The source for Rice sports news

Rice Football Recruiting: SAF Michael Amey III commits to Owls

By

The recent wave of 2025 Rice Football recruiting class wins marches onward. Hightower safety Michael Amey III has committed to the Owls.

The 2025 Rice Football recruiting class has added commitments from almost every position following a flurry of visits and offers in late June and early July. A true safety wasn’t among those new pledges, though. Now the class has one in the fold. Michael Amey has committed to the Owls.

Amey picked Rice over offers from Hawaii, Texas Southern, HCU, Lamar and UTRGV, among others. The Rice coaching staff hasn’t been afraid to be one of the first to extend an offer and tends to be very confident in their evaluations.

With Amey on board, the 2025 class is starting to fill out and take shape. The 247 Sports rankings, which still have yet to list a few of the Owls’ more recent commitments, including Amey, lists Rice in the top 100 classes nationally and top five in the AAC. That’s a good launching point for the program as the summer starts to wind down as we march toward the fall and the return of football.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

The film does a great job of showcasing Amey’s vision and instincts in the middle of the field. He has tremendous range and isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder and deliver a punishing blow when he arrives at his target. Amey is a true centerfielder who should find himself right at home in the Owls’ defensive scheme.

Become a Patron!
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football Recruiting: DL Brendon Rice commits to Owls

By

The 2025 Rice Football recruiting class is bulking up in the trenches. Defensive tackle Brendon Rice has committed to the Owls.

The state of Michigan is on the board. Following a recent run of Texas pledges for the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class, the Owls headed north to land their most recent addition. North Farmington (MI) defensive tackle Brendon Rice has committed to the Owls.

Rice picked Rice over nearly two dozen offers spanning the primarily the midwest. He had offers from several MAC programs like Bowling Green, Akron, Ball State and Buffalo as well as Marshall, UMass, Harvard and others.

Even with a host of other horses in the race, the Scholars came out ahead for the player who shares their namesake.

“I felt the culture throughout the program, especially the relationships between the guys in the locker room and the coaches,” Rice told The Roost “I feel being from Michigan I could have a new experience as well by seeing new parts of the country while playing great football while also learning and developing even more to help me reach my goal one day of playing on Sundays.”

The tandem of Rice and fellow defensive lineman Rob Rooks, who committed just a few days prior, should form a tremendous duo in the trenches for years to come. Rice’s pledge also gives the Owls 15 commitments as the class has skyrocketed in size. Entering June it had just three members before this recent wave of newcomers made their announcements.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

The highlights paint a fairly convincing case to get Rice in the boat. He’s an interior rusher, but his power is devastating when he’s coming downhill from any angle. He’s strong with a powerful first step and has the physicality to eat up blockers and make plays. In a defense that has had its fair share of big men in the middle, Rice is ready to join the ranks. That mirrors how Rice feels he fits in this scheme.

“I feel my type of game is quickness and strength and power,” he said. “I feel pressing vertical, stunting, sliding is a good fit. I like to move around and that’s how they see me.”

Become a Patron!
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football Recruiting: ATH Payton Matthews commits to Owls

By

The 2025 Rice Football recruiting class just landed another difference-maker on the offensive side of the ball. Versatile athlete Payton Matthews has committed to the Owls.

At its core, recruiting is about finding the most talented athletes possible. Once they’re on campus, coaches have to put the pieces together in the most optimal way. The 2025 recruiting class has leaned fully into that philosophy with its latest addition, picking up a pledge for an elite athlete and leaving the exact position he’ll play open-ended. Athlete Payton Matthews has committed to the Owls.

Matthews’ ability to do a lot of different things all over the field is part of what drew him to the Owls’ scheme. “I’ve always floated around from position to position,” Matthews told The Roost. “I think [the Rice coaching staff] can utilize my playmaking abilities all over the field.”

Along the way, Matthews picked Rice over offers from UTSA, Navy, Air Force, Central Michigan and others.

Early indications are he’ll start off in the wide receiver room with the understanding he’s not going to be a stagnant piece in the offense. Matthews indicated his conversations with the staff emphasized that versatility. “I’m supposed to be all over the field which is one of the things I love most,” he said.

The addition of Matthews further bolsters the offensive weaponry of the 2025 class which includes a couple of tight ends, a pair of running backs and multiple receivers, the majority of which have committed in the last two weeks.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Matthews is a lightning bolt on film. His explosiveness and elusive nature make him a home-run threat whenever he gets the football in his hands. How that happens remains to be see, but he’s the type of playmaker you want to get on the field however you can.

Become a Patron!
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

The latest with Rice Football Recruiting: June 2024 Q&A

By

The past two weeks have been a blur as Rice football recruiting has picked up the pace during official visit weekends. This month’s Q&A digs into the festivities.

Things were relatively quiet on the Rice Football recruiting front until very recently. The Owls entered the month with three commitments. They’re going to leave June with at least a dozen, if not more. Where did this come from? And what can the Owls expect from their recent surge of recruiting wins? We tackle those questions and more in this month’s subscriber Q&A.

Questions were edited briefly for clarity. Want to get your questions answered? Subscribe on Patreon for our monthly mailbag.

For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Special features like this are reserved for our subscribers. Have questions? You can get those answered in our monthly Q&As and get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

Subscriber content. Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.

Q: Was this planned? Were all these commits just waiting in secret to announce at the same time?

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football Recruiting: DL Rob Rooks commits to Owls

By

A versatile defensive piece has joined the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class. Defensive lineman Rob Rooks has committed to the Owls.

The month of June was marked by a flurry of in-state additions to the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class, with a few exceptions out west. The Texas-based Owls reached outside the state again this time. Defensive lineman Rob Rooks has committed to the Owls.

Rooks had already racked up a host of offers before he pulled the trigger and committed to Rice. He picked the Owls over offers from Washington State, Nevada, several Ivy League programs and the service academies. The in-demand defender knew what he was looking for in his future school, though. That’s why the search stopped at South Main.

“I knew Rice was the place for me when all sides of life were weighed the same,” he told The Roost. “For me, I’m a high academic guy who wants to push himself to the next level in regards to football and education. During my visit to Rice, I felt like there was a great balance of both on campus.”

“I saw a program and a school that I wanted to be a part of.”

Rooks joins linebacker Ty Thames as the other defensive addition this month. The wave of new additions has swelled the Owls’ numbers to 13 commitments in the 2025 class and counting.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Rooks can play multiple positions, but projects as a three-tech interior defensive lineman at Rice. That’s where he and the coaching staff see him fitting on the field once he arrives. “I believe this fits my profile perfectly,” he said. “I would describe myself as an explosive pass rusher who can hold his gap in the run game.”

That’s exactly what you see on the film. Rooks is quick, disruptive and strong. He’s a disruptor and a great addition to the Owls’ 2025 class.

Become a Patron!
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts