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Culture and fit the defining facets of Early Signing Period

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The 2019 Rice football recruiting class became has become a bit more real. The Owls signed 17 players on the first day of the early signing period.

Fax machines have fallen by the wayside, but the first morning of the early signing period still retained elements which felt oddly linked to the old world. Instead of waiting for a dial-up connection, the Rice football staff stared at a computer screen, projecting an email inbox onto the wall. Hurry up and wait.

Coaches walked in and out, glancing up at the emails trickling in, waiting for names they recognized. No longer linked to the antiquated technology of fax machines, modern-day recruits sign and scan their National Letter of Intent, emailing it to the school.

The emails started as early as 6:30 a.m. CT and continued on until almost noon. By the time the staff broke for lunch, 17 signed papers had been delivered — 17 members of Mike Bloomgren’s second-ever recruiting class. But the 17 signatures the Owls collected on Wednesday, represented so much more.

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“This is an exciting time,” said Bloomgren. The excitement is for good reason. The 17 signees are 12 more than the five the Owls signed in Bloomgren’s first early signing period, one that came days after he’d been named the Rice football head coach.

It’s not just quantity. Athlete Jake Bailey is a Top-15 ranked signee in Conference USA and the sixth highest rated signee for Rice since 247 Sports began compiling rankings. The rest of the class boasts a collection of state champions, All-Americans and honorees of all kinds. They’re winners, individual record holders, and all-around good men.

The coaching staff put an emphasis on improving the speed on both sides of the ball, adding length and strength at a variety of position. The talent profile of the program needs to improve if it’s going to achieve the high goals Bloomgren has set forth.

All that good, following a 2-win season in 2018. Bloomgren was respected recruiter before he arrived at South Main, but there’s no doubt the pitch looks a bit different at Rice than it did when he was at Stanford.

What’s next?

It’s really easy to recruit to a place like this when you have the trophies and the rings set out. Right now we don’t have that. We’ve got to show them our plan and get them to trust in it.

“Look, it’s not easy. We’ve got a lot of great things to sell about this school and this program, but we’re still selling a build. We’re selling a vision that we have with no tangible results yet,” Bloomgren acknowledged, “It’s really easy to recruit to a place like this when you have the trophies and the rings set out. Right now we don’t have that. We’ve got to show them our plan and get them to trust in it.”

The on-field results will follow, but what Rice achieved during the early signing period was as much about culture and fit as it was talent. Bloomgren walked through a list of each signee in detail, adding “They’re guys we hand-picked for these jobs… I think you’ve got a lot of people that really want to be at Rice University and be part of this.

“This” is a work in progress. “This” still has questions to be answered, but the groundwork has been laid. “It’s a Merry Christmas,” Bloomgren said with a grin. A Merry Christmas, indeed.

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Early signing period takeaways

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The 2019 Rice Football recruiting class inked 17 players on the first day of the early signing period. Here are a few initial thoughts on the class.

1. Mostly, probably done

At the end of Wednesday, Rice wasn’t waiting for papers from anyone who had already committed to the program. There aren’t any committed players who have yet to make a decision, but there are a few guys the Owls are still talking to as the early signing period continues.

Will Rice sign anyone else? I’d set the over/under on .5 and choosing a side would be difficult. There is at least one prospect close to pulling the trigger, but at this point there’s not enough clarity to bank on anyone else being a sure-fire commitment.

2. Owls nab three instant-impact veteran players

Rice started six upperclassmen (including Jack Fox and Hayden Tobola) in their final game against Old Dominion. This is going to be one of the younger teams in Conference USA next year and the need for some experienced hands on both sides of the ball was evident. That meant dipping into the grad transfer and JUCO market.

Last year the Owls added Blaze Alldredge, Shawn Stankavage, Andrew Mike and Gio Gentossi in the offseason. Three of those four played important roles for the Owls in 2018, none were every down players for the duration of the season.

Nick Leverett, Bradley Rozner and Naeem Smith look to be better fitted for the team as its currently constructed. Each fills a specific need. Leverett will start on the offensive line, Rozner will start on the outside as a wide receiver and Smith can play any of the safety positions, and probably corner in a pitch.

The younger players are the long-term plan, but these three experienced athletes will position the team to win games in 2018.

3. Does Rice have a quarterback problem?

At this point, the word is out Trevor Bycksnki has committed to Buffalo. The Bulls had a quarterback leave the class on the eve of the early signing period and called Bycksnki late Tuesday night. Ultimately he chose Buffalo over Rice.

The decision is puzzling, frankly. Bycksnki had been solid to the Owls for a long time and his skill set and build (6-foot-5, 220-pounds) make him the perfect fit for what coach Mike Bloomgren is looking for on offense. Buffalo is closer to home and they’re winning now (10-3 in 2018), but this one doesn’t make much sense from the Owls perspective.

On the upside, he was a longshot to see the field at Rice. Wiley Green and Evan Marshman are both talented young quarterbacks. Bycksnki was a depth piece. Rice will need to get someone else in the quarterback room with the departures of Stankavage and Jackson Tyner, but this decommitment shouldn’t be too damaging to the 2019 class or the Owls’ future.

4. Don’t get lost in the stars

Services like 247 Sports and Rivals both attempt to provide structure to the chaotic world of college football recruiting. The rankings they produce are helpful and, generally, commendable guidelines when used on a macro level. Many of the 5-star cant-miss players turn out to be as expected while only a smaller portion of the 2-star and 3-star players become transcendent stars.

On a micro level, the rankings are limited. No two players are identical, and there has to be something said about scheme and fit. Bloomgren admitted there are people at those services he trusts, but “there’s never going to be a time where we don’t sit down in a room and put the film on and trust our eyes.” The question, Bloomgren says, is ultimately this: “can they do what we need them to do?”

This staff believes they’ve found the right pieces to do what they need them to do and help them win games. Last year’s class was a testament to those aspirations. A young team led by a 2-star quarterback and low 3-star running back won Bloomgren’s first conference game. That’s not a cop out to say Rice isn’t seeking to improve the talent on their roster, they are. It’s more so a careful caveat when evaluating the quality of each class.

5. Follow the trajectory

Rice signed five players in the early signing period last year, literally days after Bloomgren had been introduced as the next head coach. They finished with a full class ranked 11th in Conference USA with a .7868 average. The 2019 class includes 17 early signees, three which will enroll in classes in January.

The ranking services are still working to get all the Owls’ signees in from this week, but once the full complement of players is in place it should rank above last year’s class. Again, using the rankings as a helpful macro tool rather.

At the end of the day, Bloomgren and his staff are bringing in playmakers to a program with three wins over the past two seasons. As the talent increases so will the winning. Wednesday was a good day, but the best is still to come.

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Linebacker Adrian Bickham commits to Owls

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Pass rushers were a point of emphasis for the 2019 Rice football recruiting class. The Owls went out of state to sign linebacker Adrian Bickham.

More: Complete list of 2019 Rice football commits after the early signing period

Entering the first morning of the early signing period, Rice had 14 players publicly committed. Landing those commits would have made for a good start for the first full recruiting cycle for Mike Bloomgren and his staff, but the Owls had a few more names tucked up their sleeves.

As the morning progressed, new faces were announced. In addition to some veteran plays from the Junior College and Grad transfer ranks, Rice snagged an important commitment from Louisiana edge rusher Adrian Bickham.

Bickham was on campus in mid December and was impressed, so were the Owls. Rice made a push to get his commitment and made it happen, beating out offers from McNeese State, Nicholls State, Southeastern and Northwestern State.

Coach Mike Bloomgren praised his aggression at “relentless pursuit” as he talked through the 2019 signing class on Wednesday afternoon, noting his ability to get after the quarterback, an area Rice could use help with going forward. The Owls finished last in Conference USA in sacks last season, registering 17 over a 13 game span.

Bickham, plus the additions of pass rusher Josh Pearcy, should go a long way to fortifying a unit that remains relatively young. Standing 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Bickham is going to need to add some strength before he becomes a regular contributor on the field. Once he does, though, his impact on the outside has extremely high potential.

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Athlete Jake Bailey commits to Owls

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The 2019 Rice football recruiting class has earned the commitment from lightning-quick California play-maker Jake Bailey out of John Bosco High.

More: Complete list of 2019 Rice football commits after the early signing period

For those who don’t follow California high school football religiously, John Bosco is one of the premier programs, not just in the state, but in the entire nation. They perennially vie with Mater Dei for the top squad in the state, with both programs finishing the year inside the Top 4 in the national ranks.

Mater Dei would ultimately win the championship this year, but not before being supplanted for the No. 1 rank by John Boscoe, who upset them earlier this fall. The star player in that heavyweight beat down was none other than Jake Bailey. He hauled in three touchdowns that day, finishing with 161 yards in the 41-18 victory.

Bailey’s big game was a part of an impressive career and senior season by the 5-foot-10 speedster. He finished the year with 809 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 46 receptions. There’s no doubt he has the wheels to make an impact on offense, but his first look might come at defensive back. In addition to the gaudy offense stats, Bailey owns three career interceptions and a forced fumble.

Rice beat out offers from BYU, Boston College and several Ivy League schools to secure Bailey’s commitment. Going out of state to land a priority target all while beating out a Power 5 school as well as one of the biggest brands in the midwest is a tremendous credit to Mike Bloomgren and his staff.

Bailey is going to see the field early on in his career and could fill a variety of roles. That’s the floor. If he can assimilate quickly into the college game the sky really might be the limit for him at Rice, whether he plays on offense, defense, special teams or all of the above.

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Offensive lineman Nick Leverett commits to Owls

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Rice football added an important graduate transfer to their 2019 class, earning the pledge of North Carolina Central offensive lineman Nick Leverett.

More: Complete list of 2019 Rice football commits after the early signing period

Nick Leverett has committed to Rice football. A grad transfer by the way of North Carolina Central, Leverett joins the Owls with three years of starting experience on the offensive line. Leverett was named to the All-MEAC second team, as well as second-team All-FCS last season.

Leverett is as “ready-to-play” as they come, allowing just five sacks over 34 games as a collegiate starter. He projects as the starting left tackle for the Owls in 2019. Starting left tackles with D1 talent don’t grow on trees, much less do they transfer to just any school coming off a two-win season. Leverett’s commitment is a massive one for the Owls and a landmark commitment in the Mike Bloomgren era.

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Bloomgren is carefully constructing the 2019 Rice football recruiting class with the right amount of young talent combined with proven veterans who can contribute from day one. Leverett is that kind of player, as is current Rice commit wide receiver Bradley Rozner from the JUCO ranks.

This commitment is a testament to the message Bloomgren is conveying to incoming recruits of all classes and years. Playing football at Rice is different. That’s how you convince a player the caliber of Nick Leverett, who had interest from at least one high-profile SEC program, play out their final year of college eligibility at South Main.

A proven player like Leverett gives Rice much-needed depth on the offensive line and allows for continued development of players like Jake Syptak and Clay Servin. Both freshmen saw time on the field this season while keeping their redshirt status intact.

Leverett’s arrival takes the pressure to start at such a high leverage position off their shoulders. He gives them another teacher in the locker room and bolsters the depth of the offensive line tremendously. This is a big addition for the Owls.

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