Brian Chaffin Archives - Page 3 of 3

The staff of The Roost is pleased to announce the release of the 2019 Rice Football Season Preview, a 143-page digital magazine detailing everything you could imagine about the Owls’ upcoming season.

This preview is the culmination of months of research, interviews and analysis. Consider it your one-stop-shop as you prepare for the Owls’ 2019 season.

Available as a downloadable PDF for on-the-go access, this preview contains the following:

1. A breakdown of every position group on the team

Who are the favorites to start entering fall camp? What sort of production should you expect from returning starters? Which of the incoming transfer players should make their mark the quickest? Answers to all of those questions are included, as well as notes on every single player on the 102-man roster.

2. An exclusive interview with head coach Mike Bloomgren

We sat down with coach to get his honest evaluation of where the Rice football program is right now and how he views the progress the team is making as they approach 2019. He’s sticking to a process, one which he remains confident will bring success to South Main.

3. Previews of each 2019 opponent and all 14 CUSA Teams

Supported by local beat writers and experts who cover each team, this section has a wealth of knowledge about every CUSA Team and all the Owls’ 2019 opponents.

Rice fans will want to familiarize themselves with the teams they’ll be facing this year. Get to know which players each squad will have to replace, which newcomers could make noise in 2019 and what outstanding questions those in the know have about their respective squads.

4. A complete 2019 Conference USA Football Preview

Available separately to purchase, everyone who purchases the 2019 Rice Football Season Preview will also get The Roost’s 2019 Conference USA Football Preview. We made our picks for preseason honors, top games to watch in 2019 and a closer look at how every team in the conference stacks up.

Don’t need any more convincing? Get a copy for yourself today

Buy Now

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Rice football secured the services of a blue-chip grad transfer, receiving a commitment from former Stanford offensive lineman Brian Chaffin.

The offensive line will forever be an emphasis at Rice football as long as Mike Bloomgren is the head coach. Getting the right pieces up front is critical to the success of this offense. The Owls took a big step in making things run even more smoothly in 2019 was the addition of grad transfer center Brian Chaffin.

Chaffin was a coveted center recruit out of high school with offers from Stanford, Northwestern, Duke, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech and others. He missed out on a starting spot at Stanford, but saw action in plenty of games, tallying 28 appearances over three years.

The 6-foot-2, 275-pound North Carolina native will play his final season of college ball at Rice. Where he fits in along the line remains a question. He has the frame and the athleticism to play anywhere on the interior of the line. Moving him over to one of the guard spots would allow the team to keep Shea Baker at center. Baker had an impressive redshirt freshman season in 2018 and figures to be in the mix to start again next season. Regardless, adding another starting-caliber player on the offensive line is a must.

Chaffin’s contributions won’t be limited to on the field production. Recruited directly by Bloomgren to Palo Alto, Chaffin understands as well as anyone the kind of culture and work ethic Rice is working to create. Intellectual Brutality remains a tenet of the Stanford program. A graduate transfer like Chaffin who understands the system and the culture should be well suited for a leadership role.

A high-academic, high-caliber athlete with leadership potential is a slam dunk for Bloomgren and his coaching staff. Chaffin has the potential to be a key cog in the Owls’ rebuilding process in 2019. Not a strong enough endorsement? Here’s Bloomgren himself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a20akRh3Q8