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Rice Football Recruiting: RB Taji Atkins commits to Owls

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The 2024 Rice Football recruiting class took off over the weekend with eight new additions. The first, running back Taji Atkins, has committed to the Owls.

The camp circuit came to South Main this past weekend and the 2024 Rice football recruiting class benefited from the influx of talent onto campus. Hundreds of campers came through and a host of them left with offers. Eight made their verbal pledges to the program. Running back Taji Atkins was the first to go public, leading the charge on this weekend’s recruiting boom.

Atkins had racked up a fairly lengthy offer list before the Westfield product made his pledge to the hometown team. He picked Rice over offers from Tulsa, North Texas, Texas State, Sam Houston, San Diego State, Navy, Utah State and others. Beating out multiple AAC peers and a few instate, FBS opponents is a positive mark for the Owls when it comes to Atkins’ recruitment.

On the field, the 5-foot-9, 180-pound Atkins can do so many different things with the ball in his hands. He’s the kind of playmaker you get on campus as quickly as you can with the knowledge that he’ll find himself a place in the offense to make a difference soon enough.

As it stands, Atkins is the fourth member of the 2024 Rice Football recruiting class which will balloon past 10 members once all of this weekend’s commitments are announced. He’s the first running back in the fold and only the second high school running back the Owls’ have received a commitment from in the past four classes dating back through the 2021 class.

Update: Atkins decommitted from Rice in October but relationships with the Rice football recruiting staff remained in place. He hadn’t soured on the Owls, rather he wanted to test the waters elsewhere. Fortunately for all parties, Atkins has come full circle and repledged to Rice in mid-January.

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Atkins is an offensive weapon, a human highlight reel. Every recruit has some splash plays they put on the front of their film, Atkins’ homerun plays seemed to play forever. He has speed but there are flashes of power and patience in his game too. And the vision he runs with helps amplify those traits as he moves. He’s a ton of fun to watch and will be an incredibly useful piece in the Owls’ offense.

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Rice Football Recruiting: WR Arden Napier commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class found another JUCO gem. Wide receiver Arden Lee Napier has committed to the Owls.

It’s been a JUCO summer for Rice football recruiting. With a trio of transfers already lined up from the junior college ranks, the Owls have added a fourth. Wide receiver Arden Lee Napier from Citrus College has committed to the Owls.

Originally from Houston, Napier played his high school ball at Episcopal in town before heading out west for school. After one season in the JUCO ranks he entered the Transfer Portal and ended up receiving interest from a half dozen schools, selecting Rice over McNeese State, among others.

In addition to being close to home, Napier told The Roost the roster and the staff helped him make his decision. “I felt like Rice was the best overall opportunity for me. It’s a great academic school, and great football program with coaches and players who all want the best for each other.”

Napier will have three years of eligibility remaining when he gets to campus giving the Owls some depth at a position with several veteran options already lined up. The long list of playmakers did not deter Napier, rather it was part of the Owls’ allure.

“Rice has a great quarterback room and great wide receiver room that are gonna connect for a lot of huge plays,” he said. “I’m ready to come compete to be a part of that this season.”

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There’s a lot to like on the film with Napier. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound receiver is a big target who moves fairly well considering his size. That’s a body type that has traditionally faired well in the Rice offense under head coach Mike Bloomgren and offensive coordinator Marques Tuiasosopo. Napier says he takes pride in his route running ability, something that does flash in his highlights below.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Post-spring additions

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There have been a few additions on the Rice Football Recruiting front since the Owls broke camp this spring. Here’s the latest.

The vast majority of the 2023 Rice football recruiting class was completed before the Owls started spring practices. Still, it was always understood the program would make a handful of additions in the months that followed. There were scholarships ready for the right transfers and the walk-on program tends to pick up a few late acquisitions this time of year, too.

Here’s a quick rundown of the players that have made their pledges since the Owls wrapped up spring practices in mid-April as well as a bit more on how they fit in with the program. Rice probably isn’t completely done just yet, but this should serve as a good litmus test before summer workouts begin soon.

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Transfers

OL Netane Fehoko, JUCO

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Rice Football Recruiting: OL Netane Fehoko commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class has a second pledge from the same JUCO. Offensive lineman Netane Fehoko has committed to the Owls.

Just days after landing a commitment from JUCO fullback Colin Giffen, the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class has doubled down at the very same institution. Giffen comes from the College of San Mateo, the 2022 JUCO National Champions. He’s going to be an Owl, now. So is his teammate, offensive lineman Netane Fehoko, who made his pledge soon after.

Fehoko chose Rice over a half dozen other offers since he entered the portal last fall. On the day he received an offer from Rice, he was also offered by Texas State, but the Owls had the edge. He’s yet another player that has picked Rice over a Sun Belt school in recent days.

“Honestly, it just felt like home,” Fehoko told The Roost.  “The culture at Rice is very similar to [the College of San Mateo] and the coaches preach the same things we do. That’s how I really knew I was at the right place.”

Rice was clearly in the market to find someone to help along the interior of the offensive line following spring practices and Fehoko fits the bill. Better still, he can play both center and guard spots, providing further flexibility for the Owls down the road.

In the short term, guard looks to be Fehoko’s quickest path to playing time, but it wouldn’t be surprising for him to get looks at both spots during fall camp.

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On the film, Fehoko’s suddenness stands out. He’s quick off the ball and moves well for a man of his size. And at 6-foot-2, 295-pounds he brings a strong frame with him to South Main. He has the requisite size and skillset to play anywhere along the interior of the offensive line. The Owls hope to add further develop those tools and turn him into a building block for the offense for years to come.

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Rice Football Recruiting: JUCO DB Max Ahoia commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class continues to add its finishing touches. Most recently, the Owls landed a pledge from JUCO defensive back Max Ahoia.

When it came to putting the finishing touches on the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class, getting veteran help in the defensive backfield was near the top of the to-do list. The Owls checked that box with the commitment of JUCO defensive back Max Ahoia, who has made his pledge to the Owls.

The 5-foot-11, 182-pound Ahoia had 10 pass breakups and one interception last season where he played traditionally on the outside at corner. He did showcase some versatility along the way, though, moving into the slot and inside on occasion.

Ahoia’s market began to heat up in earnest this summer. In the month of May alone he received offers from Georgia Southern and Arkansas State. As Rice prepares to make the move from Conference USA to the American, edging out a couple of Sun Belt programs on the recruiting trail is a nice plus.

The corner room looks a bit more seasoned with Ahoia in the mix. Jordan Dunbar and Sean Fresch are still in line to be the starters at this point, but that’s a position where Rice knows from experience that depth is worth the investment.

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On the film, Ahoia’s initial burst and aggressiveness stand out. He’s quick to commit to the play break on the ball and that eagerness extends to his willingness to tackle, too. He’s got the tools and has the potential to be an impact player for the Owls in the future.

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