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Rice Football 2024 Roster Tracker

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The Rice football roster is ever-evolving. From the Transfer portal to high school signees, stay tuned here for updates.

Roster churn has become a part of college sports as we know and Rice football is not immune to the ebb and flow of players coming in and out. The Owls have a higher retention rate than most, but there are still plenty of changes to address. With the 2023 season in the books, this page will serve as a running tracker regarding the roster for the upcoming season as it currently stands.

Looking for the latest recruiting changes such as offers and new commitments? Subscribers can access the recruiting tracker here. Not a subscriber yet? Join here. Feel free to bookmark it and refer back to it from time to time as players announce their intentions throughout the offseason.

All roster changes are up to date as of July 1, 2024.

Rice Football Preseason Preview: Check out the rest of the series here.

This piece is part of our 2024 Rice Football Season Preview. Get access to it, as well as all other preview posts such as positional breakdowns, depth chart and schedule analysis and more when you subscribe on Patreon today. 

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Rice Football News

Rice Football, Rice Football Recruiting, Sean Sullivan

Rice Football Recruiting: OL Sean Sullivan commits to Owls

Posted: January 10, 2025

The Ivy League pipeline is paying dividends for the 2025 Rice Football Recruiting picks. Yale transfer offensive lineman Sean Sullivan has committed to the Owls. Over the years Rice Football recruiting has reaped the benefits of Ivy League rules which restrict graduate students from participating in sports. That’s left many high academic football players searching […]

Rice Football, NFL Owls

Rice Football 2024: NFL Owls Regular Season Roundup

Posted: January 7, 2025

Rice Football is well represented on 2024 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action this season. There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player. Team NFL Owl(s) This Week Result Playoffs Detroit Lions Jack Fox (P)Myles […]

Rice Football, Rice Football Recruiting, Chase Allen

Rice Football Recruiting: K Chase Allen commits to Owls

Posted: January 7, 2025

The 2025 Rice Football Recruiting class has its specialist. UTSA transfer kicker Chase Allen has committed to the Owls. Head coach Scott Abell has continues to add to the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class through the transfer portal. He’s supplemented a large high school signing class with several Transfer Portal additions, so far, including this […]

Rice Football, Matt Sykes

Rice Football 2024 Offensive Player of the Year: Matt Sykes

Posted: January 2, 2025

The last man standing in the wide receiver room this season, Matt Sykes is our 2024 Rice Football Offensive Player of the Year. A year removed from a one-catch season, Matt Sykes was expected to enter the fall as, at best, the fourth option in the Owls’ passing game. Instead, he became the go-to guy […]

Rice Football, NFL Owls

Rice Football 2024: NFL Owls Week 17 Roundup

Posted: December 31, 2024

Rice Football is well represented on 2024 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 17. There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player. Team NFL Owl(s) This Week Result Next Week Detroit Lions Jack […]

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Rice Football Recruiting: ATH Payton Matthews commits to Owls

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The 2025 Rice Football recruiting class just landed another difference-maker on the offensive side of the ball. Versatile athlete Payton Matthews has committed to the Owls.

At its core, recruiting is about finding the most talented athletes possible. Once they’re on campus, coaches have to put the pieces together in the most optimal way. The 2025 recruiting class has leaned fully into that philosophy with its latest addition, picking up a pledge for an elite athlete and leaving the exact position he’ll play open-ended. Athlete Payton Matthews has committed to the Owls.

Matthews’ ability to do a lot of different things all over the field is part of what drew him to the Owls’ scheme. “I’ve always floated around from position to position,” Matthews told The Roost. “I think [the Rice coaching staff] can utilize my playmaking abilities all over the field.”

Along the way, Matthews picked Rice over offers from UTSA, Navy, Air Force, Central Michigan and others.

Early indications are he’ll start off in the wide receiver room with the understanding he’s not going to be a stagnant piece in the offense. Matthews indicated his conversations with the staff emphasized that versatility. “I’m supposed to be all over the field which is one of the things I love most,” he said.

The addition of Matthews further bolsters the offensive weaponry of the 2025 class which includes a couple of tight ends, a pair of running backs and multiple receivers, the majority of which have committed in the last two weeks.

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Matthews is a lightning bolt on film. His explosiveness and elusive nature make him a home-run threat whenever he gets the football in his hands. How that happens remains to be see, but he’s the type of playmaker you want to get on the field however you can.

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2024 Rice Football Season Preview: Safety

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Next up in our 2024 Rice Football Season Preview: safety. Here’s our breakdown of the Owls’ plans for the group this season.

One of the younger rooms on the Rice football roster, the safety position boasts an interesting mix of established veterans and up-and-coming players looking to make a name for themselves. Gabe Taylor is the household name here, but he might not be the only man at this position to make a significant impact on the field this fall. Who else will step up beside him?

Rice Football Preseason Preview: Check out the rest of the series here.

This piece is part of our 2024 Rice Football Season Preview. Get access to it, as well as all other preview posts such as positional breakdowns, depth chart and schedule analysis and more when you subscribe on Patreon today. 

Subscriber content. Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.
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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The latest with Rice Football Recruiting: June 2024 Q&A

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The past two weeks have been a blur as Rice football recruiting has picked up the pace during official visit weekends. This month’s Q&A digs into the festivities.

Things were relatively quiet on the Rice Football recruiting front until very recently. The Owls entered the month with three commitments. They’re going to leave June with at least a dozen, if not more. Where did this come from? And what can the Owls expect from their recent surge of recruiting wins? We tackle those questions and more in this month’s subscriber Q&A.

Questions were edited briefly for clarity. Want to get your questions answered? Subscribe on Patreon for our monthly mailbag.

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.

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Q: Was this planned? Were all these commits just waiting in secret to announce at the same time?

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Rice Football Recruiting: DL Rob Rooks commits to Owls

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A versatile defensive piece has joined the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class. Defensive lineman Rob Rooks has committed to the Owls.

The month of June was marked by a flurry of in-state additions to the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class, with a few exceptions out west. The Texas-based Owls reached outside the state again this time. Defensive lineman Rob Rooks has committed to the Owls.

Rooks had already racked up a host of offers before he pulled the trigger and committed to Rice. He picked the Owls over offers from Washington State, Nevada, several Ivy League programs and the service academies. The in-demand defender knew what he was looking for in his future school, though. That’s why the search stopped at South Main.

“I knew Rice was the place for me when all sides of life were weighed the same,” he told The Roost. “For me, I’m a high academic guy who wants to push himself to the next level in regards to football and education. During my visit to Rice, I felt like there was a great balance of both on campus.”

“I saw a program and a school that I wanted to be a part of.”

Rooks joins linebacker Ty Thames as the other defensive addition this month. The wave of new additions has swelled the Owls’ numbers to 13 commitments in the 2025 class and counting.

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Rooks can play multiple positions, but projects as a three-tech interior defensive lineman at Rice. That’s where he and the coaching staff see him fitting on the field once he arrives. “I believe this fits my profile perfectly,” he said. “I would describe myself as an explosive pass rusher who can hold his gap in the run game.”

That’s exactly what you see on the film. Rooks is quick, disruptive and strong. He’s a disruptor and a great addition to the Owls’ 2025 class.

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