The source for Rice sports news

Rice Football Recruiting: OL Ian Bothwell commits to Owls

By

Another trench bully has joined the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class. Offensive lineman Ian Bothwell has committed to the Owls.

National Signing Day is drawing near and the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class continues to stockpile talent. Given time to evaluate and hand-pick his targets, head coach Scott Abell and his staff keep adding to the relatively large class he inherited. One of those chosen additions came along the line. Offensive lineman Ian Bothwell has committed to the Owls.

Bothwell started to pick up some steam on the recruiting trail a year ago, landing early offers from Army, Navy and Air Force. Other FBS offers would follow from the likes of Kent State, UTEP, New Mexico and others before Rice stepped in and Bothwell shut things down in favor of the Owls.

“His proven track record to win was definitely something that was attractive,” Bothwell told The Roost, speaking of Abell. “He also seemed to have a very smart staff that seemed structured and experienced on how to run their offense.”

The addition of Bothwell rounds out a rather robust haul in the trenches. He joins fellow high school signings Erben Birkhoff, Colter Alberding and Cole Principe as well as commit Justin Michaelis and a pair of graduate transfers at the position. That’s a lot of big bodies for Abell and company to work with as they implement their new scheme.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Standing 6-foot-5 and tipping the scales at 300 pounds, the film reflects just what one would expect from a man his size. Bothwell moves people with violence and has the requisite strength and power to win one one-on-one.

Become a Patron!
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Dominque Ennis’ big day powers Rice Women’s Basketball past Charlotte

By

Everything seemed to be falling for Dominque Ennis and Rice Women’s Basketball on Saturday, who blew past Charlotte on the road.

Separation was minimal in the opening quarter when Rice women’s basketball tipped off against Charlotte on the road. Neither side led by more than three points for longer than 20 seconds of the first frame but Rice would start to ramp up the pressure in the second quarter.

Malia Fisher opened the scoring with a jumper and Maya Bokunewicz delivered a three, the exclamation points minutes just later to cap a 12-2 run that put Rice women’s basketball in the driver’s seat. The margin would stick around double-digits for the remainder of the quarter with Rice taking a 10-point advantage into the break.

More: Rice Women’s Basketball 2024-2025 Midseason State of the Program

Charlotte would threaten briefly with a 6-0 spurt early in the third quarter, but Rice took over the game from that point onward. A combination of Sussy Ngulefac on the insider and a barrage of three-pointers from Victoria Flores and Dominique Ennis turned a close game into a blowout.

Rice led by 17 after three quarters and stretched their lead to as many as 26 points midway through the fourth. They never let up, parading past the 49ers and never allowing any serious hopes of a comeback to spark.

Final Box | Rice 84, Charlotte 60

Key takeaway | Electric Ennis

A season best 24 points from Dominque Ennis is the biggest reason this game was never close in the second half, but the big day from one of the Owls’ best shooters further underscores how essential her presence is for this team. Including Saturday, Rice women’s basketball is 3-0 when Ennis makes at least four threes and 3-1 when Ennis attempts at least eight shots from downtown.

When Ennis is clicking the entire offense opens up. Her threat from the outside opens up everything else the Owls want to do. It’s not fair to put the burden entirely on her shoulders, but it should be a reminder to this team to risk getting her enough chances to impact the game. Even when the ball isn’t going in like it was today, the threat she provides makes this team better.

Up Next: vs Tulsa (Wed, 1/29)

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

Recent Posts

Rice Football 2024 Iron Man: Josh Pearcy

By

A fixture of the Rice football defense for half a decade, Josh Pearcy defined what it meant to be the 2025 Rice Football Iron Man.

Hearing terms like “sixth-year senior” is more common than ever. Often players that reach that point of their collegiate careers have been in school for that long, but need to ramp up their production over the years. Those with such expensive bios rarely have the production that mirrors the long road trodden. Rice football defensive stalwart Josh Pearcy is that exception.

Pearcy took the field for the last time against South Florida on Senior Day, which was technically his third Senior Day since signing with the Owls in December 2018. When he checked into the game shortly thereafter he set the all-time program record for games played, 57. He shares that designation with teammate Chike Anigbogu, a longtime special teams leader and defensive contributor.

More: 2024 Rice Football Season Superlatives

The distinction that makes Pearcy’s run so impressive is how impactful he was along the way. He wasn’t accruing empty appearances, he was impacting the game every time he took the field, particularly in his four complete seasons on South Main.

Pearcy leaves Rice in the Top 10 all-time in tackles for a loss (8th) and sacks (5th), especially impressive totals when considering he played special teams during his four-game redshirt in 2019 and played in just five games in the Owls’ shortened 2020 season. Pearcy wasn’t just an average player who played in a lot of games and racked up stats. He reached those totals in essentially four years.

That would have been enough in itself, to leave Rice football with a couple marks in the record books and good memories along the way. Part of what made Pearcy special, though, was his commitment to becoming a better player.

Want More Rice sports news? Subscribe on Patreon

“I just wanted to be able to do as much as I can for this team and be coached and learned more about the entire defense,” Pearcy said this spring, explaining his next developmental goal for himself.

Initially an edge player tasked with putting his hand in the dirt and rushing the passer, Pearcy slowly worked further and further off the ball as his career progressed. By the time the 2024 season arrived, Pearcy was playing much more a hybrid outside linebacker role while still finishing tied for second on the team in sacks.

Pearcy has NFL aspirations, something that led to him expressing an interest in showcasing his versatility as a defender. “He’s been more productive,” defensive coordinator Brian Smith said of the move. “We’ve kind of moved him around and played more linebacker off the ball.”

Having a chess piece like Pearcy is a defensive coordinator’s dream. As the secondary waded through injuries and players rotated in and out, Pearcy could be positioned in so many different places on any given play giving Smith options as he worked to get the best defense on the field that he could.

The Rice football defense finished the regular season fourth in scoring and third in yardage allowed against conference opponents. The Owls don’t get there without Iron Man Josh Pearcy, a mainstay on South Main that made everyone better around him.

** Photo Credit: Maria Lysaker **
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football Recruiting: OL Sean Sullivan commits to Owls

By

The Ivy League pipeline is paying dividends for the 2025 Rice Football Recruiting picks. Yale transfer offensive lineman Sean Sullivan has committed to the Owls.

Over the years Rice Football recruiting has reaped the benefits of Ivy League rules which restrict graduate students from participating in sports. That’s left many high academic football players searching for the right fit for their final season of college football. This time, it’s a Yale product making his way to South Main. Former Yale Bulldog offensive lineman Sean Sullivan has committed to the Owls.

Sullivan credited the vision of head coach Scott Abell with his decision to head to Houston. “Coach Abell is awesome and has been in this situation before, as a first year head coach,” Sullivan told The Roost. “I think he’s got a really good vision of how to succeed in this conference.”

Sullivan is a veteran in the trenches who has played up and down the line, everywhere but center. That versatility will come in handy as head coach Scott Abell and his staff look to piece together the strongest front five they can this coming season. For the time being, Sullivan says he expects to play tackle.

The fifth transfer in this cycle so far, Sullivan joins UTSA kicker Chase Allen, JUCO defensive backs Jerrick Harper and Jo Chavez and former Cincinnati wide receiver Aaron Turner.

With so many moving parts along the offensive line and the departures of many veteran players, landing someone with the experience of Sullivan was crucial for this class. Sullivan appears ready to step into those big shoes. “I’m excited for the opportunity and ready to get to work,” he told The Roost.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Being able to move people and (quickly) move yourself is crucial for offensive linemen Abell’s offensive scheme and Sullivan certainly flashes those traits on film.

Become a Patron!
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Basketball: 2024-2025 Midseason State of the Program

By

It’s been an encouraging start for Rice Basketball in their first season under head coach Rob Lanier. Here’s where the Owls stand as American Conference play begins.

Already 2-0 in league play, Rice basketball is riding high in their first season under the leadership of head coach Rob Lanier. The Owls have played largely competitive basketball games and gotten off to a strong start under their new head man.

For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Special features like this are reserved for our subscribers. Have questions? You can get those answered in our monthly Q&As and get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

Can they keep it up? That’s the crucial question facing this squad as they pass the midpoint of the season. Here’s where the Owls stand at the halfway point, a few important milestones and notes from the journey to this point and a recalibration of expectations for the rest of the way.

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts