Recruiting

The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class just keeps adding more playmakers during the Early Signing Period. Defensive lineman Chris Knauls has committed to the Owls. Months ago, Chris Knauls was one of the top targets in the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class but the timing wasn’t right. Knauls made plans to sign with Michigan State […]

The 2026 Rice Football Recruiting class includes several hand-picked impact players on defense and special teams. Here’s how those sides of the ball stacks up. The 2026 Rice football recruiting class began with 18 signees during the Early Signing Period, the second recruiting haul for new head coach Scott Abell. Of those players, 16 are […]

The 2026 Rice Football Recruiting class includes several hand-picked impact players on offense. Here’s how that side of the ball stacks up. The 2026 Rice football recruiting class began with 18 signees during the Early Signing Period, the second recruiting haul for new head coach Scott Abell. Of those players, 16 are current high school […]

Anchored by offensive lineman Marcus Page, a top five rated signee in program history, the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class represents a tremendous win for head coach Scott Abell and the Owls. Scott Abell had been on campus for a matter of days when his first signing day arrived and while he honored every commitment […]

The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class just added more offensive firepower during the Early Signing Period. Slot Fisher Leftwich has committed to the Owls. Adding playmakers on offense was a focal point of the 2026 Rice Football Recruiting class, particularly those the staff could hand-pick for specialized roles in their unique offense. With that goal […]

The 2026 Rice Football Recruiting class, the first full cycle under head coach Scott Abell, will sign its first players during the Early Signing Period. Follow along here. With one year on South Main under his belt, head coach Scott Abell will welcome the first members of the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class on Wednesday […]

The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class just added its cornerstone in the trenches. North Forney offensive lineman Marcus Page has committed to the Owls. The fireworks got started early for the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class which picked up perhaps the most notable flip of the Scott Abell era on the eve of the Early […]

The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class picked up some much-needed reinforcements in the secondary. JUCO safety Dylan Stephens has committed to the Owls. Adding depth to the defensive backfield was a must for the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class. Entering the late fall with some attrition at those positions, the Owls swooped into the JUCO […]

The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class just added some in the trenches. JUCO defensive lineman Brock Reddic has committed to the Owls. The first transfer addition to the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class is on the board. Following an initial build from the high school ranks, the Owls have nabbed a key player from the […]

The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class has landed a key special teams addition. Woodlands College Park long snapper Hamilton Sharpe has committed to the Owls. Special teams offers at the D1 level are few and far between. For a school to spend a scholarship slot on one of those spots often requires an exceptional talent […]

A dynamic local rusher is joining the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class. CE King running back Dionne Sims has committed to the Owls. Because the position is the engine that drives head coach Scott Abell’s gun-option offense, there’s a high bar to clear for prospective running backs that could have been targets for the 2026 […]

An offensive difference maker is joining the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class. Wide receiver Preston Jackson has committed to the Owls. Concerns that a run-first offense would struggle to find dynamic receiver threats have largely proved overblown, to this point. The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class picked up another threat on the outside following an […]

The first home game of the season means a big Rice Football recruiting weekend is on deck. Here’s the latest intel on which key recruits will be on campus. Winning the opener against Louisiana marked the first big event for the existing roster, but the upcoming home opener for head coach Scott Abell will carry […]

Further reinforcements in the trenches are on the way for the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class. Defensive lineman Ian Harrell has committed to the Owls. Back-to-back defensive line additions has the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class riding high as the Owls keep adding difference makers at premium positions. Even with the fall season fast approaching, […]

A wave of defensive additions to the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class continued this week. Defensive lineman Tyler Lavallier has committed to the Owls. Adding difference makers in the trenches is a must-do for every program in the country. Being able to fulfill that task without going too far is an added bonus. The 2026 […]

It’s been a good month in the secondary for the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class. Safety Zion Allen has flipped his commitment to the Owls. The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class picked up steam over the summer, exploding from a few commitments in the spring to more than a dozen future Owls awaiting their chance […]

The month of August began with good news for the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class. Cornerback Jordan Mitchell has committed to the Owls. 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 […]

Days removed from landing its quarterback, the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class picked up one of his protectors. Offensive lineman Leyonte Chandler has committed to the Owls. The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class isn’t slowing down as it continues to stockpile talent throughout the summer. While June was particularly busy, the Owls have made two […]

The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class has its quarterback of the future. Ayden Wilhelm from Blue Springs South (MO) has committed to the Owls. The ever-changing landscape had the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class in need of a quarterback as the summer months progressed. Rice didn’t waste much time after the opening appeared, moving quickly […]

Rice football has experienced some attrition following the opening of a one-time Transfer Portal window this week for select “Designated Student-Athletes”. The rollout of transformative change for college sports has not transpired without a few bumps along the road. Rice Athletics is prepared to meet the new world order with some important action items, as […]

The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class keeps adding playmakers in the trenches. Edge Seth Clarke from The Hun School (NJ) has committed to the Owls. Members of the 2026 Rice football recruiting class span from near and far, a mix of local talent from the state of Texas and the right pieces from across the […]

The first specialist of the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class is on board. Kicker Tommy Bauchiero from Brentwood Academy (TN) has committed to the Owls. An action-packed weekend on South Main doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Fresh off a wave of commitments in recent days, the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class continues […]

Another offensive weapon has joined the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class. SLOT Jai Jacobs-Ford from Gosnell High School (AR) has committed to the Owls. After a run of defensive additions to the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class, the offense got back on board in a big way. Listed as a wide receiver in some places […]

The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class continues to stockpile talented defenders. Lake Ridge linebacker Jayden Cupitt has committed to the Owls. It’s been quite the week for the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class, with a wave of new additions to the group, including the last three and counting from the defensive ranks. Owls’ defensive coordinator […]

The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class didn’t have to go far to add a difference maker in the secondary. Cy Falls corner back James Henderson has committed to the Owls. Even in today’s ever-changing recruiting environment, getting players to campus remains a crucial piece of the process. The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class set itself […]