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Rice Football Recruiting: WVU OL John Hughes commits to Owls

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Rice Football recruiting continues to hammer the trenches, picking up another offensive line commitment, this time from WVU transfer John Hughes.

For the third time in this cycle, Rice football recruiting has added an offensive lineman from the Transfer Portal. The Owls added JUCO players Weston Kropp in April and Isaiah Gonzalez in May. With the calendar only recently flipping to June, they’ve picked up a commitment from West Virginia transfer John Hughes.

Hughes played in 31 games, making at least seven starts over three seasons in Morgantown. In 2020, He played 365 offensive snaps without giving up a sack and was part of an offensive line unit that ranked No. 28 nationally in total offense and No. 4 in the Big 12 in the fewest sacks allowed. Now as a graduate, he’s headed to South Main.

Also offered by Florida State and Houston coming out of high school, Hughes has experience at both right guard and right tackle. Redshirt freshman Ethan Onianwa manned the right tackle spot throughout spring and the guard duties were shared by Braedon Nutter and Shea Baker.

At this point in his career, he’s played more college football than Nutter and Onianwa and he should get a shot to compete for a meaningful role in fall camp. When he arrives, he’ll join fellow ex-Mountaineer wide receiver Isaiah Esdale who announced his intention to transfer to Rice on National Signing Day.

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The Rice offensive line was run through in the early portions of spring practices before ending on what seemed to be a high note in the spring game. Three transfer additions, as well as five high school commitments, seem to suggest the staff might have had more concern up front than they let on. Still, they’ll have plenty of options to work with come the fall, and that’s definitely a good thing.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Transfer Portal churn, offers and staff changes

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It’s been a whirlwind week on the Rice football recruiting front with new additions tempered by a few departures along the way.

More than two dozen offers were handed out to prospective members of future Rice football recruiting classes in the past week and a half. Those offers resulted in four commitments: former Notre Dame safety Litchfield Ajavon, JUCO offensive lineman Isaiah Gonzalaz, former HBU wide receiver Tyson Thompson and 2023 corner Jamarion Clark.

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This update will touch on those new commits, the wave of new offers and other changes on the recruiting front, including one portal loss and a staff change that will impact the Owls going forward.

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Rice Football Recruiting: WR Tyson Thompson commits to Owls

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Rice Football recruiting has added another pass catcher from the transfer portal, picking up a commitment from former HBU wideout Tyson Thompson.

A busy week for Rice football recruiting has yet to slow down. After adding two transfers and one more commitment from the high school ranks in the past six days, has Rice reached just across town to add another potential impact player for the offense. Former Houston Baptist wide receiver Tyson Thompson has committed to the Owls.

Formerly a member of the 2020 recruiting class, Thompson’s breakthrough season came last fall, his first complete season with the FCS program after HBU played only a partial schedule in his first year with the team. As a redshirt freshman, Thompson led the team in receptions (57) and yards (562) while hauling in two touchdowns.

Following his decision to enter the portal in late April, Thompson chose Rice over Ball State, James Madison, Georgia Southern, Northwestern State and others. A Houston native, Thompson said it had “always been a dream to play for Rice football.” After spending two seasons across town, he’ll have three years of eligibility with which to fulfill those dreams.

Thompson joins what will be an almost completely revamped recruiting corps for the Owls, built primarily from the Transfer Portal. He’ll join Bradley Rozner (JUCO transfer), Luke McCaffrey (Nebraska transfer), Sam Crawford (Tulsa transfer), Isaiah Esdale (West Virginia transfer), and Tre Patterson (New Mexico transfer) on the field next fall.

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Adding players that can stretch the field has been an emphasis of this coaching staff since they arrived at South Main. Thompson showcases that breakaway speed on the first play of his highlight tape, taking a shallow crossing route 50-yards to the house. He’s also a talented return man and could contribute on special teams right away.

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Rice Football Recruiting: JUCO OL Isaiah Gonzalez commits to Owls

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The latest addition in a busy week for Rice Football recruiting, JUCO offensive lineman Isaiah Gonzalez has committed to the Owls.

On the pendulum from quiet days to action-packed weeks, Rice football recruiting swung into the latter during a recent hot streak that has featured three commitments in the span of fewer than 48 hours. The newest addition hails from the JUCO ranks. Offensive lineman Isaiah Gonzalez has committed to the Owls.

Gonzalez follows former Notre Dame safety Litchfield Ajavon and 2023 corner Jamarion Clark, both of who announced their commitments to the Owls this week as well.

Before announcing his pledge to Rice, Gonzalez spent last season at the City College of San Francisco. Prior to that, the California native played his high school ball at St. Francis. Now he’ll head east to Houston to play for Rice football. With only one collegiate season under his belt, Gonzalez should have three years of remaining eligibility.

Gonzalez says he “fell in love with the campus” during his official visit and the reception from the coaching staff played a notable role in his decision. He’ll join fellow JUCO offensive lineman Weston Kropp on campus this fall. That duo gives the Owls two more experienced transfers to support a starting five which really started to gel towards the end of spring practices.

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Gonzalez told The Roost that he prides himself on his run blocking. One quick look at his highlights makes it clear he has some reason to boast. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound bruiser is a bulldozer in the trenches. Whether lined up at guard or tackle, he packs plenty of power while still showcasing enough balance to position himself appropriately.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Notre Dame transfer Litchfield Ajavon commits to Owls

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The early days of summer brought reinforcements on the Rice Football recruiting front. Former Notre Dame safety Litchfield Ajavon has committed to the Owls.

The Transfer Portal continues to play a key role in Rice football recruiting, most recently affording the Owls an opportunity to add a former blue-chip recruit to their roster. After spending the last three seasons at Notre Dame, safety Litchfield Ajavon has committed to the Owls.

Ajavon was a highly sought-after 4-star recruit in the 2019 class. The No. 230-ranked player and No. 19 ranked safety in the country by 247 Sports, Ajavon received offers from the likes of Clemson, Georgia, Michigan and others before ultimately signing with the Irish.

Ajavon saw action in two games during his freshman season and four games as sophomore. He was credited with his first tackle last fall against Navy. It was at that point he opted to enter the portal where he would connect with the Owls and ultimately commit to Rice. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Since wrapping up the majority of their high school recruiting on National Signing Day, Rice has now added five transfers from the portal, most recently Jacksonville State running back Uriah West. Rutgers transfer linebacker Chris Conti was the only addition from the Power 5 level.

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Litchfield was a fan favorite at Notre Dame, connecting through social media via segments called “Litch In The Field” where he went around the football facility and asked his teammates’ various questions. His conversational style and ability to provide an “inside” look at the team made him unique. The Owls certainly hope he’ll bring that candor and success, both on and off the field, when he arrives at South Main.

 

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