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Rice Football Recruiting: Ratings bump boosts Owls’ 23 class

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The 2023 Rice football recruiting class is off to a strong start, checking in near the top of the latest Conference USA 247 Sports rankings.

Over the past several months, the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class has begun to pick up steam. Their first commitment, from Alief quarterback Chase Jenkins, came this March. Their most recent came from Joseph Mutombo, their highest-rated current commit, in late July. Here’s a quick rundown of what has changed in the weeks since.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 DE Joseph Mutombo commits to Owls

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The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class finished the summer strong. Defensive end Joseph Mutombo has committed to the Owls.

A cluster of new offers for potential members of the 2023 Rice football recruiting class went out during the early signing period last December. Among those offers was Keller Central defensive end Joseph Mutombo who, after months of consideration, made his decision official. Mutombo has committed to the Owls.

Mutombo chose Rice over offers from Houston, Louisiana, Tulane, Navy and others. Any time Rice can post a recruiting win over their crosstown rivals is a good thing and it’s also encouraging to see some notable other G5 programs in the mix for a player the Owls coveted.

For Mutombo, that relationship was key. He told The Roost that Rice has “always shown me so much love, from even before I was offered.” The Owls’ steadfastness won the day, allowing them to secure his pledge.

After an early run on the offensive line, Mutombo marks the second defensive lineman the Owls have taken in their class so far. Furr High School product Chris Clark committed to Rice almost exactly one month prior.

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Getting to the quarterback is the top priority for someone at the edge position and that’s exactly what Mutombo’s highlights showcase. Mutombo told The Roost he spent the offseason focusing on his explosiveness, hopefully adding to his already impressive burst and pursuit abilities.

He’ll arrive at South Main with a few tricks already secure in his pass rush tool kit, showcasing an ability to win with power and speed to the inside and the outside. He’s long (6-foot-5) but still moves well with a good frame (215 pounds) to add to in the future.

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Rice Football: Schedule, depth, recruiting — July Patreon Q&A

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A host of great questions came in this month targeting various areas of Rice football so we’re answering them all in this month’s Patreon Q&A.

Our subscribers came through with a host of Rice football related questions for this month’s Patreon Q&A. We’ll start by discussing optimal results for non-conference play, segue into the backup, backup quarterbacks, check in on the depth along the edge behind Kenneth Orji and Josh Pearcy before landing the plane with a brief recruiting discussion in this month’s Patreon Q&A.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 WR Drayden Dickmann commits to Owls

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More speed is coming to the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class. Wide receiver Drayden Dickmann has committed to the Owls.

The fireworks continue at South Main as Houstonians prepare for the Fourth of July weekend. The latest boom for the 2023 Rice football recruiting front comes in the form of an in-state wideout from Georgetown, TX: Drayden Dickmann has committed to the Owls.

Dickmann had several offers at the time of his commitment to Rice. North Texas had thrown their hat in the ring, as had Navy, Army, Air Force and several Ivy League institutions. For Dickmann, Rice was home. “I loved the feel of it,” he told The Roost. “The campus, the area, the staff, the facilities, the current players. Everything there felt like home for me.”

Beyond the aesthetics and the atmosphere, Dickmann was drawn to the pro-style system. For Dickman, having offensive coordinator Marques Tuiasosopo calling the shots was exciting. Coach Tui hasn’t been afraid to take shots over the top in his time as the Owls’ OC. Dickmann is a burner who can and will run past opposing defensive backs. This pairing should be an exciting one.

Dickmann is the second wideout in the fold so far, following Byron Nelson (TX) receiver Landon Ransom who committed to Rice two weeks before Dickmann arrived at his decision.

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The raw speed jumps out from Dickmann’s highlights as soon as you hit play. He plays at a velocity that just can’t be taught. And at 5-foot-10 and 169 pounds, he won’t be a pushover wherever he lines up relative to the line of scrimmage. Dickmann moves well and has game-changing ability, something the Owls will always welcome to South Main.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 P/K Reese Keeney commits to Owls

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The first specialist is on board in the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class. Punter/Kicker Reese Keeney has committed to the Owls.

Scholarships for specialists don’t grow on trees. That’s what makes the most recent commitment to the 2023 Rice football recruiting class most notable. A dual-skilled punter and kicker, Farragut (TN) product Reese Keeney has committed to the Owls.

Keeney was one of two specialists that picked up offers from the Owls this month. He quickly took Rice up on their bid, making his pledge official two weeks later.

Noted kicking specialist Chris Sailer had high praise for Keeney. In Sailer’s profile on Keeney, he calls him “an outstanding kicker” who “hits a clean ball and easily has 50+ yard range.” He also noted that Keeney “excels at directional punting” and can handle kickoffs as well.

The kicking game was an adventure for Rice football last fall, so the renewed emphasis on finding a longer-term solution at the position seems prudent. Rice brought in several options for the 2022 season, but isn’t leaving the future to chance, either.

Keeney is the 14th commitment in the 2023 Rice football recruiting class that has picked up significant steam this summer. He’s the first — and likely last — specialist.

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For those who don’t spend hours grinding punter and kicker tape, the highlights should suffice. Keeney puts his field goals between the pipes and boots his punts down the field.

During his junior season, Keeney averaged 39.5 yards per punt with a long of 62 yards. He placed 15 of his 40 punts inside the 20. He’s converted 74-of-76 extra-point tries (97.4 percent) in his high school career and made 6-of-12 field goals (50 percent), including a long of 43 yards this past season.

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