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The Roost Podcast | Ep. 22 – Rice Football Early Signing Period

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The 2020 Rice Football recruiting class has its first signees. Carter and Matthew break down the new additions and analyze how they fit with the current roster.

The Early Signing Period has become the defacto National Signing Day. This year, the 2020 Rice Football Recruiting class inked 17 of its 19 members, holding onto only a handful of remaining slots for February additions. Each of these players was brought to South Main with a purpose. Follow along to hear how the Owls plan to utilize their new additions.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, Give a listen to Episode 22 below.

Episode 22 Notes

  • The Roost Postseason Survey — We didn’t mention it directly on the podcast, but please take a moment to fill out this brief survey. Feedback makes us better. Whether you have comments on the site, the podcast or anything else, we want to hear it. Thanks!
  • Biggest areas of need — Quarterback and offensive line stood out as two positions Rice needed to answer in this recruiting cycle. One of the biggest takeaways from the initial signees was the Owls’ response to that need. More on the decision to take two quarterbacks and the outlook for the offensive line after losing three graduate starters.
  • Position by position outlook —  Beyond the generic information (height, hometown, position, etc), each addition has a specific role they’ll be asked to play for Rice football in the near future. Which players will see the field soonest and which players will benefit the most from an offseason workout program with head strength and conditioning coach Hans Straub?

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Rice Football Recruiting: Breaking down the 2020 signees – Defense

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National Signing Day is in the books and the 2020 Rice Football Recruiting is jam-packed with defensive talent. Here’s an update on that side of the ball.

Defensive Line (2) – Cole Latos, Jalen Reeves

Getting to the quarterback has been a challenge for Rice in each of the past two seasons. Their 32 sacks are the fewest by any C-USA team over the past two years and 22 sacks fewer than the conference average over that span. The leader over the time, UAB, registered 3.4 sacks per game whereas Rice managed 1.3 per contest.

With Anthony Ekpe in the Transfer Portal and senior defensive tackle Myles Adams departing, Rice needs to find players who can become difference makers quickly at this position. Early returns look extremely favorable for the Owls, who landed two potential game-changing players here in the early signing period.

When they offered Cole Latos, there was uncertainty as to which side of the ball he would play on in college. His physicality and stature quickly endeared him to the Rice coaching staff. Bloomgren spoke of him as a player with legitimate “NFL measurables”. Latos settled in this season, pairing the body type with the production on the field. He’s emerged as someone the Owls have full confidence in plugging at defensive end.

More: The Roost Podcast – 2019 Rice Football end of season awards

The home run swing could come in the form of fellow edge rusher Jalen Reeves. His offer list was impressive — LSU, Syracuse, NC State, Pitt and Boston College, among others — but it only took him one day on campus to decide this was the place for him. Reeves is a true havoc wreaker with a proven track record of harassing quarterbacks. If any of the current commits in the front seven becomes an early star, it’s safe to bet on Reeves to break through quickly.

Reeves’ recruitment had a very “De’Braylon Carroll” feel to it. The entire time both players were being courted by the Owls, the questions being asked behind the scenes were “This guy is too good and he’s dominating everyone he plays. Why hasn’t anyone picked him up already?” Carroll ended up on the Pro Football Focus All-Freshman team playing behind Myles Adams this season. It kind of feels like that might be Reeves’ floor, especially considered the size of the potential opportunity.

Linebacker (2) – Geron Hargon, Jaren Banks

Rice has relied on a two-linebacker set for most of their defensive snaps. As long as Blaze Alldredge and Antonio Montero are on campus, the need for additional reinforcements at that decision won’t be too high, especially with guys like Garrett Grammer ready in the reserves.

The staff had some liberty to be particularly choosy with their linebacker offers, ultimately zeroing in Geron Hargon, who picked Rice over UAB, and JUCO product Jaren Banks

Hargon is a prototypical mike linebacker, capable of traversing the whole field from side to side and moving quickly to the ballcarrier in space. His senior season ended abruptly with an ACL injury, but not before Hargon could put an exclamation point on his high school career. Hargon returned to the game after the injury, scooping up a fumble and rumbling down the field for a defensive touchdown.

Banks spent two seasons in the JUCO ranks, improving from Year 1 to Year 2. The staff hopes to see the same progression as he plays out his remaining two seasons of eligibility at South Main. Coach Bloomgren profiled him in accordance with Antonio Montero, a “ballhawk” with “the ability to run and hit”. The ball finds him.

Safety (2) – Plae Wyatt, Gabe Taylor

Safety is another spot where the team has plenty of depth. The playmaking ability of Naeem Smith and the reliability of George Nyakwol combine for arguably one of the better safety duos in Conference USA. And that’s prior to considering Treshawn Chamberlain’s breakout season at the Viper spot. Rice was more than happy to ride their commitment of Plae Wyatt to his signing on Wednesday.

Wyatt was the first commitment of the 2020 class and stuck to his word for 10 months when he made it official by signing his letter of intent. A four-year varsity starter, Wyatt is a hard hitter, comfortable making plays on ball carriers in space. His coverage game continues to progress, making him one of the better all-around players in an impressive 2020 Rice Football recruiting class. There’s as much depth to his game as any of the Owls’ defensive signees.

Getting to study under players like Smith and Chamberlain will only elevate his already strong game. Like both of those two, he has a similar ballhawking-style to his game.

More: Breaking down the Rice Football recruiting 2020 offense and special teams signees (UPDATED)

Gabe Taylor was the signature addition of National Signing Day. His addition helped make the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class the highest rated in school history. Taylor somehow managed to fly under the radar after only playing one year of high school football. That’s likely the only reason Rice was able to land him. Now he’s the highest-rated signee in Rice football program history.

Taylor posted a gaudy 10 interceptions as a senior, returning half of them for touchdowns. That’s an absurd stat line at any level of football. The younger brother of the late Sean Taylor, Gabe is rooted in football and ready to make a name for himself.

Corner (3) – Sean Fresch, Jordan Dunbar, Lamont Narcisse

Jordan Dunbar was the first corner in the 2020 class, making his pledge to the Owls early in the summer. Listed at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Dunbar is a great cover man who will instantly bolster the corner room. He has the size and skills to play on the edge at this level.

The second cornerback signee, Sean Fresch, was on campus for the Owls’ junior day this summer. The staff didn’t let him leave without an offer, and for good reason. They saw him run a 4.39 and already knew how good he was on the field. As it stands, he’s also the third highest-rated commitment of the Mike Bloomgren era.

Recall back to when Tre’shon Devones turned heads when he won a starting corner job midway through the 2019 season. 2020 signee Sean Fresch could be right behind him. A high school quarterback, Fresch is one of the most dynamic players in the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class. It doesn’t take more than a glance at his film to see how versatile and game-breaking he can be for the Owls. He’s quick with plenty of extension, a state qualifier in the long jump during this past track season.

Landing those two was a good start, but Rice fortified the position with Lamont Narcisse who picked Rice over Washington State. Narcisse has elite speed. He’s someone Bloomgren described as “a true cover corner”, one that Rice could trust to win one-on-one battles as soon as this upcoming fall.

Last update: Feb. 5, 2020
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Rice Football Recruiting: Breaking down the 2020 signees – Offense and Special Teams

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The 2020 Rice Football Recruiting class features a ton of talent on the offensive side of the ball and a potential multi-year starter on special teams.

Quarterback (2) – Mike Collins (TCU), TJ McMahon (JUCO)

During Mike Bloomgren’s first season at Rice, Shawn Stankavage, Jackson Tyner, Evan Marshman, Parker Towns and Wiley Green took snaps at quarterback. 2019 was marginally better — Green, Tom Stewart and JoVoni Johnson were the primary options. The continuous theme in those jumbled lists is the inconsistency. Rice hasn’t had one singular guy they can count on at the most important position on the field.

Mike Collins is arguably the most high-profile addition this staff has brought in at the position. He won three state titles in four years in Connecticut and set the state record for touchdown passes. Then he bounced around from Penn to TCU. He’s a talented passer with FBS starting experience, something the Owls haven’t had in the past three classes. Most importantly, he’ll be here for the spring, giving him ample runway to learn the offense, a luxury neither Stankavage or Stewart were afforded.

Also an early enrollee, McMahon is less heralded, but an intriguing prospect nonetheless. He’s got a lot of raw talent and a clutch gene that’s been largely missing from the Rice quarterback room recently. Watch the first play of his junior highlights. Anyone can look good on one highlight-reel play, but the poise and playmaking ability McMahon shows are on another level.

Whether it’s one of those two, Green or Johnson who wins the job, Rice should have competent quarterback play next season. Bloomgren says he can rest happily, knowing that “for the first time since we’ve been here, whoever is going to be the starting quarterback is on campus in the spring.” If the defense maintains there stellar performance, that might be enough to flip some of those close losses to wins.

Running Back (2) – Kobie Campbell, Khalan Griffin

The running back room was arguably the deepest position group on offense last season, but they’ll have to replace Aston Walter, Nahshon Ellerbe and Charlie Booker next season. The 2020 Rice football recruiting class needed at least one potential producer. They got two.

Kobie Campbell is a guy who is deceptively powerful for his 5-foot-7 stature. He runs with a vengeance, but it’s his burst that should interest Owls the most. His ability to kick it into high gear at a moment’s notice is impressive. He has the ability to make one cut, hit the hole and pick up yards in bunches. He’s a swiss army knife who can do it all.

More: Breaking down the Rice Football recruiting 2020 defensive signees (UPDATED)

The other addition at the position didn’t play running back in high school. Khalan Griffin was a dual-threat quarterback who frequently made video game-esque runs seem easy. An injury cost him the latter portion of his senior season, but the Owls’ interest never wavered. Once he’s back to full health he’s going to be a difference-maker at the next level, one that offensive coordinator Jerry Mack went out of his way to identify as a player who “will find himself on the field sooner rather than later.”

This is a spot where Rice would probably consider adding a transfer, provided they find the right one.

Wide Receiver (1) – Andrew Mason

The immediate future at wide receiver seems particularly strong, but the depth is a bit lacking. Austin Trammell and Brad Rozner will be the 1A and 1B in this offense next season. Who else emerges from the rest of the pack remains to be seen. We saw a nice cameo from Zane Knipe at the tail end of the 2019 season as well as scattered plays here and there from Jake Bailey and August Pitre.

Andrew Mason has as good of a chance to see meaningful playing time quickly as any of the non-Trammell/Rozer options currently on the roster. The 5-foot-10 wideout is a dominant playmaker who can make people miss in space and haul in stunning catches when the ball gets to his general vicinity.

How dominant is Mason? In a game against eventual 10-2 Arkansas state champion Pulaski Academy this season, Mason went off for eight touchdowns, tying a Tennessee state record that had stood since 1994. Slowed with a cast on his left hand, Mason wasn’t originally supposed to play in the game at all, let alone be the key cog in a massive win.

After a few touchdowns, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out Ravenwood was going to throw the ball to Mason. The opposing defense knew exactly where the ball was going. They just couldn’t stop it. Mason can win over the top, across the middle and everywhere in between. He’s a potential game-breaker and a star in the making of an impressive 2020 Rice Football recruiting class.

Tight End (1) – Nate Kamper

Not all tight ends are created equal. The Owls know that better than most. Although you’ll only see one position listed, there are a few different specialized roles that are best suited for different kinds of players.

Rice relied on three tight ends to play the bulk of the snaps last season — Jordan Myers, Jaeger Bull and Jack Bradley. All three of them profile more so as blocking tight ends than downfield threats, combining for 38 receptions total in the past two seasons. They can catch ball, but that’s not their primary function while in the game.

Kamper falls into the latter category of tight end. He’s the kind of player you can line up in the slot or inline and ask to go downfield. His tall (6-foot-6), 200-pound frame makes him a potential problem down the seam, an area where he excelled in high school. Robert French and Jonathan Sanchez were two players penciled into this role for the 2019 season. Neither seized the job.

Kamper has the ability, he’ll just need some time in the weight room.  He’s a raw talent, with a lot more football to learn. But he has all the traits to be a game-changer for the Owls in the middle of the field. Bloomgren said “he’s just scratched the surface of where he’ll be as a football player.”

Offensive Line (5) – Mike Leone, Braedon Nutter, Trey Phillippi, Adam Sheriff (JUCO), Jovaun Woolford (Colgate)

Most every Rice football recruiting class is going to include a heavy dose of offensive lineman. The Owls brought in three transfers at the position last season, all of which started when healthy. They’ll have to fill all three gaps this time around, making the additions of experienced players like Jovaun Woolford and Adam Sheriff big pickups for this group.

In an ideal world, true freshmen won’t crack the starting lineup for a program like Rice which will remain committed to keeping the cupboards stocked at that position. Rice would prefer to do what they did this season where they were able to play and redshirt members of the 2019 class like Isaac Klarkowski, Hunter Jones and Regan Riddle. That’s most likely the role many of these guys will fill next year.

Mike Leone and Trey Phillippi are the names to keep an eye on among the high school additions. Beyond their prototypical frames, they fill a need at the tackle spot. Amplified by the potential departure of Uzoma Osuji and the exit of grad transfer Justin Gooseberry, Rice needed this duo. The Owls didn’t bring in a true tackle in their last class, instead adding several high-caliber interior players who could be in the mix this season. Which brings us back to these tackles.

More: The Roost Podcast – 2019 Rice Football end of season awards

Bloomgren said Leone, who had Power 5 offers from ACC and Big 12 schools, “has all the tools to be a big-time offensive tackle in our conference. Standing 6-foot-5 and tipping the scales at 270 pounds, how quickly he assimilates into the offense in the fall will be an intriguing storyline to watch. He’s a guy who could be the potential heir to the left tackle spot following Clay Servin.

Phillippi is similar. His reach and ability to bend set him apart as an elite athlete with his hulking frame. These are top-end players. With grooming, these two could be bookends on the Rice line for years to come. Both will see the field in at least a redshirt capacity this season.

Kicker (1) – Collin Riccitelli (Stanford)

Chris Barnes is out of eligibility and heir apparent Zach Hoban is in the Transfer Portal. That left an opening at the place kicking spot which Rice will fill with Stanford transfer Collin Riccitelli. Although the math works out well enough, Rice had actually zeroed in on Riccitelli much sooner. Rice began their due diligence as soon as he entered the portal last fall.

Riccitelli was a career backup at Stanford, but the coaching staff is confident he’ll have a successful career at Rice. He didn’t ride the bench for lack of ability, rather he sat behind Jet Toner, the all-time leading scorer in Stanford history and a back-to-back All-Pac12 selection. Special Teams coordinator Drew Svoboda gave a nod to former Ohio State transfer turned LSU superstar Joe Burrow. Nobody is promising Heisman Trophies, but the expectations for Riccitelli are reasonably high.

The staff believes they’ll be able to secure a medical hardship waiver for an earlier season in Riccitelli’s career. That would give him two years to play two seasons at Rice.

Last update: Feb. 5, 2020
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Rice Football Recruiting: 2020 Class has program-shifting talent

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The 2020 Rice Football recruiting class is full of special talents and game-changing players, two things which could become increasingly more common at South Main.

A lot can change in a year. On the heels of a two-win season, the 2019 Rice Football recruiting class finished No. 11 in Conference USA. There was optimism the Owls were in the midst of righting the ship, but the recruits hadn’t fully bought in, not yet. One year later, Rice is on the verge of history.

“The Flight Class of 2020 is currently on pace to be the highest-rated class in school history,” head coach Mike Bloomgren said as he kicked off a press conference introducing the program’s newest signees. The Owls’ Top 5 class is already the best since 2013. If they can climb into the top three, a manageable task considering the transfer targets still in play, it would be a program first.

Bloomgren didn’t shy away from those external benchmarks on Wednesday. Yes, the numbers are easier to mention when they’re in your favor. But they’re also tangible proof from the outside that others see the transformation currently underway at South Main. “What I think they show is our ability to go recruit against other people that maybe we haven’t been able to recruit against [in the past],” Bloomgren said.

More: 5 Takeaways from the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class

The difference between the No. 11 class and the No. 5 class is seismic.

The 2020 Rice Football class includes two players in Andrew Mason and Sean Fresch with legitimate 4.3 speed. Kobie Campbell isn’t far behind.

A pair of offensive lineman in Trey Phillippi and Mike Leone who Bloomgren described as potential superstars with “uber-high ceilings.”

55-sack man Jalen Reeves, the potential successor to 2018’s leading sack-man, Anthony Ekpe

17 three-star players, 9 of which were identified by the staff prior to receiving a rating

The list goes on and on. “This class is special,” Bloomgren remarked, knowing the truth behind his words could carry a power beyond what it did a year ago when the Owls turned a bottom-5 class into big-play wide receiver Brad Rozner, interception leader Naeem Smith and Pro Football Focus All-Freshman Third Team selection De’Braylon Carroll. The 2019 class wasn’t perfect, but it produced program-altering players who made a difference in year one. 2020 should be even better.

Naturally, Bloomgren was happy with his haul. “I love this team. I love these players,” he said. “And I think that we’ve got a bunch of guys in our program working really well, really hard right now and I think we’re injecting some more talented individuals. And I’m excited about that.”

He should be. The defense got reinforcements. The offense picked up a host of trench warriors and a slew of game-breaking skill position players. The gaps that existed last week were filled, and filled with some of the most talented players Rice has signed in a long time. It’s one recruiting class, but it’s also the indication of a step change at South Main. From this point onward, Rice football will be built differently. Better pieces should lead to better results.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 5 Takeaways from 2020 Early Signing Period

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The Owls signed their first members of the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class this week, setting the stage for an exciting future at South Main.

1. The 2020 Rice Football recruiting class could be the best ever

Recruiting rankings are inherently subjective. If NFL front offices can’t nail their draft classes with several years of college tape, it’s understandable for high school projections to be equally askew. While the projectability of individual players varies, the aggregate measures do a pretty good job of demarcating classes. For example, the top four 2020 classes entering the early signing period? Clemson. Alabama. LSU. Ohio State.

Rice Football RecruitingWhen the early signing period began, Rice had the No. 4 recruiting class in Conference USA before being bumped down to No. 5 by the  afternoon. Since recruiting rankings were first compiled in the early 2000s, the program has only one Top 4 class (2007). The average Rice class has checked in about eighth, and that includes times when Conference USA only had 12 teams.

Mike Bloomgren’s first class was the No. 12 class in C-USA. Last year’s class was No. 11. Assuming Rice picks up a few additional pieces between now and National Signing Day in February, the Owls will be in the range of their best class in school history. That won’t spot the Owls any points in their games, but the more talent you have on the field, the better your record tends to be.

2. Rice can win big battles

Rice flipped offensive lineman Mike Leone from Yale this week, but winning battles against the Ivy League isn’t the only area of growth for this staff. On Wednesday, the signed members of the 2020 Rice Football Recruiting class held offers from some of the following schools:

  • LSU
  • Colorado
  • NC State
  • Syracuse
  • Maryland
  • Pittsburgh
  • Boston College
  • Kansas State
  • Kansas
  • Houston
  • SMU
  • Tulsa

The Owls beat out established Power 5 teams and some of the best Group of 5 programs in the country. They went head to head with programs across the nation with established recruiting strategies and won enough battles to field an impressive class. Rice might not sign a slew of 5-stars any time soon, but the Owls have proven they can get the playmakers to campus.

3. Rice doubled down on the two biggest positions of need

The defense remains mostly intact entering 2020, putting an added focus on the offense for this recruiting cycle with quarterback and offensive line the two positions under the most scrutiny. It’s no secret Rice has had a revolving door at the quarterback spot for each of the past two seasons.

Signing two signal callers in the same class is unconventional, but it’s a step Bloomgren and the staff believed they needed to take. “Durability is a big part of playing that position,” Bloomgren said, stressing the injury problems of the Rice starters and the value of having depth in the room.

To achieve that goal, Rice signed former TCU quarterback Mike Collins and Cerritos JUCO quarterback TJ McMahon, both of which will enroll early in time for the spring. One of those two, or incumbents JoVoni Johnson and Wiley Green will win the starting job next season, and possibly beyond. At this point, it’s hard to say there’s an obvious frontrunner, but the depth from No. 1 to No. 4 is unequivocally the strongest it has been since Bloomgren and his staff arrived. The players are there. The challenge now is to find “the guy” and stick with him.

Losing three grad transfers on the offensive line made finding ready-to-play talent in the trenches imperative. Rice fulfilled that need with four new additions, two high school signees (Mike Leone and Trey Phillippi) and two transfers (Jovaun Woolford and Adam Sheriff).

Woolford should step in and start immediately. Sheriff is another guy who will likely have an inside track. Both will enroll in January and be on campus for the spring. Those two, alongside younger players already on campus like Isaac Klarkowski, Cole Garcia, Regan Riddle and Derek Ferraro, should make up for a strong front five, however the coaching staff chooses to deploy them.

4. The national recruiting strategy works

The 2020 Rice football recruiting class includes players from sea to sea. The Owls went and nabbed Mike Leone, who projects as a multi-year starting tackle from the East Coast. On the same day, they signed Cerritos JUCO quarterback TJ McMahon from California. Altogether, Rice signed players from Texas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

If there’s a player with that can help Rice win, they’re going to find them. In the past few seasons, Rice has signed players from 7-man programs, small schools with barely more than enough players to field all 22 positions and national powerhouse programs. There is no place off limits and that’s made for some of the most impressive additions the Owls have seen in several years.

5. There’s room for more

Rice signed 17 players on Wednesday. Don’t expect the Owls to slow down. This class still has room for several new additions before National Signing Day in February. There will be a handful of more high school signees over the next several weeks. The Transfer Portal should provide plenty of candidates as well.

Last year they loaded up with several grad transfers in the latter portion of the recruiting calendar. Offensive lineman Brian Chaffin and fullback Reagan Williams were added after the early signing period was complete. So were former quarterback Tom Stewart and running back Charlie Booker from Harvard and Justin Gooseberry from Ouachita Baptist. All five of those players either started or played significant minutes for Rice in their only seasons on campus.

More: The Roost Podcast – 2019 Rice Football end of season awards

Rice signed 10 transfers during their 2019 class. They have four transfers in the fold already and at least a half dozen more spots to fill. Expect the Owls to find a few more impact players to bolster a class already teeming with talent. Bloomgren alluded to there being some potential impact additions who could become Owls over the course of the next month.

TLDR: the fireworks aren’t done yet. There’s more to come from the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class.

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