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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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Rice Football: Undrafted free agent signings after 2022 NFL Draft

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The NFL Draft has come to a close and a new crop of Rice football pro hopefuls have signed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents.

Every college football player hopes to one day be an NFL Draft selection, but that’s not how every pro career begins. Conference USA had six players chosen.

Alex Wright, a defensive end from Charlotte was the first C-USA player taken. He came off the board in the third round. Marshall safety Nazeeh Johnson was the final C-USA selection, going to the Chiefs at pick 259, the fourth to last selection of the draft.

Rice did not have any players chosen in the 2022 NFL Draft. This year’s crop of Rice football NFL hopefuls will attempt to make their marks as undrafted free agents. We’ll keep you updated as announcements come out.

So far, these former Rice football players have signed with teams:

Elijah Garcia, a three-year starter on the defensive line for Rice, Garcia signed with the Los Angeles Rams shortly after the conclusion of the draft. After not hearing his name called during the draft, one of the Owls’ best shots at a selection this year was the first to sign on with a pro team.

As any additional updates come, they’ll be shared here. Safety Naeem Smith, offensive lineman Jovaun Woolford, running back Jordan Myers and quarterback Jake Constantine are the names to watch.

Rice Football recent NFL Draft history

The Owls’ streak of drafts without a selection has now stretched to seven. The last time a Rice football player heard his name called on stage was the 2015 NFL Draft when Christian Covington was chosen by the Houston Texans in the sixth round.

Covington’s selection marked the end of a nice run of selections for Rice. From 2009 to 2015 Rice had eight players chosen: Jarret Dillard (2009), James Casey (2009), Cheta Ozougwu (2011), Scott Solomon (2012), Vance McDonald (2013), Luke Wilson (2013), Phillip Gaines (2014), Christian Covington (2015). McDonald was the highest selection, going No. 55 overall to the San Francisco 49ers.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Phillip Gallegos commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class will be well-stocked in the trenches. Offensive lineman Phillip Gallegos has committed to the Owls.

The average size of the 2023 Rice football recruiting class is among the largest in the nation. That’s the sort of thing that happens when you open your next wave of incoming talent with a string of commitments along the offensive line. Four of the Owls’ five 2023 commits are offensive lineman, with the newest addition coming from within the state. Somerset, TX product Phillip Gallegos has committed to the Owls.

Gallegos took multiple visits to Rice this spring, checking in most recently at the spring game. That late push by the Owls made a difference, giving him the confidence he needed to pull the trigger and make his pledge official.

Dartmouth and Sam Houston State each extended official offers to Gallegos before the Owls. Although Rice didn’t get in the door first, they were able to seal the deal. In the world of recruiting, that’s all that matters.

Gallegos is the fifth offensive lineman to commit to Rice in the past two weeks.  Nate Bledsoe started the run on April 17. The most recent addition before Gallegos came from the JUCO ranks. Center Weston Kropp committed to Rice on April 25.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Standing 6-foot-7, Gallegos will dwarf the majority of his 2023 Rice Football recruiting classmates. And while those size metrics do look good on a roster, they’re even harder to miss when he’s on the field. Gallegos is a bruiser who wins in the trenches with his physicality. His film highlights how he uses his hands to and size to hold defenders at bay.

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Rice Football 2022: Concerns after spring ball? — Patreon Q&A

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It wasn’t all sunshine and roses for Rice football this spring. The April 2022 Patreon Q&A focuses on the concerns outstanding after spring practices.

It’s almost impossible to leave the spring without feeling some sort of optimism regarding the team as a whole. This year’s Rice football spring sessions were no different. And while much has been written to this point about what went right this spring, it also seems prudent to address the questions regarding what I saw that didn’t fill me with hope.

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Rice Football 2022: What we learned from the offense this spring

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The Rice Football offense grew a lot over the course of six weeks. Here are five things we learned from the unit this spring.

The offense had its moments in scattered practices throughout Rice football spring practices but always seemed to struggle in game-like situations. They finally broke through with a big spring game. Who stood out the most and what did we learn from this unit as a whole during the spring?

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For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Special features like this are reserved for our subscribers. Have questions? You can get those answered in our monthly Q&As and get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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