The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class is still making waves in the Transfer Portal. Former Nebraska safety Caden VerMaas has committed to the Owls.
Already in good position with multiple defensive back commits out of the Transfer Portal, the 2026 Rice Football Recruiting class continued to stockpile in one of their largest areas of need. Roughly halfway through this portal cycle, Rice added another defensive back to the fold. Former Nebraska safety Caden VerMaas has committed to the Owls.
VerMaas is a Omaha, Nebraska native who stuck with the Huskers right out of high school. He redshirted in his lone year on campus with the Huskers in 2025, appearing in two games against Akron and Houston Christian.
VerMaas joins Coastal Carolina’s Zach Cody and UAB’s Tariq Watson as the three defensive back additions. While Watson has one year of eligibility remaining, Watson and VerMaas both have three years of college football still to play. The Owls have reloaded at key spots in the secondary with potential multi-year solutions to bolster depth beyond 2026.
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A former two-way player at the high school level, VerMaas was an explosive running back in addition to the successes he had on the defensive side of the ball. At 6-foot, 190 pounds, the now full-time defensive back still showcases his quickness and burst in the open field, even considering most of the tape is still from his high school days.
