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Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 WR Drayden Dickmann commits to Owls

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More speed is coming to the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class. Wide receiver Drayden Dickmann has committed to the Owls.

The fireworks continue at South Main as Houstonians prepare for the Fourth of July weekend. The latest boom for the 2023 Rice football recruiting front comes in the form of an in-state wideout from Georgetown, TX: Drayden Dickmann has committed to the Owls.

Dickmann had several offers at the time of his commitment to Rice. North Texas had thrown their hat in the ring, as had Navy, Army, Air Force and several Ivy League institutions. For Dickmann, Rice was home. “I loved the feel of it,” he told The Roost. “The campus, the area, the staff, the facilities, the current players. Everything there felt like home for me.”

Beyond the aesthetics and the atmosphere, Dickmann was drawn to the pro-style system. For Dickman, having offensive coordinator Marques Tuiasosopo calling the shots was exciting. Coach Tui hasn’t been afraid to take shots over the top in his time as the Owls’ OC. Dickmann is a burner who can and will run past opposing defensive backs. This pairing should be an exciting one.

Dickmann is the second wideout in the fold so far, following Byron Nelson (TX) receiver Landon Ransom who committed to Rice two weeks before Dickmann arrived at his decision.

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The raw speed jumps out from Dickmann’s highlights as soon as you hit play. He plays at a velocity that just can’t be taught. And at 5-foot-10 and 169 pounds, he won’t be a pushover wherever he lines up relative to the line of scrimmage. Dickmann moves well and has game-changing ability, something the Owls will always welcome to South Main.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 P/K Reese Keeney commits to Owls

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The first specialist is on board in the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class. Punter/Kicker Reese Keeney has committed to the Owls.

Scholarships for specialists don’t grow on trees. That’s what makes the most recent commitment to the 2023 Rice football recruiting class most notable. A dual-skilled punter and kicker, Farragut (TN) product Reese Keeney has committed to the Owls.

Keeney was one of two specialists that picked up offers from the Owls this month. He quickly took Rice up on their bid, making his pledge official two weeks later.

Noted kicking specialist Chris Sailer had high praise for Keeney. In Sailer’s profile on Keeney, he calls him “an outstanding kicker” who “hits a clean ball and easily has 50+ yard range.” He also noted that Keeney “excels at directional punting” and can handle kickoffs as well.

The kicking game was an adventure for Rice football last fall, so the renewed emphasis on finding a longer-term solution at the position seems prudent. Rice brought in several options for the 2022 season, but isn’t leaving the future to chance, either.

Keeney is the 14th commitment in the 2023 Rice football recruiting class that has picked up significant steam this summer. He’s the first — and likely last — specialist.

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For those who don’t spend hours grinding punter and kicker tape, the highlights should suffice. Keeney puts his field goals between the pipes and boots his punts down the field.

During his junior season, Keeney averaged 39.5 yards per punt with a long of 62 yards. He placed 15 of his 40 punts inside the 20. He’s converted 74-of-76 extra-point tries (97.4 percent) in his high school career and made 6-of-12 field goals (50 percent), including a long of 43 yards this past season.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 DL Chris Clark commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class added its first defensive pledge in the trenches. Defensive lineman Chris Clark has committed to the Owls.

After stockpiling a small army along the offensive front, the focus of the 2023 Rice football recruiting class has pivoted back toward the other side of the football. With five offensive lineman already committed, Rice has landed their first pledge from a defensive lineman in this cycle. Furr High School product Chris Clark has committed to the Owls.

Clark was initially offered by Southeast Missouri on May 12, but picked up his Rice offer shortly afterward on May 17. He also had offers from Air Force and Alabama State by the end of June when he decided he was ready to pull the trigger and proclaim his allegiance to Rice.

The addition of Clark wraps up one of the most productive June recruiting months in recent Rice football recruiting history.

The 2023 Rice football recruiting class picked up six public commitments in throughout the month, even though MacArthur CB AJ Stephens, the first commitment of the month, didn’t announce his decision until June 9. The remaining five commitments transpired in the span of 15 days. The class now sits at 13 commitments.

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While Clark’s offer list isn’t too exciting, his film speaks for itself. For a man of his size (6-foot-6, 251 pounds, he flashes some burst. Clark profiles as an interior player at the collegiate level, but he told The Roost he’s comfortable lining up everyone along the line and particularly enjoys playing defensive end.

Watching him combine speed power and some nimble feet to find ways into the offensive backfield is exciting. Clark is versatile, a coveted trait among the Rice coaching staff and one that should serve him well at South Main in the future.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 TE James Falk commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class has picked up its first commitment from a tight end. Haverford (PA) product James Falk has committed to the Owls.

The summer air isn’t the only thing heating up in Houston right now. The 2023 Rice football recruiting class picked up its third commitment in the span of three days following a busy camp weekend at South Main. Tight end James Falk was in town for the camp and has since made his pledge public, announcing his commitment to the Owls on Wednesday.

Rice was the first FBS school to offer Falk, doing so roughly one month prior to his commitment in mid-May. He received a few FCS offers in the month that followed before picking up an offer from in-state Temple on June 13. But then he made the trek down south to visit Rice and couldn’t imagine himself anywhere else.

Falk told The Roost he “didn’t get that same feeling at some of the other schools” he visited, saying he could see himself “living and breathing it every day” at Rice. Falk was excited to get a sneak peek with working with tight ends coach Jim Jackson who led some position drills over the weekend.

The 2023 Rice football recruiting class has now reached 12 commitments, adding five in the month of June and seven since May 1. It’s been an extremely productive summer for the Owls, who don’t look to be easing up anytime soon.

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Falk shines on film, making plays from an in-line position, a rare find in today’s high school football landscape. His 6-foot-6, 226-pound frame gives him a size advantage across the middle of the field and he flashed some run blocking ability as well. That versatility is something Falk prides himself in. Between the blocking, the hands and the measurables, Falk has the characteristics the Owls want. He’ll have a real chance to develop into a difference-maker at the position at South Main.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Owls, offers and commitments after camp weekend

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Rice football recruiting had a productive camp weekend, observing future classes, issuing offers and grabbing some commitments along the way.

June is camp season. As the 2023 Rice football recruiting class continues to develop, the Owls’ staff is hard at work across the state, participating in various camps and even working one of their own right on their home turf. Rice hosted campers from across the country this past weekend, handing out a few offers and receiving a few commitments along the way. Here’s a quick rundown of the busy weekend at South Main.

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