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Rice Football Recruiting: SAF Caden VerMaas commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class is still making waves in the Transfer Portal. Former Nebraska safety Caden VerMaas has committed to the Owls.

Already in good position with multiple defensive back commits out of the Transfer Portal, the 2026 Rice Football Recruiting class continued to stockpile in one of their largest areas of need. Roughly halfway through this portal cycle, Rice added another defensive back to the fold. Former Nebraska safety Caden VerMaas has committed to the Owls.

VerMaas is a Omaha, Nebraska native who stuck with the Huskers right out of high school. He redshirted in his lone year on campus with the Huskers in 2025, appearing in two games against Akron and Houston Christian.

VerMaas joins Coastal Carolina’s Zach Cody and UAB’s Tariq Watson as the three defensive back additions. While Watson has one year of eligibility remaining, Watson and VerMaas both have three years of college football still to play. The Owls have reloaded at key spots in the secondary with potential multi-year solutions to bolster depth beyond 2026.

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A former two-way player at the high school level, VerMaas was an explosive running back in addition to the successes he had on the defensive side of the ball. At 6-foot, 190 pounds, the now full-time defensive back still showcases his quickness and burst in the open field, even considering most of the tape is still from his high school days.

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Rice Football Recruiting: LS Phoenix Derichsweiler commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class is filling needs across the board, including special teams. Former Tulane long snapper Phoenix Derichsweiler has committed to the Owls.

There was always going to be an increased special teams presence to the 2026 Rice Football Recruiting class after losing several starting pieces to the Transfer Portal and graduation. With a new punter already added to the fold, the Owls picked up one more on that phase on Friday. Former Tulane long snapper Phoenix Derichsweiler has committed to the Owls.

Derichsweiler didn’t see action with Tulane in 2025, his freshman season with the Green Wave. The former Dallas Jesuit product opted to enter the Transfer Portal and return to his home state, committed to the Owls with four years of eligibility remaining. He fills an immediate need for Rice after former starting long snapper Wyatt Freeman entered the portal this offseason.

Rice also added a high school long snapper in this class, Hamilton Sharpe from the Woodlands College Park. He’ll officially sign with the Owls in February, giving the program multiple options to battle for the starting job next fall. Also coming in on the special teams front is punter Charlie Durkin from Kent State and high school place kicker signee Tommy Bauchiero.

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Like most specialists, the tape reflects the best moments. Consistency will always be key, something Derichsweiler will do his best to demonstrate when he arrives on campus.

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Rice Football Recruiting: CB Tariq Watson commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class is doubling down on defensive backs in the Transfer Portal. Former UAB corner Tariq Watson has committed to the Owls.

Graduation and transfer attrition made corner a position of priority in the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class. In the week since the Transfer Portal opened, Rice has now picked up two pledges at the position, including their most recent add from an American Conference program. Former UAB corner Tariq Watson has committed to the Owls.

Watson committed to Minnesota out of high school and, after redshirting his freshman season in 2022, played all 13 games for the Gophers before transferring to UAB. He played in 11 games for the Blazers that year, starting one, before becoming a mainstay in 2025, starting seven games while appearing in nine.

With Watson aboard, Rice football has arguably filled its biggest portal needs this cycle. They added a pair of quarterbacks in former UCF quarterback Jacurri Brown and former UNLV passer Gael Ochoa as well as another corner, Coastal Carolina’s Zach Cody.

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In Watson, Rice gets a 5-foot-10, 185 pound veteran who immediately bolsters a room in need of bodies, preferably ones with experience at the FBS level. A former track athlete, the tape shows Watson can run and plays with aggression, two attributes that make him a nice fit for the Owls’ defense.

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Rice Football Recruiting: P Charlie Durkin commits to Owls

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A Transfer Portal addition on the special teams front has joined the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class. Former Kent State punter Charlie Durkin has committed to the Owls.

After making a splash with additions on the offense and defensive side of the ball, the 2026 Rice Football Recruiting has its first new member on special teams. Former Kent State punter Charlie Durkin has committed to the Owls.

Durkin slides into a roster spot vacated by departing punter Alex Bacchetta, who elected to transfer from the Owls’ program this winter after an improved campaign in 2025.

Bacchetta’s 2024 season bears a striking resemblance to Durkin’s 2025. Last year Bacchetta averaged 41.2 yards per punt with a 37.7 net, whereas this season Durkin averaged 41.1 yards per punt with a 37.0 net. Bacchetta boosted both marks by about three yards this year. If Durkin can make a similar stride he could prove to be a steal for the Owls in this cycle.

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Durkin marks the fourth D1 transfer to join the class to this point. The headliner is UCF quarterback Jacurri Brown, but Rice also added second-year quarterback Gael Ochoa from UNLV as well as corner Zach Cody from Coastal Carolina.

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Rice Football Recruiting: QB Gael Ochoa commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class doubled down at the most important position, adding another passer to the fold. Former UNLV quarterback Gael Ochoa has committed to the Owls.

The departure of multiple quarterbacks this offseason left a pair of spots to be addressed at the position in the 2026 Rice Football Recruiting class. The staff took a two-pronged approach, adding an instant-impact grad transfer and a younger player to develop. The latter is the Owls’ potential future at the position. Former UNLV quarterback Gael Ochoa has committed to the Owls.

A Texas native from El Paso, Ochoa signed with UNLV out of high school. He redshirted during the 2024 season before being jumped in line at the position when the Rebels added Virginia transfer Anthony Colandrea and Michigan quarterback Alex Orji. With the uncertainty surrounding that position at UNLV right now, Ochoa opted for the portal and a return to his home state.

The signing of former UCF quarterback Jacurri Brown was the headline addition at the position for the 2026 class, and understandably so. Ochoa made his formal pledge to the Owls with full knowledge they’d be bringing in Brown. With three years of eligibility remaining, Ochoa addresses the future need with Brown slotted in to start this coming season.

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Even when going back to look at Ocho’s high school tape, there are clear markers of a player comfortable in space who can make plays with his legs while remaining ready to strike deep. He possesses good field vision and is instinctive. Given a couple of seasons to mature in the Owls’ system, Ochoa is a high upside bet the staff made sure to get on campus.

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