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The Roost Podcast | Ep 201 – 2025 Rice Football Opponent Previews: FAU

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The 2025 Rice Football season previews march on. This week, we’re joined by Kevin Fielder to talk FAU and their new head coach, Zach Kittley.

The third edition of our Rice Football opponent summer preview series is in your podcast feeds. Returning guest Kevin Fielder, an FAU alum who’s covered college sports at various outlets, popped in to talk about the new-look Owls and discuss the right (and wrong) approaches to program building in modern college football.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 201.

Episode Notes

DCTF

The Roost Podcast is now part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner.

Homefield

We’re thrilled to partner with Homefield Apparel, the premier proprietor of college football clothing. First-time buyers can use the code ROOST for 15% off their order. The Owls hoodie is a personal favorite as is the Luv-Ya-Owls shirt. Make sure you check out the sailor hat (pictured below) as you shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

Homefield

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Rice Football Opponent Preview: FAU

  • Who is Zach Kittley and why did FAU hire him?
  • The air raid scheme and the transfer portal
  • Aiming for the ceiling or respectability (The Skip Holtz Conundrum)
  • How much defense is necessary for this program?
  • The Lightning Round

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Rice Football Recruiting: EDGE JD Singletary commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class has added another pass rusher to its ranks. Middletown (OH) edge JD Singletary has committed to the Owls.

The defensive front is looking rather nice as far as the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class is concerned. Following a commitment from defensive end Quincy Tchikou to kick off the month of June, the Owls had added another potential difference-maker in the trenches. Milddletown (OH) Edge JD Singletary has committed to the Owls.

Singletary had already racked up more than a dozen offers before he’d decided to shut it down in favor of the Owls. Rice beat out offers from Kentucky, West Virginia, Appalachian State, Marshall, Toledo, Temple and others.

The summer months typically mark the heart of the recruiting calendar with official visits and camps scattered throughout the next several weeks. To get Singletary and Tchikou in the fold as building blocks for the class is a tremendous accomplishment. That tandem, along with offensive skill pieces and a quarterback of the future in Aiden Smalls has Rice set up for a impressive first full class under head coach Scott Abell and his staff.

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Singletary is a disruptor in every sense of the word. His film demonstrates a cavalcade of sacks and pressures, using a variety of tools to beat his man and find his way into the offensive backfield. His 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame should be fertile soil as he develops at the next level.

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Rice Baseball 2025: MLB Owls Update – Jun 11

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The 2025 MLB season is underway and Rice baseball alums are making the most of their time in The Show. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls.

Dane Myers – Miami Marlins

Myers has become a fixture in the Miami lineup starting every game in June since his return from the injured list. He’s picked up a pair of doubles in that span with six hits and some impressive defense work as well. He’s been rewarded for his efforts by making the ballot for the All-Star Game following his tremendous start to the season. You can vote for him up to five times a day using this link.

Through June 11, Myers is hitting .307 with nine extra-base hits, eight walks and 30 strikeouts. His OPS is .796 and he’s collected 15 RBI.

Injured List

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

Rendon is slated to miss a significant amount of time following him surgery this spring. The bad news is another bump in an injury-plagued stint with the Angels; Rendon missed a chunk of last season with an oblique strain.

Matt Canterino – Twins AAA

Canterino was thought to have a real chance to crack the big league roster at some point this season, converting himself to a reliver this offseason in hopes of limiting the stress on his arm and preserving his health. Unfortunately, he’s set to miss a third consecutive season, undergoing shoulder surgery in early March. The Twins since released him and signed him to a minor league contract while he rehabs.

Knocking on the Door

The following Owls began the season in AAA:

  • Tristan Gray – Charlotte Knights (White Sox)
  • Evan Kravetz – Louisville Bats (Reds)
  • Glenn Otto – Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros)
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Rice Football Recruiting: SLOT Jacob Swain commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class just picked up another playmaker on offense. Melissa (TX) wide receiver Jacob Swain has committed to the Owls.

Do-it-all players at the high school level tend to become difference makers at the next. The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class picked up one such star player from in-state. Melissa athlete (and former Cy product) Jacob Swain has committed to the Owls.

During his recruiting process, Swain caught the eyes of programs across the country, landing an early offer from Louisville last summer to kick-start his journey. Offers from South Florida, UNLV, SDSU, the academies and others would follow, but ultimately, Swain picked South Main and Rice football.

Whether listed as a dual-threat quarterback, wide receiver or athlete by recruiting services, a common thread emerges when assessing Swain’s viability on the field. He’s someone who should be fed the ball often. To achieve that, he’ll slide in as a SLOT in the Owls’ gun-option offensive attack.

Swain’s pledge comes days removed from the commitment of wide receiver Prince Hall and gives the 2026 bunch some offensive skill pieces for quarterback Aiden Smalls to target.

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The highlights are a parade of wow plays by Swain in space. He can line up outside, take the ball directly at the snap or make an explosive play as a return man. As long as he has the football, good things tend to happen. That’s exactly what the Owls are looking for in new additions to this scheme.

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Rice Football Recruiting: WR Prince Hall commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class continues to stockpile offensive weapons. Ellison wide receiver Prince Hall has committed to the Owls.

Following a spring bent on filling the final roster spots before the 2025 season arrives, the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class has taken center stage in the focus of the staff on South Main. The Owls entered a busy official visit weekend to cap off the month of May with three commitments in the 2026 class, intent on growing that number. Following his visit, Ellison wide receiver Prince Hall has committed to the Owls.

Hall had received offers from Wake Forest, UTSA, Texas State, Arkansas State, Sacramento State, Navy and others, with interest in his availability ramping up significantly during the spring. Rice jumped into the mix with an offer in mid-March, earning his pledge a few months later.

While he’s listed as an athlete by some services, the plan as of now is for Hall to start with the offense and play wide receiver. With him on board, the 2026 class has the early foundations of an offense brewing. Led by quarterback Aiden Smalls, Rice also has commitments from offensive lineman Clay Mitchell and tight end Colten Cole.

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A two-way player, Hall’s athleticism is one of the first things that jumps out when you turn on the film. At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, he’s long with great range and a knack for pinpointing the ball in the air. He can make the first man miss in traffic and powers through contact. Adding him to the Owls’ offense should produce plenty of fireworks.

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