The source for Rice sports news
Head Coach: Trent Dilfer
Record at School: 7-17 (2 Yr) | Career FBS Record 7-17 (2 Yr)
Offensive Coordinator: Alex Mortensen | Defensive Coordinator: Steve Russ
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 2024 season in the books, this page will serve as a running tracker regarding the roster for the upcoming season as it currently stands.
For reference, Rice football returned 91 players last year, 22 seniors/grads, 25 juniors, 26 sophomores and 18 redshirt freshmen.
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 Aug 4, 2025.
This piece is part of our 2025 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.
Rice football returns home for the last scheduled installment of the Bayou Bucket against crosstown rival Houston How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more. The 2025 battle for the Bayou Bucket pits a pair of undefeated teams following Week 1 wins by Rice football and Houston in their respective openers. The Owls upset […]
American Conference Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron this week. Team Record This Week Result Up Next Army 0-1 (0-0) vs Tarleton St L, 30-27 (OT) at Kansas St Charlotte 0-1 (0-0) vs App L, 34-11 vs N Carolina ECU 0-1 (0-0) at NC St […]
Head coach Scott Abell and Rice Football made a statement in their season opener, knocking off Louisiana in their first-ever game at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium. Following months of intrigue, the Gun-Choice offense took center stage at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium on Saturday night as Rice football put their new scheme on display […]
The 2025 Rice football season is right around the corner. Here’s the final forecast for player superlatives this fall. There are high expectations for a host of individual Rice football players this season. The roster is deep and there appear to be playmakers at a variety of positions. Handing out superlatives is always a challenging […]
The first Rice football game of the Scott Abell era is upon us and the Owls are ready to go. Here’s the latest from the practice field this week. The (unofficial) Rice football depth chart has mostly worked itself out. Chase Jenkins has started to put his mark on the offense and a few individual […]
A revamped Rice football defense will have plenty of new faces, but the safety room will be more familiar to Owls’ fans than most. A mix of longtime contributors and returning starters, supplemented with key transfers, makes for a fascinating dynamic on the back end of the defense that will be tasked with keeping everything in front of them this season.
This piece is part of our 2025 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.
** Photo credit: Maria Lysaker **
It’s always exciting to begin a new season and the first days of Rice football fall camp had a buzz about them, even with the sweltering Houston heat hanging in the air. The Owls continued their installs on both sides of the ball and got a look at their many new faces who have arrived in the past few weeks.
This update runs through the early standouts and notables with some comments from Abell and early takeaways through the first two days of camp.
A productive summer, which saw the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class grow from a pair of spring commitments to more than a dozen future Owls, got even better this week. On the same day the team returned to the grass to open fall camp, they got good news for the future. Ridge Point High School cornerback Jordan Mitchell has committed to the Owls.
Mitchell hadn’t reported any other offers at the time Rice made its bid for his services, but that didn’t seem to impact the relationship that developed between Mitchell and the Rice staff.
“When Rice first started recruiting me, they made it clear that I was a special player and were looking forward to watching me progress,” Mitchell told The Roost, crediting the leadership of head coach Scott Abell and the earnestness of position coach Jeremy Modkins, who made him feel welcome.
Mitchell’s fit within the scheme sealed the deal. “I know Rice plays a lot of man coverage,” he said, “That’s my specialty, so I know I will be a great fit in their defense.”
Mitchell is the second defensive back committed to the Owls thus far, joining Cy Falls’ corner James Henderson, who made his pledge in mid-June. The rest of the defensive commits to this point will play in front of them, including linebacker Jayden Cupitt and a trio of linemen: Seth Clarke, JD Singletary and Quincy Tchikou.
Mitchell’s athleticism is one of the first thing that jumps out when you turn on the tape. He’s sticky and hard to shake in coverage and moves well in the open field. His added versatility in the return game is a nice bonus that should serve him well at the next level.