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Rice Football Recruiting: Breaking Down the 2026 Signees – Offense

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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 seniors and nine play on the offensive side of the ball.

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“I think we have found some great future Owls who are going to have an impact on our program,” Abell said during his introductory remarks regarding the group.

We’ve gone position by position breaking down each of those new people, dissecting how these Owls will help the program on the field.

* Denotes players who will enroll early in January

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** This piece has been updated to reflect new signees as of 12/3/2025 **
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Rice Football Recruiting: RB Dionne Sims commits to Owls

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A dynamic local rusher is joining the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class. CE King running back Dionne Sims has committed to the Owls.

Because the position is the engine that drives head coach Scott Abell’s gun-option offense, there’s a high bar to clear for prospective running backs that could have been targets for the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class. Following an extensive search, the program has landed on its next man up at the position. CE King running back Dionne Sims has committed to the Owls.

Sims is a game-changer with no lack of interest across the nation. His first offer in high school came from Oregon before he added the likes of Illinois, Arizona, Houston, UTSA, Texas State and others to mix. He eventually committed to Stephen F Austin in June, but made the flip to Rice this week as the fall season started to wind down.

Outside interest aside, Sims’ potential makes him a significant win for the Owls. Those talents hit a high point earlier this season when he rushed for a school-record 435 yards and six touchdowns against Atascocita, no small feat.

Sims is the latest addition to a stable that includes other local standouts like D’Andre Hardeman (Northshore) and Tyvonn Byars (Lake Creek). He joins a 2026 Rice Football recruiting class that already includes skill players Preston Jackson, Jai Jacobs-Ford, led by quarterback commit Ayden Wilhelm.

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When it comes to the tape, there’s a ton to like with Sims. His vision is superb and he can a fantastic job putting his foot in the ground and exploding downfield. He’s a hard runner with a nose for the endzone that should find plenty of opportunity in an offense that loves to pound the rock.

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