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Rice Football 2022 Season Preview: Quarterback

August 2, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

As part of our 2022 Rice Football Preseason Preview series, next we’ll examine the quarterback position and discuss the Owls’ plans for that group.

The Rice football quarterback room has been an adventure that dates back before the arrival of head coach Mike Bloomgren and his staff. The odds would suggest that at some point, South Main’s edition of musical chairs will segue into a more streamlined single-man solution. Will that come this season? Here’s our 2022 Quarterback Preview.

Rice Football Preseason Preview: Check out the rest of the series here.

This piece is part of our 2022 Rice Football Season Preview. Get access to it, as well as all other preview posts such as positional breakdowns, depth chart and schedule analysis and more when you subscribe on Patreon today. New subscribers get our Conference USA Football Season Preview for FREE! 

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Filed Under: Featured, Football, Premium Tagged With: 2022 Rice Football Season Preview, AJ Padgett, Jovoni Johnson, Rice Football, Shawqi Itraish, TJ McMahon, Wiley Green

Rice Football 2022 Season Preview: Running Back

August 1, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

As part of our 2022 Rice Football Preseason Preview series, next we’ll examine the running back position and discuss the Owls’ plans for that group.

Pound the rock has been the mantra of Rice football since head coach Mike Bloomgren arrived on campus. Even with that run-game-oriented mindset, the backfield has been a mixed bag. Can someone rise up and become a true bellcow back? Will a committee of specialists do the trick? Here’s our 2022 Running Back Preview.

Rice Football Preseason Preview: Check out the rest of the series here.

This piece is part of our 2022 Rice Football Season Preview. Get access to it, as well as all other preview posts such as positional breakdowns, depth chart and schedule analysis and more when you subscribe on Patreon today. New subscribers get our Conference USA Football Season Preview for FREE! 

Subscriber content.<br /> Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.
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?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts
  • Rice Baseball season ends with AAC Tournament loss to FAU
  • Rice Baseball falls to UTSA in AAC Tournament Opener
  • 2025 AAC Baseball Tournament: Preview, schedule, how to watch
  • Rice Baseball clinches AAC Tournament spot despite sweep by UTSA

Filed Under: Archive, Football, Premium Tagged With: 2022 Rice Football Season Preview, Ari Broussard, Cam Montgomery, Christian Francisco, Dean Connors, Juma Otoviano, Rice Football, Uriah West

Rice Football 2022 Season Preview: Linebacker

July 29, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

As part of our 2022 Rice Football Preseason Preview series, next we’ll examine the linebacker position and discuss the Owls’ plans for that group.

Linebacker will be one of the positions under the most scrutiny when Rice football opens fall camp. Neither of the team’s primary starters at the position last season (Antonio Montero or Desmyn Baker) return, opening the door for new faces to play significant roles. Who emerges in the middle of the Rice defense this season? Here’s our 2022 Linebacker Preview.

Rice Football Preseason Preview: Check out the rest of the series here.

This piece is part of our 2022 Rice Football Season Preview. Get access to it, as well as all other preview posts such as positional breakdowns, depth chart and schedule analysis and more when you subscribe on Patreon today. New subscribers get our Conference USA Football Season Preview for FREE! 

Subscriber content.<br /> Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.
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?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts
  • Rice Baseball season ends with AAC Tournament loss to FAU
  • Rice Baseball falls to UTSA in AAC Tournament Opener
  • 2025 AAC Baseball Tournament: Preview, schedule, how to watch
  • Rice Baseball clinches AAC Tournament spot despite sweep by UTSA

Filed Under: Archive, Football, Premium Tagged With: 2022 Rice Football Season Preview, Aidan Siano, Andrew Awe, Chris conti, Garrett Braden, Kenny Seymour, Myron Morrison, Shepherd Bowling

Rice Football 2022 Season Preview: Defensive Line

July 23, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

As part of our 2022 Rice Football Preseason Preview series, next we’ll examine the offensive line position and discuss the Owls’ plans for that group.

Following years of injuries and inconsistencies, Rice football has now accumulated a surplus of riches along the defensive line. Defensive coordinator Brian Smith will have to decide how he’ll deploy so many proven commodities and that’s never a bad problem to have. Here’s our 2022 Defensive Line Preview.

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Breaking down the defensive line position

Rice football has found itself between a rock and a hard place in recent seasons. The depth the Owls had hoped to have accumulated in the front four simply wasn’t there. That gave way to an ever-lingering dance between rotating in someone who might not be ready and sticking with the same guys for too long and risking exhaustion.

In an ideal world, Rice would be able to play seven or eight defensive linemen significant minutes through a game. At this position, perhaps unlike any other, Rice wants to continuously be bringing fresh legs onto the field. And they may be able to do just that this year.

If they can, they’ll help bolster a pass rush that had already shown its first meaningful signs of progress last season. The Owls’ 2.25 sacks per game ranked seventh in Conference USA and were almost a full sack per game better than their previous three seasons.

The run defense has always been solid, although it remains to be see how the front four will compensate for the loss of Elijah Garcia, who signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent this offseason. To that end, this unit isn’t without its questions, but there are many more potential answers than there were in recent years.

Projected Starters – Trey Schuman, De’Braylon Carroll, Ikenna Enechukwu, Kenneth Orji

Even though they were missing Trey Schuman and De’Braylon Carroll from practices, the Rice football defensive line put together an impressive showing this spring, At that time, it was Ikenna Enechukwu on the end, with Izeya Floyd and Blake Boenisch in the middle and one of Kenneth Orji or Josh Pearcy flying in off the edge.

That’s six names already mentioned. There are four “starting” spots.

Schuman has struggled with injuries over the last several seasons. It might make sense for him to share time with Enechukwu on the end, although we’ll probably see both on the field at times given Enechukwu’s position flexibility.

Carroll should be the rock the rest of this amoeba forms around. Fully healthy from an injury suffered in the summer of 2021, he’ll be a fixture in the interior of the line. When Enechukwu hasn’t slid inside, Floyd should fill the other spot. He had a fantastic spring after moving back over from the offensive line. He and Carroll were recruited in the same class but haven’t played alongside each other yet. That will change this season.

Then there’s the edge. Nobody wants anyone to lose their job because of injury, but that happened to some degree with Orji who, through no fault of his own, will move into a much more even split with Pearcy. The newcomer made his mark last season and earned more time on the field.

One solution? Play them both. At some point, the Owls will step up to the line like this: Pearcy, Enechukwu, Carroll, Orji. And that leaves quality players like Schuman and Floyd waiting in the wings. Sheesh.

Rest of the Room

Boenisch is probably the odd man out here because of the depth, not because of his ability. He arrived at South Main with an intimidating frame and took significant series with his game this spring. He’s a candidate to earn some specialized situational roles and he will push Floyd for snaps on the interior of the line.

The other name of note here is Quent Titre. The Abilene Christian transfer didn’t pick Rice to ride the pine. He played in 36 games with ACU over the past four seasons and tallied 65 tackles. He expects to play at South Main and should provide some utility along the interior. How he progresses during fall camp will be huge. The position is flush with talent.

Caleb James, Cole Latos and Elroyal Morris would be the third wave of players who could each see a handful of spot snaps on a game-to-game basis.

Player to Watch – Van Heitmann

Barring a wave of injuries, it looks like there shouldn’t be more than a few cameo appearances from incoming freshmen or other underclassmen along the defensive line this season.

Van Heitmann really hasn’t had his name called in his two-year Rice career thus far, but the sophomore defensive end posted a strong outing in the spring game and made a few big plays throughout the course of spring practices. He was a special teamer last season and should see frequent action there again this year. If he continues to play well there, he’ll be in the conversation for more time with the defense as well.

While he might not see much action early, watch out for Davion Carter. The incoming true freshman is listed at 5-foot-11 and 304 pounds. He’s going to be a difference maker.

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Recent Posts
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Filed Under: Archive, Football, Premium Tagged With: 2022 Rice Football Season Preview, Blake Boenisch, Caleb James, Cole Latos, Davion Carter, Elroyal Morris, Ikenna Enechukwu, Izeya Floyd, Josh Pearcy, Kenneth Orji, quent titre, Rice Football, Trey Schuman, Van Heitmann

Rice Football 2022 Season Preview: Offensive Line

July 18, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

As part of our 2022 Rice Football Preseason Preview series, next we’ll examine the offensive line position and discuss the Owls’ plans for that group.

The Rice football offensive line has been a carousel of injuries and moving parts for much of the last four seasons. This time around, the Owls seem to have a starting five established before the beginning of fall camp featuring a core that has a good amount of playing experience alongside each other. Will that make a difference when the games begin? Here’s our 2022 Offensive Line Preview.

Rice Football Preseason Preview: Check out the rest of the series here.

This piece is part of our 2022 Rice Football Season Preview. Get access to it, as well as all other preview posts such as positional breakdowns, depth chart and schedule analysis and more when you subscribe on Patreon today. New subscribers get our Conference USA Football Season Preview for FREE! 

Subscriber content.<br /> Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.
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?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts
  • Rice Baseball season ends with AAC Tournament loss to FAU
  • Rice Baseball falls to UTSA in AAC Tournament Opener
  • 2025 AAC Baseball Tournament: Preview, schedule, how to watch
  • Rice Baseball clinches AAC Tournament spot despite sweep by UTSA

Filed Under: Featured, Football, Premium Tagged With: 2022 Rice Football Season Preview, Braedon Nutter, Clay Servin, Ethan Onianwa, Faaeanuu Pepe, Isaac Klarkowski, John Hughes, John Long, Miguel Cedeno, Mike Leone, Shea Baker, Trey Phillippi

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