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Linebacker Adrian Bickham commits to Owls

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Pass rushers were a point of emphasis for the 2019 Rice football recruiting class. The Owls went out of state to sign linebacker Adrian Bickham.

More: Complete list of 2019 Rice football commits after the early signing period

Entering the first morning of the early signing period, Rice had 14 players publicly committed. Landing those commits would have made for a good start for the first full recruiting cycle for Mike Bloomgren and his staff, but the Owls had a few more names tucked up their sleeves.

As the morning progressed, new faces were announced. In addition to some veteran plays from the Junior College and Grad transfer ranks, Rice snagged an important commitment from Louisiana edge rusher Adrian Bickham.

Bickham was on campus in mid December and was impressed, so were the Owls. Rice made a push to get his commitment and made it happen, beating out offers from McNeese State, Nicholls State, Southeastern and Northwestern State.

Coach Mike Bloomgren praised his aggression at “relentless pursuit” as he talked through the 2019 signing class on Wednesday afternoon, noting his ability to get after the quarterback, an area Rice could use help with going forward. The Owls finished last in Conference USA in sacks last season, registering 17 over a 13 game span.

Bickham, plus the additions of pass rusher Josh Pearcy, should go a long way to fortifying a unit that remains relatively young. Standing 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Bickham is going to need to add some strength before he becomes a regular contributor on the field. Once he does, though, his impact on the outside has extremely high potential.

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Athlete Jake Bailey commits to Owls

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The 2019 Rice football recruiting class has earned the commitment from lightning-quick California play-maker Jake Bailey out of John Bosco High.

More: Complete list of 2019 Rice football commits after the early signing period

For those who don’t follow California high school football religiously, John Bosco is one of the premier programs, not just in the state, but in the entire nation. They perennially vie with Mater Dei for the top squad in the state, with both programs finishing the year inside the Top 4 in the national ranks.

Mater Dei would ultimately win the championship this year, but not before being supplanted for the No. 1 rank by John Boscoe, who upset them earlier this fall. The star player in that heavyweight beat down was none other than Jake Bailey. He hauled in three touchdowns that day, finishing with 161 yards in the 41-18 victory.

Bailey’s big game was a part of an impressive career and senior season by the 5-foot-10 speedster. He finished the year with 809 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 46 receptions. There’s no doubt he has the wheels to make an impact on offense, but his first look might come at defensive back. In addition to the gaudy offense stats, Bailey owns three career interceptions and a forced fumble.

Rice beat out offers from BYU, Boston College and several Ivy League schools to secure Bailey’s commitment. Going out of state to land a priority target all while beating out a Power 5 school as well as one of the biggest brands in the midwest is a tremendous credit to Mike Bloomgren and his staff.

Bailey is going to see the field early on in his career and could fill a variety of roles. That’s the floor. If he can assimilate quickly into the college game the sky really might be the limit for him at Rice, whether he plays on offense, defense, special teams or all of the above.

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Offensive lineman Nick Leverett commits to Owls

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Rice football added an important graduate transfer to their 2019 class, earning the pledge of North Carolina Central offensive lineman Nick Leverett.

More: Complete list of 2019 Rice football commits after the early signing period

Nick Leverett has committed to Rice football. A grad transfer by the way of North Carolina Central, Leverett joins the Owls with three years of starting experience on the offensive line. Leverett was named to the All-MEAC second team, as well as second-team All-FCS last season.

Leverett is as “ready-to-play” as they come, allowing just five sacks over 34 games as a collegiate starter. He projects as the starting left tackle for the Owls in 2019. Starting left tackles with D1 talent don’t grow on trees, much less do they transfer to just any school coming off a two-win season. Leverett’s commitment is a massive one for the Owls and a landmark commitment in the Mike Bloomgren era.

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Bloomgren is carefully constructing the 2019 Rice football recruiting class with the right amount of young talent combined with proven veterans who can contribute from day one. Leverett is that kind of player, as is current Rice commit wide receiver Bradley Rozner from the JUCO ranks.

This commitment is a testament to the message Bloomgren is conveying to incoming recruits of all classes and years. Playing football at Rice is different. That’s how you convince a player the caliber of Nick Leverett, who had interest from at least one high-profile SEC program, play out their final year of college eligibility at South Main.

A proven player like Leverett gives Rice much-needed depth on the offensive line and allows for continued development of players like Jake Syptak and Clay Servin. Both freshmen saw time on the field this season while keeping their redshirt status intact.

Leverett’s arrival takes the pressure to start at such a high leverage position off their shoulders. He gives them another teacher in the locker room and bolsters the depth of the offensive line tremendously. This is a big addition for the Owls.

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Safety Naeem Smith commits to Owls

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Junior College safety Naeem Smith is the latest 2019 Rice football commitment, joining the Owls class days before the early signing period.

More: Complete list of 2019 Rice football commits after the early signing period

The secondary, specifically the safety position, has been a clear priority for Rice in the 2019 recruiting cycle. The Owls have already received commitments from Hunter Henry and Kirk Lockhart, but got one more player in the final days before the early signing period: Naeem Smith.

Smith came away from his visit in awe saying the staff made him feel wanted. He echoes the same sentiments heard around South Main in recent weeks. The culture Miek Bloomgren and the staff have built is infections. More or coming to be a part of it, soon.

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The second Junior College member of the current class, Smith joins NJCAA leading receiver Bradley Rozner as a potential instant impact veteran player on the field in 2019. Smith is hard-hitting safety with two years of playing experience at the junior college level. Sliding him into the Owls secondary should free up Prudy Calderon to play centerfield while simultaneously strengthing the team’s presence at the line of scrimmage.

Rice beat out offers from Northern Iowa and Old Dominion to land Smith. By all accounts, he was absolutely thrilled with his visit to campus on the final official visit weekend of the year. He marks the third commitment in December and the 13th member of the 2019 Rice football recruiting class to date.

Unlike most high school players, Smith will be eligible to enroll in school as an early entrant. That means he’ll be on campus in January and practicing with the team this spring and be fully integrated into the defense by the time the season starts in the fall.

Smith is a downhill player with plenty of pop. In a defense searching for play makers he could be the answer. At the very least, he’s going to be a productive member of this team, quickly.

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Defensive end Joshua Pearcy commits to Owls

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The 2019 Rice football recruiting class continues to grow, adding high-caliber players from across the nation. Defensive end Joshua Pearcy is the newest Owl.

More: Complete list of 2019 Rice football commits after the early signing period

It’s been a good month for Rice football recruiting. The Owls continue to add to what’s shaping up to be a second impressive class under head coach Mike Bloomgren. The latest addition, defensive end Joshua Pearcy, further confirms the Owls are heading in the right direction.

A New Jersey native, Pearcy was in high demand across the country. At the time of his commitment to Rice, he held offers from Army, Temple, UMass, Harvard, Yale and others. Pearcy is the only defensive end in the 2019 class thus far, making his addition all the more important.

Although he’ll most likely line up with his hand in the dirt for the Owls, Pearcy’s athleticism offers plenty of versatility on the field. He’s quick with great ball skills, even showcasing his abilities in coverage in some of his high school film.

The defensive line returning in 2019 already profiled to be one of the deeper units on the team. Zach Abercrumbia will be back in the middle, as will Roe Wilkins. The outside is a bit more open, affording an opportunity for a player of Pearcy’s caliber to come in and play meaningful minutes out of the gate. As was the case with some of the key recruiting additions last year, it might not be long before Pearcy is a starter for this defense in 2019.

Pearcy has the potential to be an impact player on the defense in short order. Nabbing someone of his caliber is another big win for the Owls.

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