The source for Rice sports news
Head Coach: Trent Dilfer
Record at School: 7-17 (2 Yr) | Career FBS Record 7-17 (2 Yr)
Offensive Coordinator: Alex Mortensen | Defensive Coordinator: Steve Russ
Roster churn has become a part of college sports as we know and Rice football is not immune to the ebb and flow of players coming in and out. The Owls have a higher retention rate than most, but there are still plenty of changes to address. With the 2024 season in the books, this page will serve as a running tracker regarding the roster for the upcoming season as it currently stands.
For reference, Rice football returned 91 players last year, 22 seniors/grads, 25 juniors, 26 sophomores and 18 redshirt freshmen.
Looking for the latest recruiting changes such as offers and new commitments? Subscribers can access the recruiting tracker here. Not a subscriber yet? Join here. Feel free to bookmark it and refer back to it from time to time as players announce their intentions throughout the offseason.
All roster changes are up to date as of Aug 4, 2025.
This piece is part of our 2025 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.
The 2026 Rice Football Recruiting class includes several hand-picked impact players on defense and special teams. Here’s how those sides of the ball stacks up. The 2026 Rice football recruiting class began with 18 signees during the Early Signing Period, the second recruiting haul for new head coach Scott Abell. Of those players, 16 are […]
The 2026 Rice Football Recruiting class includes several hand-picked impact players on offense. Here’s how that side of the ball stacks up. The 2026 Rice football recruiting class began with 18 signees during the Early Signing Period, the second recruiting haul for new head coach Scott Abell. Of those players, 16 are current high school […]
Anchored by offensive lineman Marcus Page, a top five rated signee in program history, the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class represents a tremendous win for head coach Scott Abell and the Owls. Scott Abell had been on campus for a matter of days when his first signing day arrived and while he honored every commitment […]
The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class just added more offensive firepower during the Early Signing Period. Slot Fisher Leftwich has committed to the Owls. Adding playmakers on offense was a focal point of the 2026 Rice Football Recruiting class, particularly those the staff could hand-pick for specialized roles in their unique offense. With that goal […]
The 2026 Rice Football Recruiting class, the first full cycle under head coach Scott Abell, will sign its first players during the Early Signing Period. Follow along here. With one year on South Main under his belt, head coach Scott Abell will welcome the first members of the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class on Wednesday […]
A revamped Rice football defense will have plenty of new faces, but the safety room will be more familiar to Owls’ fans than most. A mix of longtime contributors and returning starters, supplemented with key transfers, makes for a fascinating dynamic on the back end of the defense that will be tasked with keeping everything in front of them this season.
This piece is part of our 2025 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.
** Photo credit: Maria Lysaker **
Head Coach: Alex Golesh
Record at School: 14-12 (2 Yr) | Career FBS Record 14-12 (2 Yr)
Offensive Coordinator: Joel Gordon | Defensive Coordinator: Todd Orlando
Once again, the Rice football linebacker room is fully stocked with top-of-the-line talent hindered more by the lack of available starting positions than by a lack of athletes to fill those roles. Sorting out playing time will be the challenge here, but that’s exactly the kind of problem defensive coordinator Jon Kay would prefer to have.
This piece is part of our 2025 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.
** Photo credit: Maria Lysaker **