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Rice Football Recruiting: 2022 Early Signing Period Live Blog

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The majority of the 2022 Rice Football Recruiting class will become signees during the Early Signing Period. Follow all the action here.

Amidst all the highs and lows that have transpired at South Main in recent years, the past several Rice Football Recruiting classes have been among the more encouraging moments. Rice has signed three of its five highest-rated recruiting classes under head coach Mike Bloomgren and the 2022 class looks to be flush with talent as well.

This live tracker will follow all the latest news and updates through the day, with some notes along the way on the class as it is finalized. If you’re not a subscriber yet, here’s your chance.

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Which newcomers will make sizable impacts like Cedric Patterson, Jake Constantine and others did this year? This class has plenty of talent which could find its way to the field soon.

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Now, let’s dig into the latest from the Early Signing Period, below.

Updates

10:45 p.m.

For any night Owls, here’s an early preview of the latest edition of The Roost Podcast where we break down the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class.

The Roost Podcast | Ep 104 – 2022 Rice Football Recruiting class review

1:37 p.m.

Mike Bloomgren wasn’t afraid to talk numbers when introducing the Owls’ third consecutive Top 5 class in program history.

2022 Rice Football Recruiting class nets Owls another historic haul

12:40 p.m.

Rice officially announces the addition of former Washington kicker Tim Horn.

9:31 a.m.

Mike Bloomgren announces live on Twitter Spaces that Tulsa WR Sam Crawford will transfer to Rice. Big pickup for the Owls. Here’s more on Crawford:

Rice Football Recruiting: Transfer WR Sam Crawford commits to Owls

And here’s wide receivers coach Mike Kershaw on Crawford.

9:16 a.m.

The first official additional from the Transfer Portal today is JUCO running back Dean Connors. He’s in. | #WhyRice

9:10 a.m.

As we listen in to the recruiting talk, consider taking a moment to fill out a quick postseason survey. Tell us how we did this fall and enter for a chance to win an Amazon gift card.

9:00 a.m.

Rice recruiting direct Alex Brown and head coach Mike Bloomgren are hosting a Twitter Spaces session to introduce the 2022 class. Give it a listen.

8:59 a.m.

Another one! Safety Tyson Flowers is in. He’s the eighth signature today.

8:41 a.m.

Things are starting to quiet down. Still possible we get another signing or two, but at this point, the Owls have the majority of their guys locked in. Head coach Mike Bloomgren has a press conference scheduled for noon today. We’ll have more comments from that as well as several follow-up pieces on this class in the afternoon and the next few days.

Make sure you keep an eye (or rather, an ear) out for the next edition of The Roost Podcast, as well.

8:01 a.m.

Athlete Quinton Jackson is in. Very versatile playmaker that Rice fans will enjoy seeing on the field. | #WhyRice?

Here’s running backs coach Robbie Picazo on Jackson.

7:55 a.m.

Quarterback AJ Padgett is in. No drama on the signal-caller front, Padgett committed in June and seals the deal today. | #WhyRice?

Here’s offensive coordinator Marques Tuiasosopo on Padgett.

7:52 a.m.

That’s five NLIs in so far. That puts the Owls about halfway through their high school commitments. Keep an eye out for a player or two from the Transfer Portal. They’re not subject to the same timing restrictions as incoming high school players, so whether or not the Owls can officially introduce any new additions is TBD.

7:46 a.m.

Onto the skill players! Wide receiver Braylen Walker is in. | #WhyRice?

Here’s wide receivers coach Mike Kershaw on Walker.

7:38 a.m.

There’s something very on-brand with this. Rice gets the morning stater with three linemen. Defensive end Chibby Nwajuaku is in. | #WhyRice?

Here’s defensive line coach Cedric Calhoun on Nwajuaku.

7:27 a.m.

Defensive lineman Davion Carter commits to the Owls in April, the first commitment of this class. Now he’s officially a Rice Owl.

Here’s defensive line coach Cedric Calhoun on Carter.

7:16 a.m.

The other commit from the Eastern Time Zone, wideout Rawson MacNeill is in. | #WhyRice?

Here’s wide receivers coach Mike Kershaw on MacNeill.

6:58 a.m.

The first National Letter of Intent is in! Florida offensive lineman Miguel Cedeno is officially a Rice Owl. 6-foot-7, 320-pounds. This is a big get, literally.

Rice is rolling out a nice package on social media for these guys, too. Here’s Cedeno’s #WhyRice? and more on him from offensive line coach Sanders Davis.

Wednesday, 6:08 a.m.

We should see announcements start rolling in at any point now. The first group to keep an eye on is the East coast commits.

Tuesday night

The first new addition to the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class checked in before the Early Signing Period officially opened. Washington kicker Tim Horn announced he was transferring to Rice on Tuesday night. He fills an immediate need for the Owls moving forward.

Tuesday afternoon

The initial group of December signees for the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class may end up slightly smaller than in previous years. That’s due in part to some of the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 waivers and their impact on future rosters as well as a strategic decision by the Rice coaching staff to save a few spots down the road for a Transfer Portal that seems to constantly be churning out new names on the hour.

As is typically the case, there were several Rice signees would had yet to receive a 247 Sports rating. Those last couple of rankings were added by Tuesday morning. Here’s where the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class stands as of Tuesday night. Players are eligible to fax in their signatures starting at 7:00 a.m. local time.

Rice has the No. 3 class entering Wednesday morning, but you’ll notice they only have nine commitments, the fewest of the top three rated teams. They’re in a good position so far and aren’t accounting for quantity over quality.

Make sure to stay tuned on Twitter and follow our live blog here during the day for updates. Get the latest list of the 2022 Rice Football Recruiting commits by clicking the tracker below.

Rice Football, Rice Football Recruiting

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Rice Football Recruiting: Owls land kicker Tim Horn from Transfer Portal

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Former Washington kicker Tim Horn has committed to the Owls. He fills a major area of need for the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class.

The 2022 Rice football recruiting class had checked a lot of boxes entering the final weeks leading up to the Early Signing Period. The Owls had their quarterback, some trench bullies on the offensive and defensive side of the ball and several skill players. What they lacked entering mid-December, was a kicker.

Finding a kicker had understandably skyrocketed on the priority list as the fall progressed. The Owls had thought they’d had a multi-year solution set in stone, but reality hit hard. Rice made two field goals longer than 30 yards this season.

Not having tremendous range is one thing, but being bound to nothing more than chip shots is problematic. It simply won’t work if you want to consistently win college football games.

That’s when the Owls’ need connected with the right perspective solution. Coaching staffs were shaken up across the country as the regular season drew to an end and the Transfer Portal began to overflow with options. One of those potential fits was former Washington kicker Tim Horn, who announced his commitment to Rice on the eve of the Early Signing Period.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Horn was the No. 6 ranked kicker in the 2019 class, per 247 Sports. He didn’t kick at Washington, sitting behind veteran kicker Peyton Henry for three seasons who made 52-of-66 career field goals for the Huskies. Henry was a fringe all-conference player during his time with Washington, making the All-Pac-12 Second Team in 2019. He was reliable. And that kept Horn off field goal duty.

Even though he wasn’t starting, Horn did find ways to contribute while at Washington. He handled kickoffs all three years he was in Seattle and attempted (and made three extra points).

Horn plans to enroll in January. That will give him the chance to work with the team throughout spring practices.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Latest notes headed into 2021 Early Signing Period

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The Early Signing Period opens this week. Here’s where the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class stands before pens officially meet paper.

Commits will soon become signees this week as the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class begins to solidify. This update will have more on how many players Rice expects to sign and a few names to watch on the Transfer Portal front.

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For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Recruiting updates are reserved for our subscribers. You can get those answered and get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and special features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

Subscribers will also have a live blog on Wednesday, as well as breakdowns of every position group. We’ll have reactions to any potential new names and commentary about the class as it continues to take shape. Once we’re through with the initial fireworks you’ll want to stay tuned for another episode of The Roost Podcast wrapping up the class, too. It’s going to be a busy week.

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Rice Football 2021 Defensive Newcomer of the Year: Jordan Dunbar

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After earning the starting job in fall camp, Jordan Dunbar proved to be one of the Owls’ most reliable defenders and an easy pick for 2021 Rice Football Defensive Newcomer of the Year.

Redshirt freshman corner Jordan Dunbar arrived on campus in 2020 but saw minimal action during his first season at South Main. He waited patiently, working to master his craft as he watched 2020 Rice Football Defensive Newcomer of the Year Miles Mccord patrol the sideline.

Dunbar’s name wasn’t listed on The Roost’s projected depth chart in the preseason, and that version went three levels deep. That iteration also included Tre’shon Devones and Jason White, both of which were injured and missed the season. Still, the relatively unassuming three-star signee from Iona Prep I’m New York was prepared to make a name for himself in Houston.

Regardless of who was ahead of him, Dunbar climbed, ascending past Andrew Bird and Lamont Narcisse until he reached what would eventually become a core three: Dunbar, McCord and Sean Fresch.

As Dunbar worked, eyeballs started to turn his way. They kept following him as coaches and players alike began to take notice of his development through a trying COVID year and into fall camp prior to the 2021 season. He might have been the most praised defensive player in fall camp and that glowing attention extended to the head coach himself.

“I think the whole [fall] camp, we’ve noticed how improved Jordan Dunbar is and how comfortable he is in this defense, and that’s been so fun for me to watch,” Bloomgren noted in the lead up to the season. “I don’t know if we have anybody in the program that’s grown more from one year to the next than Jordan Dunbar.”

When the season arrived, it was Dunbar’s turn to shine. And for as much respect as he received during the weeks prior to the season, the young cover man delivered. He was named the starter for the Rice football season opener against Arkansas and lined up opposite future first-round NFL Draft selection Treylon Burks. And Dunbar held his own.

The Roost Podcast: Third Annual Edition of The Roostie’s Rice Football Awards

Fellow redshirt freshman Sean Fresch and Miles McCord battled it out for the other starting corner spot on the other side of the field, but Dunbar more or less was the first man to trot out onto the grass each and every Saturday.

From a scout team defensive back to CB1, Dunbar took advantage of his opportunity, leading all Owls’ in passes defended with seven in 12 games. His 29 tackles led all Rice corners. He wasn’t perfect, but for all the woes the Rice secondary battled throughout the year, Dunbar was one of the brightest spots.

In part because of the Owls’ coverage schemes as well as Dunbar’s own savvy, some of his best contributions are plays that didn’t make any highlight reels. His ability to take the outside receiver out of the play was superb. Few balls went over his head and when they did, he was usually sprinting stride for stride alongside its intended target, forcing receivers to make extremely difficult grabs.

Bloomgren again singled out Dunbar following the Owls’ Week 10 game against Charlotte, mentioning in his routine midweek press conference that Dunbar was among a select few players that might have “had their best performance in a Rice uniform.”

Dunbar took the comments in stride. “It means a lot to me because of how far I’ve come,” Dunbar said.”I’ve just had so much progression mentally and physically at this program. It means a lot to see your head coach give you a compliment like that.”

But that wasn’t quite the end of Dunbar’s humble acceptance of Bloomgren’s praise. His growth, and specifically the steps he believes he needs to take to continue to improve were at the forefront of his mind. He says he’s come a long way in his understanding of the scheme, learning how to watch film and refining the more mundane things like practice habits.

In some ways, he’s only scratched the surface of who he can be as a Rice football player. And that might be the best aspect Dunbar brings to the team right now. He’s a freshman starter hungry to grow. And the sky might just be his limit.

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Rice Basketball Roundup: WBB edge TAMUCC, MBB crush HBU

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Both Rice basketball teams were in action on Saturday. Here’s a brief rundown of how the men and women faired and what’s next for both.

Rice Basketball

Rice basketball has won back-to-back games, handling a frisky HBU squad across town and earning a decisive victory on Saturday.

Rice basketball caught all green lights on their trip across town, blowing past Houston Baptist in a meeting of intracity foes. Rice shot 55.9 percent from the floor in the first half and squared up 10 three-pointers to take a commanding 51-32 lead into the break. From that point on, the Owls held serve, matching every run by the Huskies and walking away from Sharp Gym with a comfortable victory.

Max Fielder has eight rebounds, seven assists, six blocks and four points. Quincy Olivari lead the team in scoring with 27 points, making 11-of-15 shots from the field and 4-of-7 threes. Rice led for the final 36 minutes of regulation.

What they’re saying

“We had a great start. Our guys were locked in from the beginning. Obviously, Quincy (Olivari) and Carl (Pierre) got hot there in the first half and our guys found them, which is a sign of great teammates. Every time (Houston Baptist) made a run, we had an answer. I’m really proud of the guys. True road wins in college basketball are really hard to get and tonight was a good one.”  – Scott Pera on the team’s performance 

Key takeaway

Head coach Scott Pera might not ever say it, but there are some games you’re supposed to win with some flair. Going across town to play a Houston Baptist squad that entered Saturday ranked 351st out of the 358 D1 teams in KenPom rankings was one of those game. And credit hit team with this, they lived up to those expectations.

The Owls’ largest deficit of this game was 6-3 early in the contest. They quickly erased it and took the lead to double-digits swiftly. Their 88 points was the most points they’ve scored on a D1 team in regulation this season; they had previously topped 100 points against Evansville in triple overtime.

Up Next: vs Incarnate Word – Thursday, Dec. 16 at 11:15 a.m.

Rice Women's Basketball

Trailing at the start of the fourth quarter, Rice women’s basketball mounted an incredible rally, roaring back to beat Texas A&M Corpus Christi at home.

Nothing seemed amiss when Rice women’s basketball took the court for a Saturday showdown with Texas A&M Corpus Christi. The two squads traded buckets, entering halftime locked in a one-score game. Then the Islanders broke things open in the third quarter and opened the fourth quarter with a 47-43 lead over the home team.

At that point, salvaging a win would have been all the Owls could ask for. But they would get more than that. Rice outscored TAMUCC 26-14 in the fourth quarter, 12 of which came from Haylee Swayzee.

What they’re saying

“At UT-Arlington we fell behind and we battled and cut it close, but we weren’t able to pull it out so here we are learning from that game and already capitalizing, learning, and growing in order to pull it out after we got down in a hole.

“I’m really proud of their effort. I’m proud that they are not a team that hangs their head. They do whatever we ask of them to do and they’re pretty tough and resilient. Our numbers aren’t high but the ones that we got really battle. I liked having four players in double-figure scoring. That really gives us a balanced attack. Some things still to clean up but definitely some things to take away.”” – Lindsay Edmond’s on the team’s performance

Key takeaway

The third quarter has often told the story of how the games have gone this season for Rice women’s basketball. Rice did not win the third quarter on Saturday. In fact, they allowed a 15-0 Islanders’ run and were outscored 17-10 overall in that period. Still, they found a way to battle back.

For an imperfect team, resiliency is crucial. If you can’t overwhelm your opponent with talent or experience, you have to wear them down with a full 40-minute fight. Rice was able to do just that on Saturday. Having Haylee Swayzee come off the bench and score 20 points was huge.

Up Next: at Sam Houston – Thursday, Dec. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

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