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Rice Football Recruiting: Transfer QB Jake Constantine commits to Owls

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The 2021 Rice Football Recruiting doubled down on its quarterback contingent. Weber State transfer Jake Constantine has committed to the Owls.

The 2021 Rice Football recruiting class filled out the majority of its spots during the Early Signing Period. The vast majority of those additions came from the high school ranks. The most recent three, all of which occurred following the Owls’ press conference announcing the class, have been from the transfer ranks. That includes new quarterback commit Jake Constantine.

Constantine’s journey to South Main has been a unique one that began at Boise State, where he redshirted as a true freshman before transferring to Venture Junior College. After a one season stint there, he stepped up to the FCS level at Weber State where he helped lead the Wildcats to back-to-back Big Sky championships.

The plan, from that point, was to spend his final season of eligibility at Towson. That was halted when the Colonial Athletic Association canceled its’ fall football season. So Constantine decided to walk-on at Washington State, but ended up not playing for the Cougars this fall. Barring further pandemic-effects, he’ll spend his final season in Houston with Rice football.

Constantine marks the fourth graduate transfer this staff has signed in the last four recruiting class. His addition, alongside high school signee Shawqi Itraish and current underclassmen JoVoni Johnson, Wiley Green and TJ McMahon make for a rather full quarterback room.

Subscribers can check out takeaways from the entire 2021 class so far, as well as breakdowns of the signees on offense and defense. As things currently stand, Rice should only have a few remaining spots when they get to National Signing Day in February. Most of the Owls’ next wave of incoming players are signed and ready to go.

Premium: 2021 Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

On the field, Constantine brings a pretty good deep ball with a bit of mobility. He doesn’t have the cannon that Collins did, but his accuracy looks to be a touch or two better. Bringing three years of experience as a starter will be a plus.

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Rice Athletics: Top 10 Moments from 2020

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2020 was filled with highs and lows on the home from, but Rice Athletics made the best of the tough year. Here are some of the most impactful moments.

10. Men’s Basketball upsets C-USA regular-season champion North Texas

Rice basketball started slow out of the gates in conference play this past March, falling to 1-7 with a home game against 8-1 North Texas entering the final month of the season. Not only did the Owls put up a fight, they knocked off the eventual regular season champs. Rice shot 53.6 percent from three and hit 15 triples, includes three apiece from Drew Peterson, Trey Murphy, Robert Martin and four from Ako Adams.

9. Football signs Top 5 C-USA recruiting class

You can read more about the recent signees in detail in our recruiting updates over on Patreon. In short, the 2021 Rice Football Signing Class edged out the 2020 class for the highest-rated class in program history. The Owls currently hold the No. 4 class in C-USA and a Top 100 class in the country with a few spots remaining before National Signing Day in February.

8. Women’s Track and Field wins C-USA Indoor Championship

For the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2009, the Rice women took home the gold in the C-USA Indoor Championships. Grace Forbes and Michelle Fokam helped spur the Owls victory. Head coach Jim Bevan was recognized afterward as the Coach of the Year.

7.  Swimming top Tulane in duat meet

In their only home meet of the fall, Rice swimming emerged with a win. The Owls were dominant in the pool in the two-day meet, winning 15 of 21 events, including 400-freestyle relay. Rice set a facility record in the event, closing out the meet with a resounding 245-146 final score.

6. Women’s Basketball avenges Old Dominion loss

The Rice women’s basketball team saw a 30-game conference winning streak snapped on the road against Old Dominion. It was only fitting the Owls closed out the regular season with a rematch against the Monarchs. The game marked the final time senior Erica Ogwumike took the court for the Owls, making the victorious sendoff that much sweeter.

5. Grace Forbes wins C-USA Title

The women’s cross country squad only made one appearance this fall, but Grace Forbes made it count. The sophomore left her competition in the dust, crossing the finish line with no foes in sight. Her strong showing propelled the Owls to a fourth place finish in the meet.

4. Erica Ogwumike selected in WNBA Draft

The Ogwumike family name had already become a mainstay in WNBA circles before Erica Ogwumike played her final season at South Main. Her sisters, Nneka and Chiney, were both No. 1 overall selections. Erica went from off draft boards to becoming a third round pick of the New York Liberty, which was then traded to the Minnesota Lynx. Ogwumike said she was just grateful to hear her named called.

3. Women’s Basketball win’s second consecutive regular season title

Not only did Rice get revenge when they beat Old Dominion to close out the regular season this spring, they clinched their second consecutive regular season championship. The Owls were the favorites to cut down the nets in the conference tournament and to make a repeat appearance in the NCAA Tournament before COVID-19 concerns forced the cancelation of the remainder of the season.

2 Jack Fox named to NFL Pro Bowl

Released by the Chiefs last season, Fox signed a futures contract with the Detroit Lions in the offseason and won the Lions’ starting punting job in camp. From that point on, he took the NFL by storm. Fox led the NFL in most key measures for most of the season before being named to his first Pro Bowl. He’s the 12th Owl to earn a spot on a Pro Bowl roster and the first since fellow specialist Chris Boswell in 2017.

1. Rice Football shuts outs No. 15 Marshall

Rice football hadn’t beaten a ranked opponent in more than two decades when they made the trip to a cold Huntington, WV on Dec. 5 to play a then undefeated No. 15 Marshall squad. Not only did Rice win, they shut out The Herd, forcing five interceptions on their way to the upset win, a marquee victory for Rice. The Owls became the first team in 206 games to shut out Marshall at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

Honorable Mentions…

How about you? Which of these moments from Rice Athletics did you enjoy the most? Which Rice Athletics events should be added to the list?

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2021 Rice Football Recruiting: MJ Singleton decommits from Owls

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The 2021 Rice football recruiting class lost a commitment on the eve of 2021. Wide receiver MJ Singleton has recommitted from the Owls.

For the second time in this recruiting cycle, Rice football has suffered a decommitment. How will the loss of MJ Singleton impact this class and what does the receiver position look like without him?

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 67 – Rice Football Recruiting Early Signing Period Review

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The 2021 Rice football recruiting class signed its first members this past week. We dig into the class and the storytelling from the Rice creative team.

The Early Signing Period is in the book and the 2021 Rice Football recruiting class is off to a great start. Carter and Matthew dedicate this episode of the podcast to the incoming Owls, their strengths and how they fit with the roster as its currently constructed.

Before getting to X’s and O’s, it seemed fitting to talk to the Owls’ own storytellers. The creative team of Caroline Hall and Trey Jackson took us behind the scenes on #FlightSchool21, telling us how the design elements came together and what it was like sharing this team’s story through a wild year.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 67.

Episode Notes

  • Housekeeping — Don’t miss this opportunity to subscribe on Patreon. Get two months free when you subscribe to an annual membership today. There’s a lot more in store for this football program, including all our Early Signing Period content. Get the scoop on the Owls’ 2021 class and more now.
    Become a Patron!
  • Interview: Rice Creative – Caroline Hall and Trey Jackson 
    • What goes into the graphics we see on social media?
    • Behind the scenes on the Marshall speech and the Early Signing Period
    • Takeaways and learnings from content creation in 2020
  • 2021 Rice Football Recruiting Class – Early Signing Period Review
    • Offensive evaluations
    • Defensive evaluations
    • Wish list for the rest of the class
    • What will scholarship restrictions have on future classes?

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Grad transfer WR Tre Patterson commits to Owls

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The 2021 Rice Football Recruiting class added another playmaker. Former New Mexico wide receiver Tre Patterson will transfer to the Owls.

It was a busy week for the 2021 Rice Football Recruiting class, which signed 18 players on the first day of the Early Signing Period. Even with the majority of their class complete, Rice wasn’t quite finished with their pre-Christmas additions. On Friday, the Owls landed a commitment from former New Mexico wide receiver Tre Patterson.

Originally from Crosby, TX, Patterson signed with New Mexico as a member of the Lobos’ 2018 recruiting class. He appeared in 20 games over three seasons, catching 15 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns. That includes a long score of 62 yards (below) where he turned a short out into a breakaway touchdown.

Patterson will enroll midyear and be available this spring. He joins JUCO linebacker Desmyn Baker and prep school defensive lineman Jalen Hargrove as the early enrollees in the 2021 class. He’ll round out a strong group of pass catchers already that signed on Wednesday including wideouts Jayden Folmar and Peyton Stevenson as well as tight end Jaggar Hebeisen.

Subscribers can check out takeaways from the entire 2021 class so far, as well as breakdowns of the signees on offense and defense. As things currently stand, Rice should only have a few remaining spots when they get to National Signing Day in February. Most of the Owls’ next wave of incoming players are signed and ready to go.

Premium: 2021 Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Patterson has good instincts to pair with his top-flight speed. Look at this scramble drill score (below). He breaks off his route when he notices his quarterback is in trouble then beats his man down the field for the score. Having someone that can make plays off script like this will go a long way at South Main.

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