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Rice Football Recruiting: LB Chris Conti commits to Owls

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The 2022 Rice football recruiting class has added one more from the Transfer Portal, securing a commitment from former Rutgers linebacker Chris Conti.

While the team was getting work on the field, the Rice football recruiting staff was continuing to seek out every opportunity they could find to improve the roster before the real games arrived this fall. The Owls have hit the Transfer Portal once again, securing a commitment from former Rutgers linebacker Chris Conti.

As has become a somewhat common occurrence with the loosened transfer restrictions and the added year of eligibility because of the COVID season, Conti has plenty of eligibility remaining. The third-year player will have three years of eligibility when he arrived at South Main for workouts this summer after redshirting as a true freshman in 2019.

A later entrant to the portal, Conti missed the first wave of post-regular season entrants in December because of Rutgers’ haphazard offseason. The Scarlett Knights were the “backup team” that filled in a vacated spot in the Gator Bowl after Texas A&M announced it would be unable to play. Bowl prep delayed Conti’s departure, but by that time, he’d already made his decision to move on.

Conti picked Rice over offers from UConn, UMass, Rhode Island and several Patriot League schools. In his own words, Rice was “kind of an opportunity that you really can’t turn down.”

He joins a room that will feature a wide array of players of various levels of experience. Conti, along with incoming transfer Cam Dillion from Columbia will help solidify a group that already returns two part-time starters from last year’s roster, Aidan Siano and Myron Morrison.

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Conti hasn’t compiled much on the film side since his senior year of high school when he posted 111 tackles in the season. He appeared in 12 games at Rutgers over the span of three seasons, seeing the bulk of his time with the special teams unit. Still, his experience in the game is something he believes will give him an advantage in this next step.

Conti told The Roost he’s already familiar with some of the sort of plays the Rie defense runs, noting a few overlapping concepts between the defenses. “Once I get in there I think I’ll learn it pretty fast,” he said. Conti is expected to join the team when summer workouts begin in June.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 OL Peyton Farmer commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class keeps adding in the trenches. Offensive lineman Peyton Farmer has committed to the Owls.

The good times keep rolling for the 2023 Rice football recruiting class. The Owls have been reeling in commit after commit after a productive set of visits this spring and they aren’t slowing down anytime soon. Rice has now landed its second commitment of the day. Ridge Point offensive lineman Peyton Farmer has committed to the Owls.

Continuing a theme that has become fairly commonplace around South Main in recent years, Rice was the first to offer Farmer and led wire-to-wire from that point onward in his recruitment. His only other offer would come in mid-April from San Diego State. At that point, the Owls’ had already built a strong relationship and gotten him on campus for Junior Day.

Farmer made the move from defense this past season. Despite his newness to the position, he impressed, allowing one sack throughout the length of the entire season. Unsurprisingly, Farmer says pass protection is one aspect of his game of which he’s most proud.

The Ridge Point product marks the third offensive line commitment announced in the 2023 Rice Football Recruiting class this week. This trio — Farmer, Luke Needham and Nate Bledsoe — will form the nucleus of blockers around quarterback Chase Jenkins, the only non-lineman in the class so far.

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Farmer stands out as the big guy among the big guys on his high school film. Primary spending time at right tackle his junior season, he showcased an ability to create good position with his feet and drive defensive lineman back with his strength. He seems to be a relatively balanced player, showcasing an ability to pick up pass rushers and open up running lanes downfield as well.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 OL Luke Needham commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class continues to pick up steam, adding another impact player up front in the form of offensive lineman Luke Needham.

The great week for Rice football recruiting has only continued to pick up steam. Fresh off several official visits and a spring game that saw dozens of recruits flock to South Main, Rice has added another new player to the fold. Germantown, TN offensive lineman Luke Needham has committed to the Owls.

Needham makes the second commitment announced this week and recent conversations indicate the Owls might have more waiting in the wings. For now, Needham joins fellow offensive lineman Nate Bledsoe and quarterback Chase Jenkins as the first three members of the 2023 Rice Football Recruiting class.

Needham seemed to first get noticed on the recruiting front last fall, pickup up his first offer from Western Michigan in November. Austin Peay, UT Martin and Murray State would follow in the early portions of the spring before Rice swooped in this April.

Needham attended the spring game and was offered that weekend. Shortly after leaving campus, Needham described Rice as being “part of [his] top choices.”  Not long after, he pulled the trigger and officially committed to the Owls. Among the reasons for his choice, Needham said he had a great time meeting with the coaches and staff and was very interested in the “incredible” education.

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Needham is a fun prospect to watch. He can line up on either side of the line, meeting an oncoming lineman in the trenches and turn his around on the spot. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound blocker can move bodies in the trenches and doesn’t allow much to get past him without delivering an emphatic blow first. His highlights feature play after play of him putting his opposing defender in the dirt.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Owls catching fire on the recruiting tracks

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The future is bright at South Main, thanks in large part to good news already on the way on the Rice football recruiting front.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 OL Nate Bledsoe commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class added a big newcomer up front, securing a commitment from offensive lineman Nate Bledsoe.

What good is a quarterback without protection? A few weeks ago the 2023 Rice football recruiting class secured its signal-caller, picking up a commitment from Alief passer Chase Jenkins. Now they’ve got the first big body up front to keep their quarterback safe. Offensive lineman Nate Bledsoe has committed to the Owls.

Bledsoe chose Rice over more than a dozen other offers, ranging from AAC programs (Memphis, Tulane), Sun Belt schools (Appalachian State, Arkansas State) as well several Ivies and military academies.

For Bledsoe, the decision was pretty straightforward. “When you know, you know,” he said, adding that “exactly how he felt with Rice.” He praised the people and the coaching staff, noting the environment on campus was “second to none.”

Rice took two scholarship offensive lineman in their 2022 class, making Bledsoe the first of what is likely to be several more men in the trenches. The Owls hope he’ll be the next in a wave of several up-and-coming men in the trenches which currently includes players like Braedon Nutter and Ethan Onianwa, two underclassmen expected to start for the team this fall.

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Bledsoe is fairly quick on his feet for a man his size, something that jumps out quickly when you look through his highlights. His attitude backs it up. “I love to pull across the line and obliterate whatever is in front of me,” Bledsoe said, further reinforcing his commitment to play with, as he calls it, “ruthless tenacity.”

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