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Rice Football Fall Camp Report: New coaches and players take the field

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The first practice of Rice football fall camp is in the books. Here’s your first of many updates in the run up to the 2021 season.

Rice Football opened fall camp on Friday. It was the first of four weeks of practice as the team prepares for their opening game against Arkansas on Labor Day weekend. There was a lot that happened on and off the field this week, and in the past couple months to catch up on. Here is the latest.

Collin Spencer promoted to coach safeties

There was some shifting on the coaching staff during the offseason. As previously announced, Marques Tuiasosopo was hired as the Owls’ new offensive coordinator. Former tight ends coach Chris Monfiletto bounced over to coach special teams with Jim Jackson taking over the tight end room.

Defensive coordinator Brian Smith is now coaching linebackers, opening up a spot with the safeties. Bloomgren tapped former quality control analyst Collin Spencer for that job.

Originally hired as a graduate assistant, Spencer has risen up the ranks over the past few years. His understanding of the scheme and ability to communicate it well gave Bloomgren comfort in the decision.

“He’s like a mini Brian Smith,” Bloomgren said of Spencer, “It’s always good when you can have your proteges step into those roles.”

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For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Practice reports are reserved for our subscribers. If you want updates on the quarterback battle, camp standouts, injuries and more, this is your go-to source. You can get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and special features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 85 – WKU, Charlotte and Conference USA with Eric Henry

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We wrap up our opponent previews this week with Eric Henry of Underdog Dynasty who joins us to talk WKU, Charlotte and Conference USA football.

Rice football opens fall camp this week and the Conference USA Football season is right around the corner. We close out our conference opponent previews this week, breaking down the Owls’ two cross-divisional opponents in 2021: Charlotte and Western Kentucky.

Eric Henry gives us his insight on both programs as well as some odds and ends throughout the conference. His reaction from media days and his takeaways from a busy offseason made for an interesting conversation.

Be sure to stick around for his conference champion picks and his run at the Lightning Round. You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 85.

Episode Notes

  • Housekeeping
    • Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice. Every little bit helps.
    • Please support us on Patreon. Be the first to get the inside scoop on what’s going on with Rice football and stick around for even further analysis. That includes updates from fall camp, practices and more.
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  • Eric Henry joins the show — Eric unpacks his Conference USA outlook, focusing on WKU and Charlotte, including:
    • The Bailey Zappe hype train
    • The ceiling for Western Kentucky in 2021
    • What to make of Chris Reynolds’ job security at Charlotte
    • Will Healy’s outlook in Year 3 after a tough 2020 season
    • Sleepers to contend for Conference USA offensive and defensive MVP
    • The Lightning Round

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

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Rice Baseball: 2021 Summer Ball end of season roundup

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Current, former and incoming Rice baseball players participated in Summer Ball leagues around the country. Here are the highlights from the summer.

Hitters

Austin Bulman stole the show in the Valley Baseball League this summer. He led the league in doubles, finished second in hits and RBI and was top five in runs and homers on his way to an all-star game nod. There’s not much more he could have done this summer to build momentum as he returns to Rice.

Nathan Becker was contending with Bulman for the batting title in the VBL early on in the summer, finishing the season with a more than respectable .291 clip. Guy Garibay flashed in limited action, driving six of his 10 hits for extra bases.

Perhaps the biggest surprise, in a very positive way, was catcher Cullen Hannigan. Owner of eight collegiate at bats at Rice, Hannigan exploded in his return to the Expedition League. A year removed from slashing .183/.385/.256 last summer, Hannigan elevated his play across the board, slashing .340/.401/.450 this time around.

Hitting Stats

Pitchers

Matthew Linskey only appeared in four games but had the most encouraging final line. His 0.96 ERA would have led the league had he pitched enough innings to qualify. Nevertheless, his 14.5 strikeouts per nine innings with only one earned run allowed served as a subtle reinforcement that his brief flashes during the 2021 season weren’t aberrations.

Micah Davis and Dalton Wood each had a couple of off outings that marred otherwise promising summer seasons. Both saw plenty of action with Davis leading all Owls this summer with 20 punchouts.

Pitching Stats

Final Thoughts

Summer ball isn’t the end all be all, but with Jose Cruz Jr. doing all he can to restock the talent pool at South Main, seeing so many encouraging performances is a positive sign. The depth that has been lacking in previous years might be on its way, and everyone is going to have to fight for their spot in the lineup.

Younger players like Linskey and Becker are continuing to develop and this summer served as an added reminder they’re got more to give Rice baseball in the coming years.

*All stats as of August 2 taken from league and team websites.
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Rice Football Recruiting: 2022 WR Rawson MacNeill commits to Owls

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The 2022 Rice Football recruiting class is picking up steam heading into the fall, securing a commitment from wide receiver Rawson MacNeill.

For the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class, good things come in pairs. The Owls have reached seven commitments in their current class, but for the second time in the past few months, they’ve added a pair of players on the same week.

On Sunday, Rice grabbed a pledge from safety Reece Sylvester. Two days later they added a commitment on the offensive side of the ball from wide receiver Rawson MacNeill from Marietta, GA.

MacNeill is the second-highest rated commitment in the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class and the eighth-highest player the Owls have earned a commitment from during Mike Bloomgren’s tenure.

Rice had competition when it came to MacNeill’s services. At the time of his commitment, MacNeill picked Rice over offers from Iowa State, Charlotte, Tulane and several Ivy League schools.

Although he hails from several states away, MacNeill still felt the familial connection. His mom grew up in Texas and his uncle lives nearby. That familiarity plus the connection he made with the coaches and players, made the difference. In his words, getting to interact and build bonds with those within the program “truly made it feel like home”, giving him peace in his decision.

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MacNeill has the potential to be a difference-maker as soon as he gets to Rice. Standing 6-foot-5 and tipping the scales at 190 pounds, he profiles as an X receiver in the Rice offense. And even though he can win with size, he prides himself in being a player that is quick out of his breaks and can win with speed, too. Wherever he lines up, the football is going to find him.

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Rice Football Burning Questions: How high is the team’s ceiling in 2021?

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Now in Year 4, Mike Bloomgren and Rice football will face the highest expectations they’ve encountered to this point. How far can they realistically go?

Things were never expected to get better for Rice football overnight. The roster needed retooling. New schemes needed to be put in place and other adjustments were necessary in the name of program-building. With three years* (two, plus whatever the COVID-19 season counts as) to tinker, the expectations are starting to mount.

Which brings us to the third installment in our Burning Questions series this offseason. What are fair expectations for Rice football in 2021 and more importantly, can they reach them?

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The Roost has you covered in season and throughout the offseason. Get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and special features like this one. Subscribe on Patreon and unlock them all today.

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
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