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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

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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.

https://twitter.com/uknoe_/status/1515058810414641166

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 OL Patrick Valent commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class has doubled down in the trenches, picking up a commitment from offensive lineman Patrick Valent.

For the better part of a month, the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class had one commitment: quarterback Chase Jenkins. Then the Owls ramped up the visits at the tail end of spring practice and the pace began to pick up quickly. Only a few days after securing a commitment from several additional offensive lineman, Rice has added another, Patrick Valent, to the fold as well.

Valent seemed locked in from the start. Rice was first to offer him out of Ohio in January. He told The Roost at that time that Rice would always “have a spot at the absolute top of my list” when it came to recruiting. He backed up those words when other offers soon followed.

After Rice’s offer in January, Valent picked up offers from Akron, Army, Air Force and Dartmouth. Even the draw of playing in state wasn’t enough to keep Valent from flocking south to Texas. Valent called the staff “first-class at all levels” and left campus impressed by the culture. Another visit included a picture with the then-committed Jenkins, further emphasizing Valent’s interest.

“I have a personality, but I’m all about work.I’m gonna work every day to ensure that Rice is the standard,” Valent said.

His commitment marks the sixth announcement for the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class and the fifth along the offensive line.

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It doesn’t take a film grinder to appreciate what Valent brings to the table. He drives back blockers and puts them in the dirt. “That’s my whole game,” Valent said. “I finish blocks with the best every play I am in and I want to drive you off the ball against your will and finish with force.” A quick look at his highlights makes that crystal clear.

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Conference USA Football: NFL Draft and UDFA Tracker

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There were six former Conference USA football players selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. Many others signed with teams as undrafted free agents.

Conference USA football was well represented in the 2022 NFL Draft, earning six selections through seven rounds. Once the draft ended, many other players latched on with NFL teams, signing as undrafted free agents. Those players will report to training camp and compete for a spot on rosters just the same.

2022 Conference USA Football NFL  Draft Picks

3rd Round (No. 78) – DE Alex Wright, UAB – Browns
3rd Round (No. 82) – EDGE DeAngelo Malone, WKU – Falcons
4th Round (No. 134) – OL Spencer Burford, UTSA – 49ers
4th Round (No. 147) – QB Bailey Zappe, WKU – Patriots
5th Round (No. 153) – CB Tariq Woolen, UTSA – Seahawks
7th Round (No. 259) – S Nazeeh Johnson, Marshall – Chiefs

Undrafted Free Agents

Charlotte

  • SAF Jonathan Alexander – Bears

FIU

  • P Tommy Heatherly – Dolphins
  • RB D’Vonte Price – Colts
  • SAF Josh Valentine-Turner – Seahawks

FAU

  • TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden – Browns
  • LB Caliph Brice – Packers
  • WR John Mitchell – Seahawks
  • OL Desmond Noel – Bengals
  • CB Zyon Gilbert – Giants

Louisiana Tech

  • DB Elijah Hamilton – Dolphins

Marshall

  • OL Alex Mollette, Marshall – Colts

Middle Tennessee

  • LB DQ Thomas – Jets
  • SAF Reed Blankenship – Eagles

North Texas

  • RB DeAndre Torrey – Jets
  • DT Dion Novil – Rams

Old Dominion

  • LB Jordan Young – Bucs

Rice

  • DT Elijah Garcia – Rams

Southern Miss

  • TE Grayson Gunter –  Jaguars

UAB

  • TE Gerrit Price – Jaguars

UTEP

n/a

UTSA

  • LB Charles Wiley – Ravens
  • LB Clarence Hicks – Bengals
  • RB Sincere McCormick – Raiders

Old Dominion

  • TE Stone Smart – Chargers
  • LB Jordan Young – Bucs
  • OL Isaac Weaver – Chargers

Western Kentucky

  • WR Jerreth Sterns– Bucs

Additional signings could continue to trickle in over the next few days. Training camps are still weeks away. For now, it’s safe to say there will be a new crop of Conference USA football players off to make their mark on the league. Soon it will be time to find out who will stick.

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