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Rice Football Recruiting: JUCO DE Jordan Campbell commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class keeps stockpiling pass rushers, this time earning a commitment from JUCO defensive end Jordan Campbell.

Hours after another transfer portal pass rusher made his announcement, the 2023 Rice football recruiting class doubled up on big men in the trenches. JUCO defensive end Jordan Campbell has committed to the Owls.

Campbell is the first JUCO addition the Owls have added in this recruiting cycle but they’ll hope he’s part of a what’s become a long-standing tradition of success in the JUCO ranks. The Owls plucked tight end Boden Groen and running back Dean Connors from the JUCO ranks last season. Before them, linebackers Desmyn Baker and Blazer Alldredge found success, too. As well as wideout Bradley Rozner.

One success becomes a nice story. Several become a trend. Could Campbell be next? He picked Rice over offers from Fordham and Delaware State, both of which came earlier in the year. Rice was evidently intrigued by what they saw and decided to scoop him up, adding to a growing arsenal of pass rushers already in the fold in the 2023 class.

Campbell announced his pledge shortly after fellow transfer Coleman Coco, from Colgate, announced his commitment. They join high school commits Chris Clark and Joseph Mutombo in the defensive trenches in this growing class.

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Whether it’s inside, outside or right through a block, Campbell can win in a variety of different ways. That’s got to be something that stood out to Rice evaluators when looking over his JUCO highlight. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound defensive end could fit in a few places on the ever-shifting Rice defensive line, but having the get-to-the-quarterback ability is a prerequisite for all of them.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Colgate DL Coleman Coco commits to Owls

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The Transfer Portal has delivered a potential difference-maker in the trenches. Colgate defensive lineman Coleman Coco is the latest commitment to the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class.

The past several months have been focused on building a strong base of high school talent. Now with the Transfer Portal officially opened to collegiate players, the 2023 Rice Football Recruiting class has added its first veteran player. Colgate defensive lineman Coleman Coco has committed to the Owls.

“I was open to deciding wherever felt like home,” Coco told The Roost. “From the start of Rice recruiting me I knew deep down that they were the best fit.”

Coco burst onto the scene in 2018 as a sophomore. He started seven games that year and led all Patriot League defensive linemen with 46 tackles. After playing a two-game schedule because of COVID-19 in 2020/2021, Coco reemerged with 40 tackles in 11 games in 2022. He brings 12 career sacks with him to South Main.

This is the second time Rice has landed a transfer from Colgate in recent years, signing offensive lineman Jovaun Woolford in 2020.

Coco was the third defensive lineman in the class at the time of his commitment, which began with a run of offensive linemen last fall. Chris Clark was the first member of the 2023 Rice football recruiting class in the trenches. He committed to the Owls this past summer. One month later, he was joined by defensive end Joseph Mutombo.

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Coco’s natural position is on the edge, but he’s fairly versatile for a man of his size (6-foot-3, 240 pounds). Perhaps his most exciting trait, though, is his drive. From the first snap on his highlights it’s evident he plays through the whistle and finishes with power.

Part of what drew Coco to this defense was its depth and his ability to be a potential game-changing piece on the outside. “I feel like the defense is one that I can make a ton of plays in and also give my teammates a lot of opportunities,” he said. “I will excel at dominating the line of scrimmage and making big time game changing plays.”

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Rice Football Recruiting: ATH Ashton Ojiaku commits to Owls

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One of the final high school additions to the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class is in the fold. Athlete Ashton Ojiaku has committed to the Owls.

The bulk of the high school recruiting for the 2023 Rice football recruiting class has been wrapped up for some time. With the exception of a few players the Owls flipped from other schools during the course of the season, the Owls had most of the prep commits accounted for before the calendar reached December before ultimately deciding they needed at least one more. Athlete Ashton Ojiaku has committed to the Owls.

Ojiaku had his pick of destinations before settling on the Owls. He helped offers from Vanderbilt, Houston, Army, Air Force and others before deciding Rice was the place for him. Head-to-head recruiting wins over any program are big for Rice, but getting the leg up on an SEC school is a decidedly important milestone.

If he does make the transition to defense, he’ll likely join fellow commit Ty Morris on the back end at safety. That tandem, along with corners AJ Stephens and Jamarion Clark gives Rice a rather robust group of defensive backs already on board.

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Listed as an athlete in some places, a running back in others, and a safety, elsewhere, Ojiaku’s athleticism leaps out as soon as you turn on the film. Rice has made a habit of finding playmakers like this in recent years, getting them to campus and finding the right role afterward.

From Luke McCaffrey, who transitioned from quarterback to running back, to Izeya Floyd who has played on both sides of the ball to multipurpose offensive weapons like Cameron Montgomery and Quentin Jackson, the Owls aren’t afraid to move people around. They’ll find the right spot for Ojiaku, who is quite simply, a really good football player.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 WR Justin Williams commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class just picked up a playmaker. MacArthur wide receiver Justin Williams has committed to the Owls.

On May 6, Justin Williams committed to Louisiana. Rice football beat Louisiana on the field and the Owls’ edge didn’t stop there. The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class picked up an additional win over the Ragin’ Cajuns, snagging a commitment from their ranks. After fostering that relationship through the summer, the Owls won out. Williams has flipped his commitment to the Owls.

The Owls have now picked up multiple players in this class who were previously committed to other programs. A few weeks ago the program added a pledge from running back Daelen Alexander, formerly an Air Force commit.

As for Williams, there was plenty of interest in his services. In addition to Louisiana, Williams also held offers from Pittsburgh, UTSA and Air Force. A three-star recruit with Power 5 interest, Williams checks in near the top of the Owls’ current commits in the 247 Sports Rankings.

Williams is the third wide receiver commit in the 2023 Rice football recruiting class and at 6-foot-3, 180-pounds, he brings with him a completely different athletic profile than Drayden Dickmann and Landon Ransom, both of which committed to the Owls earlier this summer.

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Williams is a go-up-and-get-it type of receiver. His highlights showcase a player that can win contested catches at all levels of the field while still showcasing a great deal of athleticism. He’ll be an exciting fit on the outside in the Rice offense and could grow into an important redzone threat as he develops.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 RB Daelen Alexander commits to Owls

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The first running back of 2023 Rice Football recruiting class has jumped on board. Pflugerville rusher Daelen Alexander has committed to the Owls.

On June 22, Daelen Alexander committed to Air Force, but that’s not where this story stops. Rice football swooped in a few weeks later and offered Alexander, despite his prior commitment. Now, officially, the Owls have won out. Alexander has flipped his commitment to the Owls and is the newest member of the 2023 Rice football recruiting class.

Alexander marks the first player Rice has flipped from another FBS program under head coach Mike Bloomgren’s tenure. Rice has historically been early to offer several of their eventual signees. Adding Williams to the fold is a particularly noteworthy advancement for the program on the recruiting front. He held offers from Air Force, Army and Navy at the time of his commitment.

Alexander is the first running back in the 2023 Rice football recruiting class and the first true high school running back commit the Owls have had since the 2020 class. Dean Connors was the only scholarship back the Owls added this past cycle and he came from the JUCO ranks.

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Alexander’s speed jumps off the screen in his film. When he hits the hole and accelerates it’s hard to catch him in open space. He can break free with a wiggle and then it’s off to the races. He has good vision and anticipation, setting himself up to make the next man miss while he’s already en route. At 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, he packs a punch on his way down the field, too.

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