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Rice Football: Wiley Green emerging as favorite to win Owls quarterback battle

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With all fall camp scrimmages complete, the Rice Football quarterback battle is gaining clarity and a favorite to win the starting job has emerged.

The quarterback battle will continue to be the biggest storyline through fall camp until coach Bloomgren names a starter. Although there’s no timeline set for an official announcement, incumbent Wiley Green is starting to put some distance between himself and challenger Tom Stewart.

Green had a great redzone session during scrimmage on Saturday. Stewart missed his opportunity to make a statement. He’s had his moments in camp, but done little to impress in either scrimmage setting.

Bloomgren has reserved comment as to who is the leader in the race. However, with days (rather than weeks) left between now and the season opener, the race seems to be drawing to a close.

I have become increasingly more confident that Wiley Green will be the Owls’ starting quarterback in their Week 1 game against Army.

More: Jack Fox joins The Roost Podcast to talk NFL and Rice special teams

Green stands above every other quarterback on campus in terms of his intellectual ability and command of the offense. His strong capabilities as a passer, combined with that knowledge have kept him a step ahead in the quarterback competition through fall camp.

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Stewart has talent. What he lacks is the time in the system to execute at a level equal to Green. If he continues to progress the door could open down the road. That said, the coaching staff would obviously prefer to make a selection and ride that one guy to the end of the season.

As for Jovoni Johnson, the freshman has done well in camp so far. But, as to be expected, there’s a steep learning curve with the offense. The outlook for his 2019 season looks to be akin to what Parker Towns was asked to do in brief moments last year.

Johnson will most likely have a set package which features his athleticism and ability to make plays on the ground. If the situation warrants it he could throw a pass or two. Given the current state of the quarterback room, he’s got a few guys to surpass before he’s an every game player.

The staff feels comfortable with the depth at the position and is encouraged by what they’ve seen from the unit as a whole this fall. Barring an injury, I believe this Wiley Green’s job to lose.

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Rice Football: What we know about the Owls quarterback battle

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Rice football is back on the practice field and, once again, the Owls are holding auditions for their starting quarterback job. Here’s the latest entering camp.

What do we know?

The Rice football staff kept things close to the vest when it came to selecting a starting quarterback last season. Vanderbilt transfer Shawn Stankavage wasn’t officially named the starter until after the season had begun and he’d led the team to their first victory. The players in the mix for the 2019 job are different, but the staff intends to approach things the same way.

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Bloomgren refused to rule anyone out by name at the start of fall camp, saying “They all bring something to the table. It’ll be interesting to see how this thing unfolds. We’re going to give them really good chances to get reps with the first group.”

When pressed on who was going to get those chances, Bloomgren highlighted incumbent starter Wiley Green as well as Evan Marshman and incoming grad transfer Tom Stewart from Harvard. Those were the three who took reps with the first team out of the gate. That’s the pool the staff is looking for to start the season opener against Army. Sort of.

Who is Jovoni Johnson?

Johnson was the only quarterback Rice signed in the 2019 class. He’s got a long way to go to learn the offense, but he’s done everything he can since arriving on campus. Quarterbacks coach Robbie Picazo called him “a special, special human being and a great leader that guys really gravitate to.” Bloomgren said he was “seemingly special” and a phenomenal athlete with “a howitzer for an arm.”

That leads to excitement. From what I’m hearing, no member of the incoming class has been more impressive since arriving on campus than Johnson. But, we’re just days into fall camp.

Read more about each of the Owls’ quarterbacks in our 2019 Rice Football Season Preview

Green, who won the starting job at the end of last season, didn’t appear in a game until late October. His hindrance wasn’t ability — the staff always believed in that aspect of his game — but rater his ability to process and work through the offense.

“This is a complex offense for the quarterback,” Picazo said, “We put a lot on their plate which I think is outstanding, but it does mean there’s a learning curve.”

More than likely we’ll continue to hear a lot about Johnson as camp progresses. As of right now, though, I’d peg his chances of winning the starting job in August at 5 percent. That’s not because he’s not talented enough to do so, but because of that learning curve and the significant head start of the veterans competing with him. It’s a situation to monitor. Things could change by the time October arrives.

Who is Tom Stewart?

Stewart was the offensive MVP for Harvard last season, an offense which included a host of talented playmakers. Now he’s looking to follow in the footsteps of Shawn Stankavage and win the Rice job in his lone season on campus. He’s got work to do before he achieves that goal.

“I’m just trying to take that one day at a time,” he said after the first practice session. “Today was kind of humbling, getting back on the field.” Stewart broke his foot in the offseason. He doesn’t show any signs of wear now, but the long road back to recovery has been challenging.

He’s going to have his work cut out for him, but it’s too early to rule him out of the competition yet. The coaching staff is just now getting their first looks at him in person and evaluating what he could bring to the offense.

Stewart is confident, but at the end of the day, he wants to make the team better however he can. “I think we’re all naturally competitive guys. We’re all college quarterbacks. We all want to be the best we can be and having a high standard in that room makes everyone better,” he said. “I think all of us approach it the right way and we’re just really focused on making the team better.”

What happens next?

Bloomgren summed up the battle with his trademarked one-liner: “It’s going to be a meritocracy”. That comes as no surprise. I’d be surprised if we get a clear indicator from the coaching staff any time soon. Until then, we’ll keep you posted as this battle continues into camp.

If the Owls had to play a game tomorrow, this is how the depth chart would most likely look:

  1. Green
  2. Stewart
  3. Marshman
  4. Towns
  5. Johnson

All practice updates will be available for all to see during fall camp. Once the regular season starts they’ll be reserved for members. Becoming a member is 100% FREE and takes 30 seconds. You can register here.

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2019 Rice Football Season Preview by The Roost

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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

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Football: Quarterback depth gives Owls options in 2019

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A year removed from starting a rotation of unproven passers, Rice football has a quarterback room with plenty of depth entering 2019.

Wiley Green was the scout team quarterback during fall camp last season. By the time the Owls played their final game, he was the starting quarterback. The reasons for Green’s ascent are two-fold. First, he’s really good at football. Second, the depth chart ahead of him became a MASH unit by season’s end.

Shawn Stankavage and Evan Marshman both suffered multi-week injuries. Jackson Tyner and Parker Towns had work to do in other areas. That propelled Green, a player whom the coaches still had complete trust in despite his standing on the depth chart, into the starting role.

He’ll be the frontrunner for the job entering 2019, but he’ll have company. Harvard transfer Tom Stewart has a live arm and didn’t come in to sit. Marshman will be back and healthy, as will Towns. And last year alone is proof that incoming freshman Jovoni Johnson could play his way to the top spot if the right circumstances arise.

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Ideally, Johnson gets at least one year in the system under his belt before playing meaningful snaps at Rice. Even still, the combination of Green, Stewart and Marshman gives Rice three starting caliber players who’ve played meaningful college football games. Entering last fall the Owls really only had one proven passer, Tyner, and he wasn’t able to win the job. It’s not too much of an overstatement to say Rice has more than doubled their depth at quarterback in one offseason.

Green, Marshman and Towns got their feet wet this spring. Now it’s time for each of them to hit the books and learn this offense inside and out. If they can master the mental aspect of the game the results will be felt in tangible ways this fall.

Having lots of quarterbacks doesn’t win you games. Head coach Mike Bloomgren found that out the hard way in 2018. But having multiple quarterbacks who have played “big-time college football”, as Bloomgren is known to say, could be the difference in multiple close finishes. The pecking order isn’t set, but the depth at the quarterback position is better than ever.

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Quarterback Jovoni Johnson commits to Owls

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Rice football has a quarterback in their 2019 class. Arkansas native Jovoni Johnson has committed to Mike Bloomgren and the Owls.

Houston, we have a quarterback. After a surprise decommitment from long-time commit Trevor Bycznski on the first day of the early signing period, Rice was left in need of a signal caller. The Owls could have gotten by without signing a high school quarterback in the 2019 class, but the number of injuries suffered at the position last year combined with roster turnover made getting at least one a clear priority.

After whittling down their list to a select few, Rice keyed in on Conway, Arkansas product Jovoni Johnson. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound dual threat quarterback held offers from Central Arkansas, Delta St, Ouachita Baptist and Arkansas Tech. Instead of staying near home, he elected to head south to Houston. Johnson made his pledge to Rice during the Owls’ first official visit weekend of 2019.

Johnson brings a unique skillset to the table. Not only can he sling it, but he also carries the ball with power. Slides don’t make the highlight tapes, neither does throwing the ball away. Nevertheless, Johnson’s willingness to power through contact and make plays however possible make his upside exciting. A year or two under the tutelage of Bloomgren and offensive coordinator Jerry Mack should unlock even more ability from an already talented athlete.

The quarterback room is better and much more diverse with the addition of Johnson. Adding his skillset to the flashes of production this offense saw from Wiley Green and Evan Marshman last season makes for a brighter future for Rice quarterbacks in 2019 and beyond. Johnson is a big pickup for this class and one of the finishing touches for the staff in the final days before National Signing Day.

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