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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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Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 CB Jamarion Clark commits to Owls

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The first defensive pledge of the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class is in the books. Corner Jamarion Clark has committed to the Owls.

After a few weeks of relative quiet, things picked up quickly on the Rice football recruiting front in mid-May. The Owls handed out almost two dozen offers in a 24-hour period, representing roughly a quarter of their total offer count for the 2023 class. Among those offers was South Oak Cliff corner Jamarion Clark, who pulled the trigger almost immediately and committed to the Owls.

Clark had previously picked up offers from Arizona, Buffalo and Toledo last fall. He added offers from Tulsa, Northern Arizona, Alabama A&M and others this spring. He even picked up an offer from Bowling Green on Tuesday, the day he elected to shut things down and commit to Rice.

The addition of Clark marks the addition of the first defensive commitment in the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class. To this point, the Owls had received commitments from five offensive linemen as well as quarterback Chase Jenkins.

When Clark signs, he’ll be the first scholarship corner the Owls have added from the high school ranks since the 2021 class, which included Jojo Jean.

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Clark’s film screams physicality and awareness. His ability to diagnose where the ball is going, react quickly and come downfield with aggression is exciting. Corners in this scheme are frequently asked to stand on an island and lock down their side of the field. Clark has the makings of someone that could be able to do just that, making his commitment a nice pickup for the Owls.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 110 – State of College Football in Texas with DCTF’s Mike Craven

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DCTF writer Mike Craven joins us this week to unpack the latest college football storylines around Texas and recap a busy spring.

Fresh off his run around the state of Texas to catch up with college football players and coaches, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football’s Mike Craven stops by to discuss the major storylines impact the sport and the in-state teams. From recruiting to coaching narratives, we cover it all.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 110.

Episode Notes

Housekeeping

  • Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice. Every little bit helps.
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State of Texas College Football with DCTF’s Mike Craven

  • What’s next for UTSA, North Texas and UTEP?
  • Realignment thoughts: reactions from across the state
  • Transfer Portal Math: Is it good or bad for G5 teams?
  • The future of recruiting strategy in college football
  • Incoming transfers who could make an impact in 2022
  • Major storylines in the state of Texas
  • How close is Rice football and his take on the Owls’ potential in 2022

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

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Rice Football Recruiting: JSU transfer RB Uriah West commits to Owls

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Rice Football recruiting has filled an immediate need in the backfield with the addition of Jacksonville State running back Uriah West.

Head coach Mike Bloomgren mentioned his team wasn’t yet complete at the conclusion of spring practices. Since that acknowledgment, the incoming Rice football recruiting class has been bolstered by way of the transfer portal, most recently with the commitment of former Jacksonville State running back Uriah West.

Rice did not sign a high school running back in the 2022 class, adding JUCO rusher Dean Connors instead. While Connors was impressive in spring practices, the need to add at least one more trustworthy back became clear by the time camp was winding down. Connors and Juma Otoviano were the only two healthy backs on the roster for the Spring Game.

Enter Uriah West. The Douglasville, GA native averaged 5.7 yards per carry over four seasons at Jacksonville State, tallying 1392 rushing yards, most of which came in his final two seasons where he shared backfield duties with fellow upperclassmen Josh Samuel.

West took a visit to Rice at the end of April, calling Rice “a second home”, praising the intentionality of the coaching staff and speaking positively about his experience at South Main. That trip would prove to be all he needed to make his decision.

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West calls himself a “decisive runner [that is] tough to bring down”. That tenacity shows up in his film. He’s not afraid to run through defenders and is willing to lower his pads and plow forward. West shows burst with the ball in his hands and has 24 career receptions. His versatility will come in handy in a Rice offense that likes to utilized the full breadth of running back abilities.

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