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Rice Football Recruiting: Edge Tariq May commits to Owls

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The first Transfer Portal addition to the defensive trenches in the 2026 Rice Football Recruiting has landed. Former Eastern Washington edge Tariq May has committed to the Owls.

The first wave of commitments to the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class came at quarterback and defensive back, but the Owls weren’t stopping there. Fortifying the pass rush was important, too, and they’ve officially taken their first step in that direction in the Transfer Portal this cycle. Former Eastern Washington edge Tariq May has committed to the Owls.

May is a fascinating addition. Lightly recruited out of high school as an athlete, May began his college career at tight end before switching over to defense in the spring of his second season. That’s where he been ever since, seeing his first collegiate action this fall at defensive end. May appeared in 10 games, registering two sacks and eight tackles.

With May on board, the 2026 class is starting to take shape as the cycle begins to wind down and the portal closes. He joins on the same day Rice football picked up commitments from linebacker Jesus Machado (Houston) and corner Jamir Benjamin (UCLA).

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Readily available highlights are harder to find in the MAC, and while six year old high school film might not be indicative of what type of player Rice football is getting, watching May dazzle as a wide receiver should show just how athletic and versatile of a player he is. There’s upside here if the staff can get the most out of him.

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Rice Football Recruiting: CB Jamir Benjamin commits to Owls

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There’s no doubting the commitment to get the secondary right with the 2026 Rice Football Recruiting class. Former UCLA corner Jamir Benjamin has committed to the Owls.

The call for corners couldn’t have been clearer as the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class looks to reload in the secondary through the Transfer Portal. Even though they have several pledges already in the fold, Rice is adding another boundary defender to their stockpile to ensure the position has all the reinforcements it needs. Former UCLA corner Jamir Benjamin has committed to the Owls.

A 5-foot-10, 180-pound redshirt freshman from Lansing, Michigan, Benjamin was a rather highly sought after recruit among the Owls’ academic peers. Benjamin opted for UCLA over offers from Northwestern, Stanford, Duke and Georgia Tech, appearing in 13 games for the Bruins over two seasons.

Most of Benjamin’s collegiate action to this point has come on special teams, but those reps include a fumble returned for a touchdown as well as nine tackles. Now he heads to South Main as a more experienced player with three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Benjamin joins a portal haul that already includes corners Zach Cody (Coastal Carolina), Tariq Watson (UAB) and Kyren Condoll (Duke). This quartet features a solid mixture of athletic measurables, in-game collegiate experience and years to grow and develop at Rice.

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The high school film checks all the boxes and backs up the level of interest Benjamin received as a prep recruit. He runs to the ball, hits hard and showcased his speed and agility with some snaps on offense, too. He represents another high-upside swing for a program that needed to take several this offseason at this position.

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Rice Football Recruiting: LB Jesus Machado commits to Owls

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An intra-city addition to the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class has locked in his pledge. Former Houston and Tulane linebacker Jesus Machado has committed to the Owls.

There were a handful of positions of emphasis for the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class when the Transfer Portal opened in early January. Linebacker wasn’t a key need, but there was always going to be room if the right fit arose. The Owls found just that player, and he wasn’t far from campus. Former Houston linebacker Jesus Machado has committed to the Owls.

Machado was a star player for current Houston coach Willie Fritz while both were at Tulane. That was before Machado suffered an ACL injury that caused him to miss the entirety of the 2024 season with the Green Wave. He then followed his former coach to Houston and redshirted in 2025, appearing in four games.

The first linebacker in the fold, Machado is the 12th addition from the Transfer Portal since it opened on January 2 and one of seven additions on the defense, which to this point, has been heavily skewed toward the secondary. Rice hasn’t added anyone on either side of the trenches yet, but that’s something that could change quickly in the days ahead.

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At his best, Machado has already proven himself to be a fringe all-conference caliber player, finishing second-team all-AAC in 2023. Rice football is betting the rangy, ball-hawking linebacker they saw on tape during the 2023 season will be ready to make an appearance, two seasons removed from a serious injury. If it does, this is could be a steal of a signing for the folks on South Main.

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Rice Football Recruiting: CB Kyren Condoll commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class picked up a pledge from an ACC defensive back. Former Duke corner Kyren Condoll has committed to the Owls.

Rounding out a 2026 Rice Football recruiting class that put a heavy emphasis on rebuilding the defensive backfield, the Owls searched everywhere from the FCS to the Power 4 to find the right fits, including this ACC safety. Former Duke corner Kyren Condoll has committed to the Owls.

Condoll was a three-star recruit out of Rancho Cucamonga High School in California who picked Duke over offers from Stanford, Utah, Washington and others at the time. He spent two seasons with the Blue Devils, appearing in 10 games without registering any official statistics. The West Coast product who spent two seasons on the East Coast is bouncing back to the middle of the country, where he’ll have three years of eligibility when he arrives at South Main.

With Condoll aboard, Rice football now has a strong mix of backgrounds and abilities to deploy in a transformed secondary. He joins fellow corners Zach Cody (Coastal Carolina) and Tariq Watson (UAB) as well as safeties Koa Akui (Sacramento State), Caden VerMaas (Nebraska) and AJ Brown (UAB).

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The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Condoll is a bet on traits combined with two years of development in a collegiate environment. The tape showcases a player who is quick, hits hard and plays with energy. Most importantly, he plays through the whistle and isn’t shy about fighting for the ball in the air.

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Rice Football Recruiting: SAF AJ Brown commits to Owls

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Another American Conference defensive back has joined the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class. Former UAB safety AJ Brown has committed to the Owls.

The Rice Football Recruiting class is benefiting from the stability and upward trajectory of the program as head coach Scott Abell builds the roster entering his second season on South Main. Meanwhile, turnover elsewhere has created opportunities for the Owls, including elsewhere in the American Conference. Former UAB safety AJ Brown has committed to the Owls.

Brown has 36 games of college football under his belt. He began, as many players do, as a special teams staple with the Blazers in 2023, increasing his role to a rotational defensive back in 2024 and eventually a six-game starter, ending his time with the Blazers as a mainstay in the starting line.

Last season, Brown had five games with seven or more tackles, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. He also brings 91 career tackles, a sack and an interception to Rice.

In addition to a wave of new defensive back additions in this cycle, Brown will also sync up with his teammate Tariq Watson, who started alongside him with the Blazers in 2025. Safeties Koa Akui (Sacramento State) and Caden VerMaas (Nebraska), as well as corners Kyren Condoll (Duke) and Zach Cody (Coastal Carolina) round out the parliament of new Owls in the secondary.

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The Transfer Portal contains every level of experience, athletic pedigree and statistical history. In many ways, Brown is the intersection of all of those key attributes. He has some exciting highlights and plenty of history that suggest he can step in and contribute immediately for the Rice secondary, making his a crucial pickup in this transfer cycle.

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