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The wins keep on coming for the 2024 Rice Football recruiting class. The Owls have stockpiled more than a half dozen commitments in the past week and don’t look to be ready to stop their run just yet. This weekend Rice added yet another key piece to their already impressive haul. Katy Tompkins wide receiver Wyatt Young has committed to the Owls.
Young chose Rice over offers from Arizona, Memphis, Tulsa, Western Kentucky and others. The local product has received rave reviews during the camp cycle this summer and should quickly become one of the more impactful additions of this cycle when all is said and done.
Listed as an athlete by some recruiting services, Young excelled as a pass catcher, runner and even quarterback during his time at Tompkins. At 6-foot-1, 195 pounds he’ll be an ideal candidate to join the Owls’ wide receiver room when he gets to South Main.
Young is the second pass catcher in the 2024 class so far, joining Owen Carter, the Owls’ first commit of the cycle who is also a local product, hailing from Cy Fair High School.
The overwhelming reaction to Young’s tape is straightforward: get this guy the ball. No matter where he’s lined up on the field, when he gets the pigskin with room to operate he’s a potential home run threat waiting to happen. Having potential game breakers at his size and speed are what wins football games at the collegiate level. Adding Young to the fold is huge for Rice football.
Charlotte football is one of the six programs (along with Rice) making the leap up from Conference USA to the American this season. The 49ers are doing so with a brand new coach and lots of uncertainty surrounding the program. Hunter Bailey, who covers the 49ers for the Charlotte Observer, joins the show this week to shed some light on the changes and fill us in on what to expect from the program in 2023 and beyond.
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The influx of new Owls marches on as the 2024 Rice Football recruiting class continues to stockpile talent during an exciting run of new additions. Yet another name can be added to the commitment list which has grown tremendously in the past few days. Cornerback Ephraim Dotson has committed to the Owls.
Dotson chose Rice over Bucknell, Stetson and Eastern Illinois. While the battle for his services might not have been as intense as some of the other commitments the Owls have added in recent days, the courtship didn’t leave any room for ambiguity. Dotson was on campus this weekend. Rice liked what they saw and pulled the trigger on an offer and Dotson responded almost immediately.
“I felt like Rice really knew me and fit my background,” Dotson told The Roost. “The coaches truly evaluated my talent and treated and accepted me and my family as family. They truly believed in me being a part of making an impact on and off the field.”
After building their recent run of commitments on the offensive side of the ball, Dotson represents the first defensive addition of this new wave and just the third defensive player in the 2024 Rice Football recruiting class to date. Defensive lineman Armstrong Nnodim and linebacker Kaleb Blanton round out the Owls’ early grouping on defense.
A self described “ball hawk”, it only takes a quick look at Dotson’s tape to see the many reasons Rice wanted to get him into the fold. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound defensive back has range, quickness and the willingness to deliver a blow when he’s lined up one-on-one in the open field. Having a keen eye for the ball in the air is important, too. When the ball is coming his way he always seems ready to make a play.
It’s been a very busy weekend at South Main, following a flurry of social media buzz the fifth new addition to the 2024 Rice football recruiting class in as many days has made his announcement. Versatile halfback Rhys Phillips has committed to the Owls.
Phillips chose Rice over North Texas, Louisiana Monroe, Army, Air Force and others. The familiar theme of the Owls trumping the Mean Green on the recruiting front continues to echo through the productive week at South Main.
As for where Phillips fits on the field, that might have more wiggle room. Listed in many recruiting services as a tight end, Phillips will be an H-back at the next level, playing running back in college. That’s something Phillips looks forward to when he arrives on campus.
“I take massive pride in my ability to play anywhere or be put in any position on the field,” he told The Roost. “I’ll play hand-down tight end, H-back, full back, slot, and outside receiver.”
As it stands, he’s the second back in the 2024 class, announcing his pledge just days after Westfield’s Taji Atkins. Phillips’ addition brings the 2024 class to eight total commits.
The first thing that jumps out from Phillips’ film is the variety of different spots he lines up on the field. He filled so many different roles at the high school level so it doesn’t take much projection to find places he can make a difference at the next level.