come. The departure of Graysen Schantz could open up more playing time for someone like him or Anthony Ekpe, and for the time being, he might be that explosive piece that the staff inserts on third down for a big play.

Defensive Tackle (1) – Izeya Floyd

The trio of Zach Abercrumbia, Roe Wilkins and Izeya Floyd up the middle are going to be special. A powerlifter who squats 700 pounds, Floyd was described as Bloomgren as “the strongest person we have in our program from the moment he steps on campus.”

Beyond pure strength, coach Smith said he’s nearly unblockable. Floyd excelled at the Owls’ camp this summer and continues to be an impressive addition. Having his 6-foot-2, 305-pound frame up the middle should terrifying opposing offenses.

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Rice Football 2019 Recruiting Class Tracker

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The 2019 Rice football recruiting class continues to take shape. Here’s where the class stands. This list is updated with each additional announcement.

 

Player Pos. Hometown Commit Date Signed?
Jake Bailey ATH Bellflower, CA 12/19/2018  Yes
Adrian Bickham DE Angie, LA 12/19/2018  Yes
Charlie Booker RB Harvard (Grad) 5/9/2019  Yes
Garrett Braden LB New Canaan, CT 6/20/2018  Yes
Jack Bradley TE Dallas, TX 6/11/2018  Yes
De’Braylon Carroll DT Duncanville, TX 1/22/2019  Yes
Brian Chaffin OL Stanford (Grad) 2/6/2019  Yes
Tre’shon Devones CB Duncanville, TX 5/23/2019  Yes
Izeya Floyd DT Frisco, TX 6/19/2018  Yes
Justin Gooseberry OL Ouachita Baptist (Grad) 2/8/2019  Yes
Hunter Henry S Austin, TX 11/18/2018  Yes
Zach Hoban K West Orange, NJ 6/27/2018  Yes
Jovoni Johnson QB Conway, AR 2/2/2018  Yes
Hunter Jones OL Stockton, CA 12/7/2018  Yes
Jawan King RB Atlanta, TX 8/1/2018  Yes
Zane Knipe WR Houston, TX 7/25/2018  Yes
Josh Landrum CB Cedar Hill, TX 12/3/2018  Yes
Nick Leverett* OL NC Central (Grad) 12/19/2018  Yes
Kirk Lockhart S Cedar Hill, TX 11/19/2018  Yes
Miles McCord CB Gold West (JUCO) 5/24/2019  Yes
Myron Morrison LB Atascocita, TX 1/15/2019  Yes
Joshua Pearcy DE Moorestown, NJ 12/18/2018  Yes
Regan Riddle OL Dallas, TX 6/16/2018  Yes
Bradley Rozner* WR Cisco (JUCO) 12/3/2018  Yes
Tom Stewart QB Harvard (Grad) 1/27/2019  Yes
Naeem Smith* S Ellsworth (JUCO) 12/19/2018  Yes
Reagan Williams FB Stanford (Grad) 4/18/2019  Yes

*Denotes an early enrollee

Walk ons

  • EJ Lahlouh, OL
  • Isaac Klarkowksi, DL
  • Charlie Mendes, P
  • Connor Hughes, OL
  • Bennett Mecom, TE
  • Jerry Johnson, OL
  • Ayden Noriega, RB
  • Nick Wagman, OL
  • Chike Anigbogu, S

This page contains updated information on the 2019 Rice Football recruiting class. Updates on future classes will be made on separate pages as information becomes available.

Additional information and analysis on each commitment is available via the links in the table above. These posts were written at the time of their commitment, meaning some details regarding the surrounding class could have changed, but highlights and scheme/fit analysis should remain pertinent.

All football recruiting updates are maintained on our recruiting page. More timely updates can be found by following The Roost on Twitter and Facebook.

Note: Recruiting services such as Rivals and 247 tend to be a bit behind when it comes to Group of 5 schools and recruits with lower star rankings. Consider this list the most up to date list of announced commitments from the boots on the ground.

Important dates to know

College football’s early signing period begins on Wednesday, Dec. 19 and runs through Friday, Dec. 21. Recruits who don’t sign in this three-day window must wait until National Signing Day on Feb. 6.

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