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Rice Football 2020 Practice Report: First depth chart and injury updates

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The first depth chart of the 2020 Rice Football season has been published. There weren’t many surprises, but some of those starters weren’t at practice.

I won’t bury the lede, here’s the first depth chart for Rice Football this season. For the most part, it’s chalk. The upperclassmen and vets are in the same spots as they were last season with the freshmen and new names at the bottom of the ranks with room to move upward in the next couple of weeks.

Beyond the depth chart, this update has some important injury updates, including a key player that Rice might be without for a significant amount of time. Later in the week, I’ll have a few early camp standouts.

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Depth chart takeaways

1. Special Teams

If Jordan Myers really does take over the primary punt return duties this year he’ll be one of the first tight ends to fill that role that I can remember. An OR designation at the punter spot was also somewhat of a surprise. It’s still going to be Charlie Mendes’ job to lose, but it sounds like it’s going to be a real battle between the redshirt freshmen and Stanford transfer Collin Riccitelli.

2. Quarterback

If it wasn’t evident before, this is officially a two-horse race. As mentioned in the previous update, the man out in front early is

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Rice Football 2020: First week of fall camp practice notes

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Rice football wrapped up its first padded practice of fall camp on Saturday. Here are a few early impressions of the Owls.

We made it. Thank you to all who have subscribed so far, hoping we’d get to real football. I had to pinch myself on Friday and Saturday as I watched Rice Football practice for the first time in sixth months. If you haven’t subscribed yet, check out this sneak peek for a better idea of the content you’ll have access to. I’ll also be giving away a free copy of the 2020 Rice Football Season Preview to one new subscriber this week.

Alright, now that we’ve gotten the housekeeping out of the way, fall camp is going to be just as unusual as the rollercoaster ride of an offseason which preceded it. Rice football is three practices into its preseason and it’s been different too. Community Gatorade cup distributions have been replaced with individual water coolers. Social distancing is being taken very seriously.

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Through all of those changes, there have been a few meaningful takeaways from the first few days of camp. Starting with the quarterback battle…

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Rice Football 2020: Spring Practice Week 2 Notes

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Two weeks of Rice football spring practice are in the books. We’ve got standouts on both sides of the ball and updates on the quarterback battle in this week’s notes.

The first scrimmage of spring ball is in the books. Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren liked what he saw. “I think we’re probably a little bit ahead in both systems. And I guess we should be,” Bloomgren said, “Offensively right now, from an assignment standpoint, we’re probably a little bit better [than last spring]. We’re doing things better.”

The offense finished with a handful of touchdowns drives. No field goals were kicked, all units went for it on fourth down. When adding in for those additional scoring opportunities, the defense edged the offense by a factor of roughly 2-to-1.

Like last year, the defense was clearly the more formidable unit. But this time the offense was able to celebrate touchdowns and explosive plays somewhat regularly — it wasn’t a “once in a blue moon” kind of success. That’s not to say the offense has grown by leaps and bounds. At this point, even baby steps has to be taken with some eagerness.

Bloomgren credits the wins on both sides of the ball, at least in part, to the understanding of the scheme and familiarity with what the coaching staff is asking players to do. “I think that I now have more than my 10 assistant coaches,” he surmised. “I’ve got old heads that have played a lot of football in this system that are coaching younger guys, because they’re so willing to and they so want to help and they just want to make our football team better.”

Quarterbacks

How the quarterbacks perform will continue to be the focal point of the spring. As of now, there appears to be a slight bit of separation occurring. Mike Collins took the majority of the reps with the first team offense during the scrimmage. JoVoni Johnson also saw action with the starters, too, albeit less time with the ones than Collins.

TJ McMahon and Wiley Green were mostly in charge of second and third team duties behind the aforementioned Collins and Johnson. Those two have the leg up in terms of experience, both at the D1 level and, in Johnson’s case, running the Owls’ offense.

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Collins flashed early on in the scrimmage. There was a sequence where he took a keeper around the left side of the line, sprinting 30 yards up the sideline for a first down. He then followed that by hitting a receiver in the flat who caught a block and raced another 30 yards up the field. Rice has 18 plays of 30 yards or more in 12 games last season. Stringing two such plays together in succession was eye-popping.

Johnson had his moments too. Although it’s probably fair to say the offense looked marginally more fluid under Collins, it was Johnson who led the only touchdown drive with the first team offense. He drove the team the length of the field, setting up a fourth-and-goal touchdown run.

Both have struggled with accuracy, particularly on throws down the field. Their advantages come through their legs. Collins is surprisingly mobile for such a big frame and what Johnson is capable of doing on the ground has been well documented on the field already.

Bloomgren’s evaluation remained level. “There was some good and bad with all of them,” he said. Translation: there’s no announcement on a definitive QB1 in the works any time soon.

Competition on the offensive line

This is the first spring during Bloomgren’s tenure that the Owls have had a surplus of players along the offensive line. Rice football is running with a full two-deep, plus some during spring. Only center/guard Shea Baker is pulling double duty, primarily because of his versatility rather than a lack of options.

Here’s roughly what the first team (bold) and second team looked like during the first scrimmage

Left Tackle – Clay Servin | Derek Ferraro
Left Guard – Cole Garcia | Adam Sheriff
Center – Isaac Klarkowski | Shea Baker
Right Guard – Shea Baker | Izeya Floyd
Right Tackle – Brandt Peterson | Jovaun Woolford

The most notable shift is at the right tackle spot where Brandt Peterson is getting an extended look. Bloomgren praised his efforts this spring, saying Peterson is playing “the best football he’s ever played since I’ve been here.” That’s high praise from a man who cut his teeth coaching the offensive line.

Jovaun Woolford is having a great spring as well, so how the starting line shakes out is still very much so a work in progress. Woolford seems to be transitioning well. He said he feels as if he hasn’t missed a beat. “It’s a lot like Colgate, a lot of ground and pound which I like to do.” He’s shuffled back and forth with the first and second team so far.

At left guard, a few guys have been in the mix. Cole Garcia, Adam Sheriff and Regan Riddle have all been seen some reps. That spot is TBD as well. Meanwhile, the shift to the offensive side of the ball is going well for Izeya Floyd. He’s already cracked the two-deep and is running with the second-team as a guard.

Kindling sparks

Explosive plays came at a premium for Rice football in 2019. The defense is still ahead, but there have been a few breaks in their aura of superiority. Several of the offense’s best moments came on singular plays.

  • Cam Montgomery broke two 50+ yard touchdowns, one on the ground and the other via a screen pass. He’s fast, and his acceleration is incredible. Fully healthy with a thinned out depth chart ahead of him, he could see more run if he continues to protect the football
  • Jawan King ripped off a 50-yard touchdown run of his own.
  • Jack Bradley hauled in a 40+ yard reception on a beautifully thrown ball by Wiley Green. He went up over the defender and snatched the ball with his hands. His development will be one to follow in a crowded tight end room.

Standouts on defense

There was some concern on the defensive line with Floyd moving to offense. The young guys on defense are doing just fine. Beyond the usual suspects on the first team, Kebreyun Page has been wreaking havoc off the edge.

The linebacking corps are going to be special. Blaze Alldredge and Antonio Montero are as good as advertised, but Myron Morrison is coming on strong as well. Garrett Grammer is as steady as ever, giving Rice football plenty of options in the middle of the field.

In the secondary, Kirk Lockhart and Jason White have caught my eye on multiple occasions. Lockhart plays tough and has delivered some jarring blows from the safety spot. White constantly outplays his smaller stature, making plays on the ball against receivers who have the height advantage over him. He’s a guy I could see sticking as a slot corner.

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Rice Football 2020: Spring Practice Day 1 Notes

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The first day of Rice football spring practice is in the books. It’s too early to draw any definitive conclusions, but the groundwork is being laid for the fall.

A full complement of players took the field on Monday for the first day of Rice football spring practice. The complete roster lists 79 players, more than enough to field two full units on both sides of the ball. Some positions will be deeper than others, but the Owls have reached enough bodies to make significant strides this spring.

Head coach Mike Bloomgren likes where the team is at entering the spring, particularly on defense. “I love where our defense is…” he said. “I love that coach [Brian] Smith has them in the mindset that nothing they did last year is going to make a single play for them this year. Everything’s got to be earned again. I can’t wait to see what they can build over there on that side [of the ball]”.

Bloomgren did make sure to mention that the Owls return 20 of 22 players on the defensive two-deep depth chart. That’s the best in the nation in terms of returning defensive production.

Quarterbacks

In a somewhat surprising move, there were no “OR” designations on the first Rice football depth chart of the spring. The quarterbacks, listed from top to bottom:

  1. JoVoni Johnson
  2. Mike Collins
  3. TJ McMahon
  4. Wiley Green
  5. Evan Marshman
  6. Parker Towns

A true No. 1 is far from being finalized, but the decision to put Johnson atop the pack was intentional. “He gained a lot of our trust,” Bloomgren said. “He earned the right, in my opinion, and coach [Jerry] Mack’s opinion, to be on top. So he’s taking those [first team] reps.”

After Johnson, Collins and McMahon have clearly separated themselves from the rest of the group. It would be surprising if one of those three isn’t named the opening day starter for the Owls in the fall. The value of having Mack in the quarterback room as well as having all three starting options on campus for the full duration of spring cannot be understated.

Offensive line

Bloomgren spent the majority of the first practice in the trenches with the offensive line. Injecting his extensive experience into that group will be crucial as the Owls look to reconfigure their front five on the fly.

Rice loses Brian Chaffin, Justin Gooseberry and Nick Leverett. The first reps of spring ball featured this revamped first team line:

LT – Clay Servin
LG – Adam Sheriff
C – Isaac Klarkowski
RG – Shea Baker
RT – Jovaun Woolford

Baker at the guard position probably says more about the uncertainty at that spot than it does about the center position. Klarkowski’s work last season in emergency duty had staying power. “I don’t know if we think of him as a walk-on anymore,” admitted Bloomgren, who showed no qualms about him starting the spring with the first team.

Rice has two full lines this spring as opposed to six or seven healthy bodies at the position at this time last year. The tackle spots seem more or less locked down, but the remaining options on the interior could position themselves for a bigger role in the fall with a good showing over the next few weeks.

Injuries

It seems like having 100 percent of the roster fully healthy at the same time is all but impossible. The Owls are relatively healthy, but these four players are expected to miss all of spring ball.

  • Robbie Blosser
  • Jake Bailey
  • Bennett Mecom
  • Trey Schuman

The absence of Jake Bailey is probably the most notable. Trey Schuman is in line to regain his starting role in the fall. He’s somewhat of a more known quantity. Bailey’s absence from the spring will make things a bit more complicated in a wide receiver room that’s starting to get a little more crowded.

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Rice Football 2019: North Texas practice notes and injury updates 🔒

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Rice Football has put the finishing touches on their prep for North Texas. Injuries, game plan updates and more from a busy week of practice at South Main.

Bloomgren has already compartmentalized the Middle Tennessee win and turned his attention to North Texas. He received more than 200 text messages in the hours following the big win, culling the tally of unread messages to 102 by midweek. Rex Ryan, who visited with the team during the bye week, was one of those congratulators, which included several people that have been encouraging Bloomgren every step of the way.

Needless to say, it was a fun week for Rice football. Coming off their first win of the 2019 season, the team was energized and working hard to turn the single victory into a winning streak. As they prepared for North Texas, head coach Mike Bloomgren and the staff remained focused.

“The validation for me is not going to come from winning one football game. So many of the things we’re doing are already validating it,” Bloomgren said. “To win the one this week, which is the only thing that we have that we can control, is everything… that’s where all of our focus is.”

Offensive notes

It wouldn’t be another week of practice without some notes to pass along on the quarterback position. This week, the picture looks as clear as it has in quite some time.

Tom Stewart will start. He played extremely well against Middle Tennessee, proving he has what it takes to lead this offense, assuming his back cooperates. The backup spot is a bit less clear, but as of it now it appears JoVoni Johnson will not be close enough to 100 percent to go. Depending on how he feels on Saturday and the situation in the game, it’s most likely Evan Marshman will be the acting No. 2 against North Texas. With one game left to maintain his redshirt status, the staff is unlikely to roll out a limited Johnson.

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We could see Marshman in some form or fashion even if Stewart is good to go for the duration of Saturday’s contest. He still has a few special packages in place. I do feel confident in saying there will be some sort of change-of-pace pairing. We saw Juma Otoviano run some wildcat quarterback in recent weeks. There are a few players who could fill that role on Saturday, Marshman included.

As for the skill position players, it was nice to see Zane Knipe get involved with a 12-yard carry against Middle Tennessee. Knipe said this week “It feels good to finally contribute, to finally be able to be out there with my brothers.” We’ll see his role grow as he returns to form and is worked into the system.

Defensive notes

The most notable change to the depth chart this week is at corner where true freshman Tre’shon Devones has won the starting job over Andrew Bird. Devones got the start last week in Bird’s return to the field after injury. Bird did have an interception prior to halftime, but Devones did more than enough to claim the starting spot, including a forced fumble on the first play of the game.

“He’s just done a phenomenal job,” Bloomgren said of Devones. “He’s an uber-talented kid and he’s taken advantage of every opportunity.” With Devones, Thornton and Bird, Rice has three corners they trust to a great degree. Jason White and Josh Landrum have looked good in spots as well. The position as a whole has taken a significant step forward from last year to this year.

Injuries

As will be the case with JoVoni Johnson, running back Juma Otoviano seems like a long shot to play Saturday. Otoviano has one game left to retain his redshirt status and is dealing with a lower body injury, too. He’ll more than likely be held out one more game to get him as healthy as possible before ending his season at UTEP.

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On the other side of the ball, edge rusher Anthony Ekpe has progressed a fair amount this week. After doing individual drills last week, he’s been gradually eased back into the defense. He’ll be a true game-time decision on Saturday after being doubtful for the last several weeks. His fellow lineman Trey Schuman is less fortunate. He will not play against North Texas.

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