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Owls make progress on several top targets

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Rice football is closing in on the completion of their 2019 recruiting class. Their latest official visit weekend was a big success.

The Owls picked up one commitment and got closer with several key targets over the weekend. The 2019 class now sits at 18 players with one more big weekend planned between now and National Signing Day in early February.

Defensive targets

The Myron Morrison decision was an important yes for the Owls over the weekend. His physicality fits right into the mentality that defensive coordinator wants to bring to this defense.

The defensive tackle situation didn’t work out quite as favorably. Rice had some concerns about Cooper Laake’s health entering the fall. Given the need for impact quickly at the position, Rice is going to hold off on offering Laake. There’s also a chance he takes the JUCO route and the Owls take a further look at him next year.

Transfers

The Owls made a strong impression on several transfer targets over the weekend. Stanford teammates Brian Chaffin and Reagan Williams were both offered and remain in play for the 2019 class, but I got the impression they’re going to take their time and think things over. Both players would be huge gets for Rice, so expect the pursuit to be relentless by the staff.

Quarterbacks

Rice didn’t offer Harvard quarterback Tom Stewart just yet, but both sides are still in contact as National Signing Day approaches. On the other hand, Jovonni Johnson, left with an offer and was thrilled with his trip to campus. He raved about the family atmosphere and spoke highly of the staff and fellow players. He’s got one more official visit lined up, but Rice is firmly in the driver’s seat in his recruitment.

Potential Houston transfers

Outside of those two, Rice is still perusing other alternatives as safety nets. I can confidently say former Houston signee Levi Williams is not high on the Owls’ list. He was recently released from his commitment by new head coach Dana Holgorsen, but doesn’t offer the same versatility as someone like Johnson.

As for the rest of the Houston players returning to the open market, Rice is taking a close look. If things work out for both parties the Owls could be in play to take the right guy or two.

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Linebacker Myron Morrison commits to Owls

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The 2019 Rice football recruiting class picked up its first addition after the early signing period with the commitment of linebacker Myron Morrison.

Rice signed 17 players in the early signing period in mid-December, leaving room for a handful of additional players slated to sign on National Signing Day. The coaching staff has been hard at work, hosting several key targets as soon as the dead period ended on January 11. Linebacker Myron Morrison, one of those targets who was on campus this weekend. He received an offer on Sunday and has committed to Rice.

The 6-foot-2, 193-pound outside linebacker won’t travel far from home to play for the Owls next season. The soon-to-be graduate of Atascocita High School is staying local, passing over offers from Colorado State and Air Force as well as fellow Houston-based schools Texas Southern and HBU.

Morrison will fit in nicely between safety Hunter Henry and defensive tackle Izeya Floyd, two of his future teammates who were with him on campus this weekend.

Building the family atmosphere and showcasing the culture of the Rice program continues to be a mainstay in the Rice recruiting process. Just about every official weekend features a mix of current commits, current players and heavy involvement by the staff. The results so far have been extremely promising.

Morrison joins Garrett Braden as the only linebackers in the 2019 class. Barring the emergence of a must-have type of player, the Owls will most likely stand pat with these two at the position this go around. They’ve got reason to be content. Braden is a winner and Morrison can deliver a hefty blow. Bringing in players who play with physicality has been a focal point of this offseason. Morrison certainly fits the bill.

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Owls set for big recruiting weekend

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With a few weeks remaining before National Signing Day, Rice football is working to finish off their 2019 recruiting class.

National Signing Day, February 6, is fast approaching. Rice signed 17 players during the early signing period —  a three day stretch in December which seems like so long ago. Now, though, the holidays are over and coaches and players trickling back to South Main.

Soon the final push for the 2019 Rice Football class will begin in earnest. That starts with an extremely important official visit weekend kicking off on Friday. Rice is tentatively scheduled to host nine players including a few signees. Here are five priority targets the Owls are after this weekend:

Brian Chaffin – Center from Stanford (Grad Transfer)

Graduations, injury losses and transfers have left a leadership void on this team. Bringing in the right veterans who understand the culture Bloomgren is trying to create at Rice would be a big catalyst to this program. Chaffin is one such player. An Under Armor All-American out of high school, Chaffin was a top-10 center in the nation. Recruiting by Bloomgren while he was at Stanford, he played in 28 games over the last three seasons along an impressive offensive line.

Reagan Williams – Fullback from Stanford (Grad Transfer)

Williams is another Stanford product with meaningful collegiate experience. The fullback played in 32 games over the past three seasons and could be the second Pac-12 fullback transfer in two years for Bloomgren. Rice added Gio Gentosi last year, who capped off the season with his first career touchdown. Needless to say, the fullback is an important piece in this offense.

Cooper Laake – Defensive Tackle from Austin, Tx

A former Texas Tech commit, Laake’s recruitment opened up when Kliff Kingsbury was replaced in Lubbock by Matt Wells. Laake has offers from Colorado State, Oregon, and Purdue among others. He’s a gamechanger up front. The 6-foot-3, 270-pound defensive tackle would be an even bigger addition in light of recent transfer news at the position.

Jovoni Johnson – Dual Threat QB from Conway, AR

Losing a commitment at the 11th hour wasn’t part of the plan at quarterback, but Rice could rebound nicely with the addition of Jovoni Johnson. Standing 6-foot-5 with some nice wheels, Johnson has intriguing raw talent. He threw for 1,339 yards and ran or 853 yards during his senior season, tallying 30 combined touchdowns. He’s being targeting by Arkansas for a walk-on spot but Rice would prefer he heads south to Texas.

Tom Stewart – Pro Style QB from Harvard (Grad Transfer)

Given the health concerns at quarterback last season it would be prudent for Rice to invest in another veteran arm who’ll be ready to come in and play immediately if needed. Stewart saw action in five games in his first two years at Harvard before appearing in nine contests last fall. He threw for 1,974 yards and 15 touchdowns with five interceptions. His teammate, wide receiver Justice Shelton-Mosley, is also high on the Owls’ priority list.

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Breaking down the 2019 offensive signees

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The 2019 Rice Football signed 17 players during the early signing period including seven on offense and one on special teams. Here’s a further breakdown of the offensive signees.

Offensive line (3) – Hunter Jones, Nick Leverett, Regan Riddle

As long as Mike Bloomgren is in charge at South Main, offensive lineman are going to be a priority. Winning in the trenches is important for this offense so bringing in a high level of talent up front will be a focus of each successive recruiting cycle.

Rice brought in three different offensive lineman, each with a unique set of skills. Nick Leverett, a grad transfer from NC State, will slide into one of the starting tackle positions immediately. He played for offensive coordinator Jerry Mack at NC Central and was described by Bloomgren as someone with “NFL potential.”

Jones and Riddle profile as interior pieces, both of which with plenty of athleticism and ability. Jones was a team MVP in high school and Riddle led a line for a potent Highland Park offense which just won their third straight state championship this year.

Running back (1) – Jawan King

The graduation of Austin Walter plus the transfer of Emmanuel Esukpa presents a much thinner depth chart at the running back position for the Owls in 2019. Juma Otoviano and Aston Walter, who is petitioning the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility, will be the primary backs, but adding talent to this group was still important.

Jawan King isn’t just more talent; he has the potential to be special. King isn’t afraid to initiate contact and run through tackles, and he’s also a tremendous pass catcher with quick acceleration. It’s months before he’ll step foot on the practice field for Rice, but he’s already one of the best ambassadors for the culture coach Bloomgren is working to instill: high-quality football players who are getting a high-quality education.

Tight end (1) – Jack Bradley

There was limited involvement from the tight end position in year one under Mike Bloomgren, but growth should be expected going forward. The Owls utilized this position more for blocking than pass catching, but new addition Jack Bradley can do both. He’s 6-foot-5, 230-pounds and isn’t afraid to get physical at the point of attack. Yet another weapon for a developing offense.

Wide receiver (2) – Bradley Rozner, Zane Knipe

This duo brings complementary skill sets to the table. Zane Knipe is a shifty slot receiver who can stretch the field and take the top off the defense. Adding speed to both sides of the ball was a focus of this class and Knipe will be one of the fastest players on this team in 2019.

Bradley Rozner is the other side of the coin. Rozner led JUCO in receiving touchdowns last year with 13, the same number of receiving scores totaled by the entire Rice offense in 2018. He’s big (6-foot-5, 190 pounds) and physical. Offensive coordinator Jerry Mack called him “explosive” and a key piece in building an even better receiving corps.

Quarterback (o)

The Owls lost their lone quarterback commitment on the first morning of the early signing period. Trevor Bycznski backed out at the 11th hour, leaving the staff with a blank at the position in December. They’re currently evaluating their options — expect Rice to target one more signal caller before National Signing Day in February.

Coach Mack was clear they weren’t going to start throwing out offers at random. “We’re going to take the right person. We want people that want to be here,” he said, before adding, “We want people that are talented enough to be elite players at this level.”

Specialists (1) – Zach Hoban

Rice faces a seemingly insurmountable challenge on special teams next year. They’ll have to find a way to replace to senior specialists with both Jack Fox and Hayden Tobola playing their last games for the Owls in 2018. Zach Hoban could ease the pain from the place kicking perspective.

Hogan has incredible range, recently kicking a 61-yard field goal in Dallas Cowboy Stadium following. The Owls struggled as a unit from deep range, adding someone with that much power is a big win for special teams coach Pete Lembo.

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Breaking down the 2019 defensive signees

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The 2019 Rice Football signed 17 players during the early signing period including nine on defense. Here’s a further breakdown of the defensive signees.

Cornerback (1) – Josh Landrum

Rice needed to find impact players at this position, fast. By the time November rolled around the Owls were starting Collin Whitaker, a convert running back, at corner. He had a strong season and played well, but the mere fact the team had to reach into the skill position players on the other side of the ball to fill an immediate need is concerning.

Given the lack of depth in front of him, Josh Landrum’s path to playing time could be easier than some of the other guys in this class. Standing at 6-foot, 165 pounds, he’ll be one of the tallest corners on the roster. He’s lanky, but the ability is there. Look for the Owls to add at least one more corner before this class is complete.

Safety (4) – Hunter Henry, Kirk Lockhart, Naeem Smith, Jake Bailey

This position might be the best haul of the 2019 class, especially given the premium role the safety position plays in this defense. Each of these four guys brings a little something different to the position and a few of them could see work at a few positions.

Naeem Smith has the athleticism to play corner in a pinch and Jake Bailey has enough talent to run with an opposing pass catcher at any spot in the secondary. Hunter Henry will deliver the boom at the line of scrimmage and Kirk Lockhart has a knack for making big plays.

The versatility is something defensive coordinator Brian Smith said was no accident. “One of the things we wanted to do is get some guys with position flexibility… we wanted to get guys who can play in space, tackle and make plays one on one in the open field. The more guys you can get like that in this defense the better you are.”

Linebacker (3) – Garrett Braden, Adrian Bickham, Josh Pearcy

Garrett Braden is a tackler. It might not be the flashiest superlative, but it’s something this program needs. Allowing opponents to escape in the open field crushed the Rice defense in 2018, making young players like Antonio Montero stars simply because they didn’t miss tackles.

The Rice defense doesn’t need many true linebackers with their tendency to trust other hybrid positions. Adrian Bickham is an edge rusher who could stand up or put his hands in the dirt. His motor is impressive and his ability to get the quarterback is something Rice desperately needs.

Josh Pearcy could play a variety of roles in the Rice defense in the near future. A pass rusher by trade, Pearcy is as athletic as they come. The departure of Graysen Schantz could open up more playing time for someone like him or Anthony Ekpe, and for the time being, he might be that explosive piece that the staff inserts on third down for a big play.

Defensive Tackle (1) – Izeya Floyd

The trio of Zach Abercrumbia, Roe Wilkins and Izeya Floyd up the middle are going to be special. A powerlifter who squats 700 pounds, Floyd was described as Bloomgren as “the strongest person we have in our program from the moment he steps on campus.”

Beyond pure strength, coach Smith said he’s nearly unblockable. Floyd excelled at the Owls’ camp this summer and continues to be an impressive addition. Having his 6-foot-2, 305-pound frame up the middle should terrifying opposing offenses.

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