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Rice Football 2019: Quarterbacks, redshirts and UTEP practice notes 🔒

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Rice football wants to close out its 2019 season on a high note. The Owls haven’t slowed down as the work through Thanksgiving week to prepare for UTEP.

It’s hard to believe we’ve almost reached the end of the Rice football regular season. Be sure to check out the game preview and this week’s podcast. Here are some of the most notable takeaways from practice this week.

Development of the offense and game-planning for the second half

The emergence of Bradley Rozner has been crucial over the last month of the season. Being able to throw the ball up to him on third down and watch him win one-on-one battles has changed the Rice offense. “[Rozner has] really given our offense another threat that we didn’t really know we had early,” wide receivers coach Mike Kershaw admitted. “[Rozner has] really helped us … stretch the ball down the field, flip the field.”

Rozner’s growth has been a boon to the rest of the receiving corps as well. Austin Trammell had more than six receptions for just the second time this season in the win over North Texas, including a wide-open 31-yard gain on third down in the second half.

The Roost Podcast | Episode 19 — North Texas recap and UTEP Preview

Trammell has noticed the added space, saying “It’s nice having more options and be able to make plays down the field.” Even still, the team captain has higher aspirations for himself and this offense. “We just can’t get complacent,” he said of the second half scoring droughts, which by the time the team takes the field against UTEP, will have grown to 35 days without a point scored after halftime.

As for new wrinkles, we might see against UTEP, the speed of Zane Knipe should get more opportunities to flash. Kershaw called him “a different type of weapon,” adding that, “that’s rare to have a guy that has that type of speed [at Rice].”

Quarterback

Bloomgren confirmed during his Tuesday press conference that Tom Stewart would remain the starter for the final week of the regular season. He has taken the majority of the reps with the first team early in the week and performed well. His deep ball continues to be an asset to his game and he’s proven comfortable in the offense.

As good as Stewart has been, there’s a good chance we still see JoVoni Johnson on Saturday. The reps Stewart hasn’t gotten with the one’s have been held for Johnson, who’s worked primarily with a read-option and more run-centric packages.

The running game with Johnson seemed to be the best thing the offense had going for it before the bye. Instituting some of those plays, particularly during any second half stalls could be extremely beneficial. Two quarterbacks shouldn’t be the norm, and I think Bloomgren and his staff will be judicious about how and when they employ their second signal caller against UTEP. They’ve had plenty of learning opportunities.

Redshirt watch

Rice has already begun to shuffle in some of their younger players as the season has progressed. There wasn’t a sudden deluge of new faces when Rice reached the last four games of the year, rather the staff has done a good job of getting many of the freshmen experience in meaningful moments.

These players have played in their allotted four games. I wouldn’t expect we see any of them on Saturday: Jacob Grams, Kebreyun Page, Cole Garcia, Josh Pearcy, Joshua Landrum, Miles McCord, and Brandt Peterson.

Black Friday

As for those who have played in fewer than four games, there should be several players who get into the game in some form or fashion.

On offense, keep an eye on the aforementioned JoVoni Johnson as well as running back Juma Otoviano (game time decision), wide receiver Zane Knipe and walk-on offensive lineman Isaac Klarkowski. On defense, Chike Anigbogu and Izeya Floyd were both singled out by members of the coaching staff this week as players who could see bigger roles.

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Rice Football 2019: North Texas practice notes and injury updates 🔒

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Rice Football has put the finishing touches on their prep for North Texas. Injuries, game plan updates and more from a busy week of practice at South Main.

Bloomgren has already compartmentalized the Middle Tennessee win and turned his attention to North Texas. He received more than 200 text messages in the hours following the big win, culling the tally of unread messages to 102 by midweek. Rex Ryan, who visited with the team during the bye week, was one of those congratulators, which included several people that have been encouraging Bloomgren every step of the way.

Needless to say, it was a fun week for Rice football. Coming off their first win of the 2019 season, the team was energized and working hard to turn the single victory into a winning streak. As they prepared for North Texas, head coach Mike Bloomgren and the staff remained focused.

“The validation for me is not going to come from winning one football game. So many of the things we’re doing are already validating it,” Bloomgren said. “To win the one this week, which is the only thing that we have that we can control, is everything… that’s where all of our focus is.”

Offensive notes

It wouldn’t be another week of practice without some notes to pass along on the quarterback position. This week, the picture looks as clear as it has in quite some time.

Tom Stewart will start. He played extremely well against Middle Tennessee, proving he has what it takes to lead this offense, assuming his back cooperates. The backup spot is a bit less clear, but as of it now it appears JoVoni Johnson will not be close enough to 100 percent to go. Depending on how he feels on Saturday and the situation in the game, it’s most likely Evan Marshman will be the acting No. 2 against North Texas. With one game left to maintain his redshirt status, the staff is unlikely to roll out a limited Johnson.

The Roost Podcast | MTSU Review and North Texas Preview

We could see Marshman in some form or fashion even if Stewart is good to go for the duration of Saturday’s contest. He still has a few special packages in place. I do feel confident in saying there will be some sort of change-of-pace pairing. We saw Juma Otoviano run some wildcat quarterback in recent weeks. There are a few players who could fill that role on Saturday, Marshman included.

As for the skill position players, it was nice to see Zane Knipe get involved with a 12-yard carry against Middle Tennessee. Knipe said this week “It feels good to finally contribute, to finally be able to be out there with my brothers.” We’ll see his role grow as he returns to form and is worked into the system.

Defensive notes

The most notable change to the depth chart this week is at corner where true freshman Tre’shon Devones has won the starting job over Andrew Bird. Devones got the start last week in Bird’s return to the field after injury. Bird did have an interception prior to halftime, but Devones did more than enough to claim the starting spot, including a forced fumble on the first play of the game.

“He’s just done a phenomenal job,” Bloomgren said of Devones. “He’s an uber-talented kid and he’s taken advantage of every opportunity.” With Devones, Thornton and Bird, Rice has three corners they trust to a great degree. Jason White and Josh Landrum have looked good in spots as well. The position as a whole has taken a significant step forward from last year to this year.

Injuries

As will be the case with JoVoni Johnson, running back Juma Otoviano seems like a long shot to play Saturday. Otoviano has one game left to retain his redshirt status and is dealing with a lower body injury, too. He’ll more than likely be held out one more game to get him as healthy as possible before ending his season at UTEP.

Game Preview: Rice Football vs North Texas

On the other side of the ball, edge rusher Anthony Ekpe has progressed a fair amount this week. After doing individual drills last week, he’s been gradually eased back into the defense. He’ll be a true game-time decision on Saturday after being doubtful for the last several weeks. His fellow lineman Trey Schuman is less fortunate. He will not play against North Texas.

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Rice Football: MTSU practice notes and injury updates 🔒

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Rice football is ready to take the field against Middle Tennessee in Week 12. Here are some notes on who’s in, who’s out and the plan at quarterback.

Rice football has three games remaining in the 2019 season. There’s a potential for younger players to see action and questions at the quarterback position 🔒. Amidst all of those variables, the coaching staff is tightening up their focus.

Entering the bye, the message from the top was clear. “This week, stuff has to be proven in practice,” Mike Bloomgren said. “We gotta fix things in practice. It’s gotta look good in practice or we can’t call them in a game.” He noted that standard applies to everything from formations to individual players. The tolerance for errors was already low and it’s continuing to shrink.

“You either win or you learn,” Bloomgren said, “and we’ve learned a lot.”

Quarterback

On the final Thursday walkthrough before traveling on Friday, it was Tom Stewart who took the first-team reps. JoVoni Johnson is currently listed as a game time decision and will make the trip to Murfreesboro. Whether or not he’s healthy enough to go, and be mobile while he’s out there, remains to be seen. My expectation is that Stewart will start against Middle Tennessee.

As for Stewart, Bloomgren was encouraged by what he saw during the bye week from his veteran passer. “He made the most of his reps,” Bloomgren said. “I think it’s been really good, what he’s done this week.”

Stewart seems to be back to his normal self following a back injury which kept him off the field for the majority of the Marshall contest. The medical staff has done everything they can to get him back to health as quickly as possible and early returns are promising.

Since Stewart went down, the Owls offense has changed. It’s less complex and geared more towards helping Johnson command the offense comfortably. We’ll still see that slimmed down offense against Middle Tennessee. Stewart noted that’s probably a good thing, regardless of who is lined up under center.

“It’s helped everyone,” Stewart said. “Let’s do we do well, let’s play fast. And I think that’s kind of been a trend, we haven’t played as fast as we want to. So, I think the tempo and how fast we’re able to process everything has really improved.”

Healing up

There’s at least a chance Rice will get some combination of Andrew Bird, Anthony Ekpe and Brian Chaffin back after the bye week. All three have returned to practice, at least in a limited fashion, with the hope they will be progressively eased back into the flow of things over the next week.

Chaffin still retains his No. 1 spot at center on the depth chart, but spent the majority of the week at guard. It looks like the Owls will move last year’s starter Shea Baker back to center and keep Chaffin next to him, at least for this week.

Neither Ekpe or Bird were listed on the depth chart released on Tuesday. That doesn’t rule them out against Middle Tennessee, but their outlook to return seems a bit more tenuous. It’s a situation we’ll continue to monitor. Of the two, Bird is more likely to play while Ekpe remains a somewhat hazy game-time decision.  Like we mentioned on Ep. 17 of The Roost Podcast this week, don’t be surprised if he’s held out one more week.

Fresh faces

With three games remaining, expect to see freshman and others who haven’t participated much this season to get a few looks down the stretch. The coaching staff won’t put young players on the field just to do it, but those who have earned opportunities through the year will get a shot, whether that’s on special teams or as part of a rotation on offense or defense.

Jawan King saw his first action of the season against Marshall. In addition to him, two names jump out at the moment: linebacker Myron Morrison and safety Chike Anigbogu. Morrison was elevated to the No. 2 spot behind at linebacker behind Blaze Alldredge, filling in for veteran Dylan Silcox who will miss the rest of the season after suffering an injury against Marshall.

Anigobgu has drawn rave reviews for his effort and intensity during practice for several months. Bloomgren said he’s a guy who is “working his butt off and earning out trust.” He’s played in two games to this point and will be a guy who gets in two more in the coming weeks.

Other names that flashed during the past week include corner Josh Landrum, wide receiver Jake Bailey, safety Hunter Henry and safety Kirk Lockhart.

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Rice Football: Unpacking the quarterback situation entering Week 12 🔒

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Rice Football finds itself in the midst of another quarterback conundrum. Here’s the latest entering the final three-game stretch of the season.

It’s not groundhog day, but it sure feels like it when the Rice football quarterback situation is brought up. With a week and a half until the Owls take the field against Middle Tennessee, here’s what we know:

1. Tom Stewart is close to “100 percent”

Stewart has been practicing in full and doesn’t appear to be hindered by his back issue. He’s looked good throwing the deep ball both last week and Sunday and is moving around reasonably well. Offensive coordinator Jerry Mack said last week was the first time he’s “felt 100 percent” since injuring his back. He’s expected to be fully available for the game.

2. JoVoni Johnson is nicked up

Johnson left Saturday’s game against Marshall after taking a hit following a big run. He was in a walking boot early last week but has since shed the protective gear and resumed practicing. He’ll be well enough to play.

The bigger question is how the injury will impact his effectiveness. Bloomgren called him “a step slow” in his return to the field, but noted that they’ll monitor him closely this week. A hobbled Johnson wouldn’t pose nearly the same threat as a fully healthy one. Whether or not some percentage of Johnson is better than 100 percent of someone else remains to be seen.

3. Evan Marshman could be an option

Marshman has gotten some reps in practice. He’ll have a package of plays ready should the Owls decide to go in that direction. I don’t get the sense that’s going to be the primary direction at this point, but the staff is going to turn over every rock in their quest to turn this offense around. Whereas Wiley Green is working with the scout team now, Marshman is getting some snaps with a version of the first team offense.

4. The redshirt situation

I contend the offense looks much better with Johnson and the helm than it has with anyone else who’s stepped under center this season. Of course, Bloomgren would prefer to redshirt Johnson and have him for another full season, but the importance of stacking up some wins and giving the team something to build on for the future is a very real motivator.

“All we’re worried about is this week right now,” Bloomgren said. “We’ve definitely had those conversations. We’ve had those conversations with JoVoni as well, but we’re not at a point to make that decision and luckily we don’t have to.”

More: Breaking down the Rice Football offense under Johnson vs Marshall

To some extent, Bloomgren is correct. Johnson has played in three of his allotted four games. Saturday against Middle Tennessee would be the fourth. If Johnson plays this weekend and does well, the likelihood of him redshirting this season would drop exorbitantly.

For what it’s worth, Bloomgren called the offense “anemic” once JoVoni went down against Marshall. A healthy Johnson continues to look like the best option.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Owls keep pushing on 2020 and 2021 classes 🔒

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We’re one month out from the Early Signing Period and the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class keeps adding new names to their radar.

The already star-studded 2020 Rice Football recruiting class would like to add a few new names to the ranks before the Early Signing Period arrives on December 18. The Owls are making plans for several additional high school additions, but they’ll keep their eyes on potential transfer targets as well. Here are a few names that have emerged in recent weeks.

Mike Leone – OT – Hun School (NJ) – 2020

I mentioned Leone in a previous update, but I wanted to bring him back up here because of a new development in his recruitment. The Yale commit is pickup up offers from Kansas an Maryland in recent weeks. He’s bypassed the opportunity to take an official visit to the Terps prior to the early signing period. Instead, he’ll fly to Houston to visit Rice. This one is far from over, but beating out a local Power 5 school for a visit prior to the early signing period is obviously a huge win for Rice.

DJ Warnell – CB – Dickinson (Dickinson, TX) – 2020

Dickinson corner DJ Warnell’s recruitment has picked up quickly this year. Starting with offers from Boston College and Texas Tech in January, Warnell’s offer count has climbed to 16, including a host of Power 5 schools like Arizona and Tennessee. Rice became the most recent to jump into the fray following a visit last week.

Mason Tharp – TE – Klein (TX) – 2021

Three freshmen in the current 2019 class have played in every game this season. One of them, Jack Bradley, plays tight end. It’s no coincidence that a school which runs more two-tight end and three-tight end sets than most every other school in the nation makes the position a priority.

For 2021, Rice has set its sights on Mason Tharp. The 6-foot-7 big man plays center on the basketball team and has plus athleticism. He can play in-line or split out and he’s a bruiser in the running game.

DJ Arkansas – LB – Ryan (Denton, TX) – 2021

Rice thinks they’ve identified a premier pass rusher in Denton Ryan-product DJ Arkansas. The Owls’ were the first school to offer Arkansas, knowing he was the right fit for the program early on. They’ve been cautious with the offers extended to anyone in the 2021 class to this point, making Arkansas a clear priority. He loved his first gameday visit and has had nothing but positive things to say about the program and the staff.

Arkansas, along with Tharp and Cibolo Steele QB Wyatt Begeal, are the only three offers the Owls have extended to members of the 2021 class.

Filling out the class

There were 10 non-highschool additions to the 2019 Rice Football recruiting class. JUCO transfers Brad Rozner, Naeem Smith and Miles McCord and seven grad transfers, most notably three offensive linemen and quarterback Tom Stewart complimented the predominantly young influx of talent.

The total number of veteran additions might not be as high as 10, but the staff is keeping their eye on the Transfer Portal for the right kind of instant-impact players to add to the 2020 class. There’s a good chance the Owls pursue a quarterback, offensive lineman and wide receiver, and possibly a few other positions where they’ll be thinner than they’d like to be next fall.

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