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Rice Football Recruiting: WR Prince Hall commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class continues to stockpile offensive weapons. Ellison wide receiver Prince Hall has committed to the Owls.

Following a spring bent on filling the final roster spots before the 2025 season arrives, the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class has taken center stage in the focus of the staff on South Main. The Owls entered a busy official visit weekend to cap off the month of May with three commitments in the 2026 class, intent on growing that number. Following his visit, Ellison wide receiver Prince Hall has committed to the Owls.

Hall had received offers from Wake Forest, UTSA, Texas State, Arkansas State, Sacramento State, Navy and others, with interest in his availability ramping up significantly during the spring. Rice jumped into the mix with an offer in mid-March, earning his pledge a few months later.

While he’s listed as an athlete by some services, the plan as of now is for Hall to start with the offense and play wide receiver. With him on board, the 2026 class has the early foundations of an offense brewing. Led by quarterback Aiden Smalls, Rice also has commitments from offensive lineman Clay Mitchell and tight end Colten Cole.

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A two-way player, Hall’s athleticism is one of the first things that jumps out when you turn on the film. At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, he’s long with great range and a knack for pinpointing the ball in the air. He can make the first man miss in traffic and powers through contact. Adding him to the Owls’ offense should produce plenty of fireworks.

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Rice Football Recruiting: DE Quincy Tchikou commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class has its first addition on the defensive side of the ball. Cy Ranch defensive end Quincy Tchikou has committed to the Owls.

Following an initial burst of new additions on the offensive side of the ball, the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class has picked up its anchor in the defensive trenches from just down the road. Cy Ranch defensive end Quincy Tchikou has committed to the Owls.

Tchikou didn’t pick up his first D1 offer before February, then his recruitment began to take off in earnest. He received 15 offers over the ensuing months, holding off on any commitment decisions until Rice entered the fray with an offer in late May. That meant turning down overtures from San Diego State, Arkansas State, New Mexico State, Navy, Colorado State, Army, Air Force, Utah State, Tulsa and others.

“With Coach Abell and the new staff coming in, I can see a huge upward trend with the way the school is going football-wise,” Tchikou told The Roost.

Now that he’s locked in, Tchikou provides a building block for the Owls to work with as they add more defenders around him. The first wave of commitments all played on the offensive side of the ball, including quarterback Aiden Smalls, offensive lineman Clay Mitchell and tight end Colten Cole.

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The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Tchikou is a disruptive force along the line who can line up across the front, but likely profiles as an edge player at the next level. His film is flush with excellent pursuit and a good first step. There’s a lot of upside with a player who already possesses such innate instincts like Tchikou.

“I feel like Rice is a place where I can hone my skills and become a better overall person,” Tchikou said. “I’m looking forward to working with this new program and getting better everyday.”

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Rice Football Recruiting: DL Matthew Aribisala commits to Owls

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The 2025 Rice Football recruiting class continues beefing up its haul in the defensive trenches. Defensive lineman Matthew Aribisala has committed to the Owls.

The finishing touches to the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class are being made as the calendar bleeds into mid-May and players will soon be on campus for summer workouts. Before that happens, the Owls are adding a few more reinforcements via the transfer portal, including this latest new face from just north of town. Former Sam Houston defensive lineman Matthew Aribisala has committed to the Owls.

Aribisala arrives on South Main with two years of eligibility remaining following four years spent at Sam Houston State. He saw action in 21 games, making his largest impact in 2023 when he recorded 11 tackles across 12 games.

He picked up his first sack last season against Rice and was on his way to an even larger role in the defense before an injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year, limiting him to just four games last fall.

Upon entering the portal, Aribisala received interest from several Group of 5 programs with offers from Ohio, New Mexico State and Arkansas State, among others.

The addition of Aribisala gives the Owls a robust group of defensive additions from the Transfer Portal this spring. He joins fellow defensive line additions VJ Bronson (North Texas) and Sam Carrell (Texas Tech) as well as safety Jack Kane (Oregon State) and corner Khary Crump (Houston Christian).

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The 6-foot-3, 295 pound interior defender has the potential to make a sizable impact on the Owls’ front. There’s not a ton of highlights out there, but this sack of Rice QB EJ Warner in the season opener last year showcased the kind of speed and power he brings to the table as a pass rusher.

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Rice Football Recruiting: RB Carson Morgan commits to Owls

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The 2025 Rice Football recruiting class has picked up another boost in their skill position ranks. Former Kansas running back Carson Morgan has committed to the Owls.

Bolstering the running back room was one of the most evident objectives when it came to rounding out the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class and prepping the roster before summer workouts arrived. Rice was able to find that piece in the transfer portal. Former Kansas running back Carson Morgan has committed to the Owls.

A product of Bentonville West High School in Arkansas who grew up in Austin, TX, Morgan committed to Kansas as a member of the 2023 class. He appeared in six games for the Jayhawks last season, primarily on special teams, without recording any official statistics, before entering the portal this spring. He has three years of eligibility remaining.

Morgan picked up a handful of FCS offers before both Rice and Ohio made their offers on the same day. Less than two weeks later, Morgan opted to head south to Houston, TX, rather than north to Athens, OH. His prior relationship with Rice football head coach Scott Abell played role in the decision.

“Coach Abell and that entire staff recruited me pretty heavily out of high school when they were at Davidson,” Morgan told The Roost. “When they reached out after I entered the portal they were very enthusiastic about me and wanted me to come visit as soon as possible.”

Morgan rounds out a skill position group that has added a fair amount of veterans in the portal over the last several weeks. Before his announcement, Rice had added Louisiana-Monroe wide receiver Artis Cole, Coastal Carolina slot receiver Max Balthazar and Kennesaw State quarterback Lucas Scheerhorn.

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The film for Morgan is a compilation of practice highlights and some special teams work. Limited though it is, Morgan’s 6-foot, 210-pound frame is the fills a gap the position was lacking and he showcases a relatively quick transition in traffic that could pay off in big ways in the Rice offense.

“I’m gonna give this program everything I got and show this community that y’all got a special one,” Morgan said. “Can’t wait to get back down in the great state of Texas!”

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Rice Football Recruiting: WR David Kasemervisz commits to Owls

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A Texas product is returning home as a member of the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class. Former Stanford wideout David Kasemervisz has committed to the Owls.

The recent run of pledges to the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class, serving as the final additions to the roster before the season arrives this fall, maintained its momentum into May. Former Stanford wide receiver — and son of a Rice alum — David Kasemervisz has committed to the Owls.

Kasemervisz was a productive high school player at Fort Bend Christian Academy in Sugar Land, TX, before signing with Stanford in 2021. Over the course of four seasons at The Farm, he saw the bulk of his action on special teams and did not record a reception. A versatile athlete, Kasemervisz also spent some time at running back at Stanford.

“It’s wasn’t a huge point of emphasis,” Kasemervisz said of his limited collegiate field time on offense. “Between my success on special teams and offensive practice film, the coaches believed I demonstrated the ability to play wide receiver at a high level.”

The addition of Kasemervisz marks the fourth offensive player Rice has taken in the portal this cycle and the second at this position. Louisiana-Monroe wide receiver Artis Cole committed just a few days prior. Also joining the fold are Coastal Carolina slot receiver Max Balthazar and Kennesaw State quarterback Lucas Scheerhorn.

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It’s hard to put much stock in high school film for a grad transfer, but the 6-foot, 205-pound Kasemervisz has intriguing athletic traits that make him worth a late-cycle flyer. If nothing else, he’s a contributor on special teams, but given the lack of size in the wide receiver room, a bigger-bodied player like Kasemervisz should get a chance to make waves.

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