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Rice Football Recruiting: TE Will Swartz commits to Owls

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Another impact offensive player has joined the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class. Hargrave tight end Will Swartz has committed to the Owls.

The recent run of commitments for the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. The program has added players on both sides of the ball, raking in future difference-makers as they go. That includes Hargrave tight end Will Swartz, who committed to the Owls this week.

Swartz chose Rice over offers from UTSA and Arkansas State in yet another head-to-head win over an in-state rival, a common theme among players the Owls have added in the last week.

When it came down to it, Swartz cited the people at Rice as one of his biggest deciding factors. “Everywhere you go at Rice people want you to succeed,” he told The Roost. “From professors to coaches to other players, it’s all around just great genuine people who want to see you flourish.”

A participant in the official visits on campus in mid-June, Swartz didn’t take long to make up his mind. He will be enrolling early next spring, the next in a relatively new high school early enrollment program the Owls launched last year.

Swartz joins fellow tight end Luke Tevis in the class, giving the Owls a tandem of players at the position to serve as building blocks for a unit that continues to grow. The 2025 group already has pledges from multiple offensive linemen, wide receivers and a quarterback.

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When asked to describe his style of play, Swartz delivered this all-timer of a response. “I’m definitely a big-bodied tight end who loves to block,” he said. “There’s no better feeling to me than to move someone against their will.” That toughness and physicality shine through in his film. He’s a reliable pass-catching option, too.

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Rice Football Recruiting: OL Erben Birkhoff commits to Owls

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The 2025 Rice Football recruiting class is bolstering its haul in the trenches. Tompkins offensive lineman Erben Birkhoff has committed to the Owls.

In a pro-style scheme, you can never have enough offensive linemen. Every successive Rice football recruiting class brings in a few big-bodied men in the trenches and the 2025 group is no exception.  That theme was prevalent in the program’s recent run of commits which included Katy Tompkins offensive lineman Erben Birkoff.

Birkoff chose Rice over an offer he received from UTSA last summer. Rather than head west to San Antonio, the Houston native will be sticking close to home for his collegiate career. Birkoff told The Roost that proximity did play a role in his decision.

“Rice is close to home,” he said, “I love the coaching staff and the players. They made it feel like I have a second family away from home.”

Birkoff was one of the many who were impressed with the recent runs of recruiting weekends on South Main. He soaked in the atmosphere at his official visit and committed publically just a few days later. He becomes the third offensive lineman in the 2025 class, joining Colter Alberding, another commitment this week, and Cole Principe who has been in the fold since early late April.

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There’s a lot to like about Birkhoff’s game when you turn on the tape. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound trench warrior is rather quick on his feet, considering his size, and moves well in space. That’s an asset that will serve him well in the Owls’ running scheme, especially after some time in the weight room with Hans Straub and company. Add in some position flexibility with experience at guard and tackle and you get a strong prospect the Owls are excited to get.

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Rice Football Recruiting: RB Tyvonn Byars commits to Owls

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The 2025 Rice Football recruiting class continues to stockpile skill talent. Lake Creek running back Tyvonn Byars has committed to the Owls.

Players have flocked to campus this past month to take part in official visits as the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class begins to take shape. Several of those visitors either had offers or were issued offers. Many took that one step further and made a pledge to play their college ball with the Owls. One such new addition to the fold is running back Tyvonn Byars who has committed to the Owls.

Rice beat out offers from Houston, Texas Tech, Memphis, Tulsa and others for the services of this explosive playmaker. Byars credits the atmosphere he felt on campus as well as the trajectory of the program right now. “I want to be a part of the change,” he told The Roost.

Byars will be a fun chess piece to drop into the Owls’ offensive scheme. That’s something Byars is looking forward to stepping into when he arrives on campus. “They use the running back a lot of different ways,” he said. “I think I am a fit for that. I definitely think I can contribute.”

The addition of Byars gives the class two running back commitments, joining North Shore rusher D’Andre Hardeman who committed in April.

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A quick look at the highlights makes it clear Byars is going to be fun to watch on South Main. He’s a home run hitter with an impressive burst with the ball in his hands. He says he prides himself on his vision, a trait that jumps out when you watch him play.

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Rice Football Recruiting: WR Tucker Cusano commits to Owls

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Another offensive weapon has joined the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class. Coppell wide receiver Tucker Cusano has committed to the Owls.

The summer months in Houston are heating up and so is the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class. Fresh off a series of camps and visits the Owls have landed another pledge to build their future ranks. Coppell wide receiver Tucker Cusasno has committed to the Owls.

Rice was quick to the trigger with Cusano, identifying him as someone they wanted with an offer on June 1. Roughly three weeks later he was in the fold, securing his commitment over previous offers from Army, Sam Houston and others. That’s a relatively fast turnaround in the world of modern college football recruiting, but the mutual excitement on both sides underscores surpasses the quick timeline.

“I felt like the team had the best mentality I wanted to be around,” Cusano told The Roost. He also cited the coaching staff’s NFL experience and ability to get players to the pros as a factor in his decision. The fruits of Luke McCaffrey’s ascent to a Top 100 pick seem to already be bearing fruit.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Cusano joins a physically imposing group of pass catchers that includes 6-foot-6, 185-pound wideout Keenan Arcega-Whiteside and 6-foot-2, 200-pound tight end Luke Tevis. The Owls are definitely getting some power to go along with a roster that leans more toward raw speed at the skill positions.

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Cusano’s film is an exciting watch. He has soft hands and is willing to take on contact, powering through arm tackle and getting past the first defender with regularity. His ability to win one one-on-one and convert contested catch opportunities bode well for his development in the future. Cusano is tough and he’ll fit right in with this program.

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Rice Football Recruiting: TE Luke Tevis commits to Owls

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The 2025 Rice Football recruiting class is starting to pick up steam with a multi-commitment day. Tight end Luke Tevis has committed to the Owls.

As the summer camp cycle starts to pick up the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class is growing along with it. Rice added a pledge from wide receiver Keenan Arcega-Whiteside earlier in the day only to double down with another pass catcher that same morning. Paschal tight end Luke Tevis has committed to the Owls.

Landing Tevis represents a tremendous win for Rice, even if it comes relatively early in the recruiting calendar. The playmaking tight end already held offers from fellow AAC foes UTSA and North Texas, as well as Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech and a few service academies.

Winning head-to-head battles in Texas is always important, especially when it involves taking a player from the DFW area away from a rival program in the same league.

The addition of Tevis and Arcega-Whiteside brings the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class up to five players spanning both sides of the ball from the trenches to the skill positions. It’s a well-rounded start for a program that looks to build on a robust roster that returns the vast majority of its contributing players heading into the 2024 season.

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In a highlight-centric world, most offensive recruits open their film clips with a big play down the field ending in a touchdown. It’s probably fitting then that the very first highlight in Tevis’ full-season review is a punishing block that ends with a would-be tackler being laid horizontal with force. Tevis showcases his abilities as a receiver and runner, too, but that big hit says a lot about what he values about his game and undoubtedly was attractive to this coaching staff.

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