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Rice Football 2025 Spring Practice Notebook 3: Defense takes shape

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The first signs of a hierarchy within the Rice football defense are beginning to form as the Owls work through the first few weeks of spring ball.

So much focus has, understandably, been given to the Rice football offense as it installs a new scheme under head coach Scott Abell. And while that has been fun to watch and filled with unexpected twists and developments, the relatively smooth deployment of the defensive scheme under first-year DC Jon Kay has begun to crystallize.

More: Spring Practice Notebook 2 — Unpacking the offense and QBs

This update digs into what potential starting roles on defense are nearly secured, which pieces are fighting for meaningful depth spots and a host of other spots still up for grabs as spring progresses.

Early contenders for First Teamers

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Rice Football 2024: UConn Game Week Practice Report

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It was an interesting week for Rice football as the team juggles injuries and prepares for UConn.  Here’s what we learned from the Owls at practice this week.

Injured on the final play of their game against Tulane, Rice football starting quarterback EJ Warner has been a significant question mark as the team prepares to make the trip east to take on UConn. Head coach Mike Bloomgren has issued some positive remarks about Warner’s status, but more light was shed during practice this week. And that might not be the only position with important injury-related news.

This update will touch on the good and the bad from the injury front plus some individual highlights and comments on the team the Owls are likely to trot out on Saturday. Here’s where the team stands prior to the UConn game this weekend.

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EJ Warner

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Rice Football 2024: Charlotte Game Week Practice Report

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Rice football takes on Charlotte this week with eyes on a bounce-back win. Here’s what we learned from the Owls at practice this week.

It’s midseason and injuries are starting to take a toll on the Rice football roster. The Owls have made a lot of adjustments to counteract those personnel losses this week and keep tweaking the offense as they go. How much improvement can they make in a short window of time as they face a must-win game against Charlotte on Saturday.

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

Can I get a safety, please?

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Rice Football 2024 Season Preview: Roster Grid

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Rice football has a 121-man roster entering the 2024 season. From position changes to eligibility remaining, this chart will help keep everything in order.

Keeping track of eligibility and positions can be challenging and there wasn’t one single source that had the most up-to-date information — now there is. In addition to the roster tracker and as a complement to the roster, which has been updated to account for all the final additions and changes with the start of camp, this grid tracks every Rice football player by position and classification. Position changes from last season and/or the spring are also detailed below.

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

This piece is part of our 2024 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. 

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Rice Football 2024 Spring Notebook 10: Unanswered Questions

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A few outstanding questions remain for Rice football after the conclusion of spring practice. Let’s address a few unknowns and potential concerns.

It was largely an encouraging spring for Rice football. Both sides of the ball had their moments. New quarterback EJ Warner looked poised and productive in just a few short weeks. The coaching staff walked away happy, for the most part. But no football team is ever perfect after spring practices and they’ll have a few months to address the concerns that remain as best they can. What are those potential pain points? We highlight a few from the totality of spring practices below.

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A wide receiver room in transition

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