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Rice Football Recruiting: 2020 and 2021 targets and commit updates

September 20, 2019 By Matthew Bartlett

The 2020 and 2021 Rice Football recruiting classes are in the works. Here’s the latest on the Owls’ efforts on the recruiting front.

The end of summer lull in the recruiting calendar has come and gone. While the team has been busy on the field the Rice Football recruiting staff has worked equally hard off of it.

The Owls hosted dozens of players in their first two home weekends. Several commits and key targets took in the game at NRG Stadium against Texas last weekend following a get together on campus with plenty of food and football watching to do in the hours before Rice kicked off.

Here are some updates on the current 2020 commits and a few names to know in the 2020 and 2021 classes. Find the latest info on all the 2020 commits on our recruiting tracker.

Injury update

Last week was a tough one for a pair of 2020 Rice Football commits. Linebacker Geron Hargon suffered a torn ACL while he sacked an opposing quarterback. Uncertain as to the extent of the injury, Hargon returned to the field a few minutes later, scooped up a fumble and dashed 60-yards to the endzone. That play will be the final one of his high school career.

Khalan Griffin will also miss the remainder of his senior season. He suffered a torn meniscus at the start of the 2019 season, but didn’t find out until he played on during multiple games. He ran for 158 yards in his first game and 208 yards in game two — all on a torn meniscus.

It’s a tough blow for both Hargon and Griffin, but both remain in good spirits. They’ve become champions of the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class over the last several months. Both should be 100 percent in time for their Rice careers to begin next year.

2020 Quarterbacks

The beginning of the fall has been crucial for the Owls’ quarterback evaluation. Rice is continuing to trim their list of priority targets at the position. The staff’s find out Jovoni Johnson late in the cycle last year has lessened the pressure to fire off offers too quickly.

The Owls are going to do their homework before they land on their QB1 for this class. Right now, two Austin-based passers are beginning to emerge. Kirkland Michaux from Westlake HS and Wilson Long from Regents HS. Both have been on campus and liked what they’ve seen thus far.

Long has been on the radar for some time. The Owls are following his senior season, along with Michaux’s, before they make their next move.

Michaux said the buy in from the staff and the investment in the future of the program was evident, noting that the facilities were top-notch. He went so far as to say, “it really felt like I was at a Power 5 school” when he visited South Main.

More 2020 names

Jalen Reeves – Defensive End – University School (Fort Lauderdale, FL) | This pass rusher from the sunshine state has a handful of impressive Power 5 offers, but the Owls are going to take their best swing. He’ll be on campus for the first time this weekend against Baylor.

Rice Football, Rice Football Recruiting

Zack Haaland – Wide Receiver/Corner – Dallas Christian HS (Dallas, Tx) | A starting quarterback, Haaland has the complete package of athleticism and speed. He could be another guy who finds his position once he gets to campus, but right now it’s looking like he’ll play wide receiver or corner, it wouldn’t shock me if he winds up at safety either.

River Woods – Defensive Back – Episcopal HS (Dallas, Tx) | This two-way high school athlete is a highlight reel waiting to happen with great hands and plenty of quickness. His pursuit is savvy and he’d fit in well with the Rice secondary.

2021 Names to keep and eye on

Aaron Session –  Guard – Morton Ranch HS (Katy, Tx) | Big bruiser on the offensive line who’s already caught the eye of several teams in state. He was impressed with the facilities in his visit for the Wake Forest game and puts Rice squarely in his top schools, along with Texas, Baylor and Colorado.

Joseph Manjack – Wide Receiver – Tomball Memorial HS (Tomball, Tx) | Called the atmosphere on campus “electric” and really enjoyed his conversations with the coaching staff. He hasn’t come close laying out a pecking order for his top schools, but the connection he has with current Rice commit Braedon Nutter and a positive early impression put the Owls in great position this early.

Bryce McMorris – Corner – Bridgeland HS (Cypress, Tx) | Having the opportunity to talk with Bloomgren directly was big for McMorris, who’s already taken multiple trips to see the Owls in person this fall. He’s excited to see more of campus and continue developing a relationship with defensive coordinator Brian Smith and corners coach Gerrard Wilcher.

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Filed Under: Archive, Football, Football Recruiting Tagged With: Geron Hargon, Khalan Griffin, Rice Football, Rice Football recruiting

Rice Football: 2020 RB Khalan Griffin commits to Owls

May 2, 2019 By Matthew Bartlett

The 2020 Rice Football recruiting class keeps adding playmakers, this time with the commitment of running back Khalan Griffin.

A strong start for the 2020 Rice football recruiting class keeps getting better. Already owners of one of the best classes in Conference USA, Rice is adding another weapon. The Owls have secured a  commitment from top running back target, Khalan Griffin.

Griffin’s stock exploded this spring. After picking up a handful of offers in prior months, Griffin garnered six offers in April alone. With offers from Rice, Dartmouth, Navy and Georgia Southern added to previous offers from Army, Air Force and Texas State, the race for the versatile athlete began to heat up.

Listed as an athlete, Griffin plays quarterback for the Brook Hill School in Bullard, Tx. His 4.5-type speed combined with his field vision make him an ideal candidate to transition to running back at the next level. That’s where the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Griffin will play at South Main.

Griffin marks yet another three-star recruit who’s made a pledge to Rice in the 2020 class. He joins safety Plae Wyatt, and offensive lineman Brady Feeney and Braedon Nutter. The Owls inked 10 3-star players in the 2019 class, they’ve almost reached the halfway mark to that number and the summer hasn’t even arrived.

More: Owls’ 2020 class beginning to take shape

For Griffin, the Owls were the easy favorite. “I loved everything about it,” he said following his visit to campus for the Rice Football Blue and Gray spring game, citing positive conversations for offensive coordinator Jerry Mack and head coach Mike Bloomgren. He was ecstatic about how Mack described his potential in the Rice offense, profiling as a do-it-all offensive weapon along the lines of former Owls’ running back Austin Walter.

The Rice offense needs explosiveness and top-end, something Griffin possesses in bunches. His athleticism behind a retooled offensive line are going to make this offense fun to watch in the coming years. This is the kind of player you want to feed the football early an often.

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

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Filed Under: Football, Archive, Football Recruiting Tagged With: Khalan Griffin, Rice Football

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