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The wins keep on coming for the 2024 Rice Football recruiting class. The Owls have stockpiled more than a half dozen commitments in the past week and don’t look to be ready to stop their run just yet. This weekend Rice added yet another key piece to their already impressive haul. Katy Tompkins wide receiver Wyatt Young has committed to the Owls.
Young chose Rice over offers from Arizona, Memphis, Tulsa, Western Kentucky and others. The local product has received rave reviews during the camp cycle this summer and should quickly become one of the more impactful additions of this cycle when all is said and done.
Listed as an athlete by some recruiting services, Young excelled as a pass catcher, runner and even quarterback during his time at Tompkins. At 6-foot-1, 195 pounds he’ll be an ideal candidate to join the Owls’ wide receiver room when he gets to South Main.
Young is the second pass catcher in the 2024 class so far, joining Owen Carter, the Owls’ first commit of the cycle who is also a local product, hailing from Cy Fair High School.
The overwhelming reaction to Young’s tape is straightforward: get this guy the ball. No matter where he’s lined up on the field, when he gets the pigskin with room to operate he’s a potential home run threat waiting to happen. Having potential game breakers at his size and speed are what wins football games at the collegiate level. Adding Young to the fold is huge for Rice football.
Charlotte football is one of the six programs (along with Rice) making the leap up from Conference USA to the American this season. The 49ers are doing so with a brand new coach and lots of uncertainty surrounding the program. Hunter Bailey, who covers the 49ers for the Charlotte Observer, joins the show this week to shed some light on the changes and fill us in on what to expect from the program in 2023 and beyond.
You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 147.
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Chargois made two appearances this week, working a combined 2.1 innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out one. Posting back-to-back scoreless outings was huge for Chargois after a pair of rocky appearances the week prior.
Through June 21, Chargois has a 4.24 ERA with a 1.235 WHIP. He’s averaging 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
Rendon received some bad news this week, landing back on the injured list after being hit by a pitch in the Angels’ Thursday win over the Rangers. Officially on the 10-day injured list, Rendon is eligible to return to play as soon as June 26.
Through June 21, Rendon is hitting .248 with seven extra-base hits, 21 walks and 22 strikeouts. His OPS is .682 and he’s collected 21 RBI.
Otto worked three scoreless innings, striking out a trio of batters in his second rehab stint with the Rangers’ AAA club on Sunday. He hasn’t shown any obvious signs of rust in the early goings despite having been shut down for the last several weeks since the middle of spring training. For the time being he’s on track to make a couple more rehab starts before a decision has to be made on his immediate future, whether with the Rangers or in AAA.
The influx of new Owls marches on as the 2024 Rice Football recruiting class continues to stockpile talent during an exciting run of new additions. Yet another name can be added to the commitment list which has grown tremendously in the past few days. Cornerback Ephraim Dotson has committed to the Owls.
Dotson chose Rice over Bucknell, Stetson and Eastern Illinois. While the battle for his services might not have been as intense as some of the other commitments the Owls have added in recent days, the courtship didn’t leave any room for ambiguity. Dotson was on campus this weekend. Rice liked what they saw and pulled the trigger on an offer and Dotson responded almost immediately.
“I felt like Rice really knew me and fit my background,” Dotson told The Roost. “The coaches truly evaluated my talent and treated and accepted me and my family as family. They truly believed in me being a part of making an impact on and off the field.”
After building their recent run of commitments on the offensive side of the ball, Dotson represents the first defensive addition of this new wave and just the third defensive player in the 2024 Rice Football recruiting class to date. Defensive lineman Armstrong Nnodim and linebacker Kaleb Blanton round out the Owls’ early grouping on defense.
A self described “ball hawk”, it only takes a quick look at Dotson’s tape to see the many reasons Rice wanted to get him into the fold. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound defensive back has range, quickness and the willingness to deliver a blow when he’s lined up one-on-one in the open field. Having a keen eye for the ball in the air is important, too. When the ball is coming his way he always seems ready to make a play.