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Rice Football: Owls lose defensive starter for the season

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Rice football will not be entering the 2021 season injury-free. Defensive lineman De’Braylon Carroll is expected to miss the season with a leg injury.

Starting defensive tackle De’Braylon Carroll is expected to miss the 2021 Rice football season after suffering a lower leg injury this summer, multiple sources have confirmed to The Roost. A second-team All-Conference USA preseason selection by Athlon Sports, Carroll was projected to be one of the most impactful interior defenders in the conference this season.

Carroll burst onto the scene as a true freshman. A year removed from leading an elite Duncanville High School defense, Carroll was named to the Pro Football Focus All-Fresmany team, playing in all 12 games as a rotation player behind Myles Adams.

He elevated his play further in 2020, starting all five games for the Owls last season and tying for second on the team with three tackles for a loss. Carroll was expected to reprise that role in 2021, slotting in alongside Elijah Garcia on the Rice defensive line. Instead, he’ll be preparing for the 2022 season.

A silver lining for Rice, amidst the bad news, is the relative depth they’ve developed at the position over the past year.

Ikenna Enechukwu has had a strong camp and brings the versatility to play several positions along the line. Caleb James, who practiced with the first team at moments last fall when Carroll was sidelined, is another name to watch. And keep an eye on true freshman Blake Boenisch. The 300+ pound athlete is can throw bodies around in the trenches with the best of them.

Rice football took the field for their first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday. We’ll have notes on what the line looks like during those sessions in practice reports later this week.

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Rice Football 2021 Fall Camp Report: Breaking down the initial depth chart

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The first depth chart of Rice football fall camp has been released. Here are a few immediate takeaways on what it means for the Owls.

This is our third camp update. You can read the others, as well as all our premium content, here.

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For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Practice reports are reserved for our subscribers. If you want updates on the quarterback battle, camp standouts, injuries and more, this is your go-to source. You can get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and special features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2022 WR Rawson MacNeill commits to Owls

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The 2022 Rice Football recruiting class is picking up steam heading into the fall, securing a commitment from wide receiver Rawson MacNeill.

For the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class, good things come in pairs. The Owls have reached seven commitments in their current class, but for the second time in the past few months, they’ve added a pair of players on the same week.

On Sunday, Rice grabbed a pledge from safety Reece Sylvester. Two days later they added a commitment on the offensive side of the ball from wide receiver Rawson MacNeill from Marietta, GA.

MacNeill is the second-highest rated commitment in the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class and the eighth-highest player the Owls have earned a commitment from during Mike Bloomgren’s tenure.

Rice had competition when it came to MacNeill’s services. At the time of his commitment, MacNeill picked Rice over offers from Iowa State, Charlotte, Tulane and several Ivy League schools.

Although he hails from several states away, MacNeill still felt the familial connection. His mom grew up in Texas and his uncle lives nearby. That familiarity plus the connection he made with the coaches and players, made the difference. In his words, getting to interact and build bonds with those within the program “truly made it feel like home”, giving him peace in his decision.

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MacNeill has the potential to be a difference-maker as soon as he gets to Rice. Standing 6-foot-5 and tipping the scales at 190 pounds, he profiles as an X receiver in the Rice offense. And even though he can win with size, he prides himself in being a player that is quick out of his breaks and can win with speed, too. Wherever he lines up, the football is going to find him.

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Rice Football Burning Questions: How high is the team’s ceiling in 2021?

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Now in Year 4, Mike Bloomgren and Rice football will face the highest expectations they’ve encountered to this point. How far can they realistically go?

Things were never expected to get better for Rice football overnight. The roster needed retooling. New schemes needed to be put in place and other adjustments were necessary in the name of program-building. With three years* (two, plus whatever the COVID-19 season counts as) to tinker, the expectations are starting to mount.

Which brings us to the third installment in our Burning Questions series this offseason. What are fair expectations for Rice football in 2021 and more importantly, can they reach them?

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2022 Safety Reece Sylvester commits to Owls

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The 2022 Rice Football recruiting class closed the summer on a high note, adding safety Reece Sylvester to the fold as the calendar marches toward the fall.

Fall camp is right around the corner, but that hasn’t slowed the Owls down on the recruiting front. The 2022 Rice Football recruiting class has now added its sixth member to the fold, earning a commitment from Baytown Sterling safety Reece Sylvester.

Sylvester is the second defensive back among the Owls’ current 2022 commits and the fourth defensive player so far. The other safety in the class, Southwest Christian safety Tyson Flowers, was the most recent pledge prior to Sylvester.

Rice was the first to offer Sylvester, who had no other public offers when Rice made their push in mid-July. That was true on August 1 when Sylvester decided to pull the trigger.

Sylvester played a little on both sides of the ball in high school, but although he proved himself a capable wide receiver, he’ll primarily slide in at safety for the Owls. The proven versatility and knowledge of the game should give him a leg up in Brian Smith’s defense.

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When it comes to his prowess as a safety, Sylvester is an intriguing prospect. He reads the ball well coming out of the quarterback’s hand and closes the distance between himself and the pass catcher at a furious rate. When he gets there, he’s not afraid to deliver a punishing blow. His pursuit seems to have an extra gear and his drive has the makings of a difference maker at the next level.

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