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Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 CB Jamarion Clark commits to Owls

May 17, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

The first defensive pledge of the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class is in the books. Corner Jamarion Clark has committed to the Owls.

After a few weeks of relative quiet, things picked up quickly on the Rice football recruiting front in mid-May. The Owls handed out almost two dozen offers in a 24-hour period, representing roughly a quarter of their total offer count for the 2023 class. Among those offers was South Oak Cliff corner Jamarion Clark, who pulled the trigger almost immediately and committed to the Owls.

Clark had previously picked up offers from Arizona, Buffalo and Toledo last fall. He added offers from Tulsa, Northern Arizona, Alabama A&M and others this spring. He even picked up an offer from Bowling Green on Tuesday, the day he elected to shut things down and commit to Rice.

The addition of Clark marks the addition of the first defensive commitment in the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class. To this point, the Owls had received commitments from five offensive linemen as well as quarterback Chase Jenkins.

When Clark signs, he’ll be the first scholarship corner the Owls have added from the high school ranks since the 2021 class, which included Jojo Jean.

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Clark’s film screams physicality and awareness. His ability to diagnose where the ball is going, react quickly and come downfield with aggression is exciting. Corners in this scheme are frequently asked to stand on an island and lock down their side of the field. Clark has the makings of someone that could be able to do just that, making his commitment a nice pickup for the Owls.

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Filed Under: Archive, Football, Football Recruiting Tagged With: Jamarion Clark, Rice Football, Rice Football recruiting

Rice Football Recruiting: JSU transfer RB Uriah West commits to Owls

May 2, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice Football recruiting has filled an immediate need in the backfield with the addition of Jacksonville State running back Uriah West.

Head coach Mike Bloomgren mentioned his team wasn’t yet complete at the conclusion of spring practices. Since that acknowledgment, the incoming Rice football recruiting class has been bolstered by way of the transfer portal, most recently with the commitment of former Jacksonville State running back Uriah West.

Rice did not sign a high school running back in the 2022 class, adding JUCO rusher Dean Connors instead. While Connors was impressive in spring practices, the need to add at least one more trustworthy back became clear by the time camp was winding down. Connors and Juma Otoviano were the only two healthy backs on the roster for the Spring Game.

Enter Uriah West. The Douglasville, GA native averaged 5.7 yards per carry over four seasons at Jacksonville State, tallying 1392 rushing yards, most of which came in his final two seasons where he shared backfield duties with fellow upperclassmen Josh Samuel.

West took a visit to Rice at the end of April, calling Rice “a second home”, praising the intentionality of the coaching staff and speaking positively about his experience at South Main. That trip would prove to be all he needed to make his decision.

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West calls himself a “decisive runner [that is] tough to bring down”. That tenacity shows up in his film. He’s not afraid to run through defenders and is willing to lower his pads and plow forward. West shows burst with the ball in his hands and has 24 career receptions. His versatility will come in handy in a Rice offense that likes to utilized the full breadth of running back abilities.

https://twitter.com/uknoe_/status/1515058810414641166

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Filed Under: Featured, Football, Football Recruiting Tagged With: Rice Football, Rice Football recruiting, Uriah West

Rice Football Recruiting: 2023 OL Patrick Valent commits to Owls

May 2, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class has doubled down in the trenches, picking up a commitment from offensive lineman Patrick Valent.

For the better part of a month, the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class had one commitment: quarterback Chase Jenkins. Then the Owls ramped up the visits at the tail end of spring practice and the pace began to pick up quickly. Only a few days after securing a commitment from several additional offensive lineman, Rice has added another, Patrick Valent, to the fold as well.

Valent seemed locked in from the start. Rice was first to offer him out of Ohio in January. He told The Roost at that time that Rice would always “have a spot at the absolute top of my list” when it came to recruiting. He backed up those words when other offers soon followed.

After Rice’s offer in January, Valent picked up offers from Akron, Army, Air Force and Dartmouth. Even the draw of playing in state wasn’t enough to keep Valent from flocking south to Texas. Valent called the staff “first-class at all levels” and left campus impressed by the culture. Another visit included a picture with the then-committed Jenkins, further emphasizing Valent’s interest.

“I have a personality, but I’m all about work.I’m gonna work every day to ensure that Rice is the standard,” Valent said.

His commitment marks the sixth announcement for the 2023 Rice Football recruiting class and the fifth along the offensive line.

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It doesn’t take a film grinder to appreciate what Valent brings to the table. He drives back blockers and puts them in the dirt. “That’s my whole game,” Valent said. “I finish blocks with the best every play I am in and I want to drive you off the ball against your will and finish with force.” A quick look at his highlights makes that crystal clear.

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Filed Under: Archive, Football, Football Recruiting Tagged With: Patrick Valent, Rice Football, Rice Football recruiting

Rice Football Recruiting: Phillip Gallegos commits to Owls

April 29, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

The 2023 Rice Football recruiting class will be well-stocked in the trenches. Offensive lineman Phillip Gallegos has committed to the Owls.

The average size of the 2023 Rice football recruiting class is among the largest in the nation. That’s the sort of thing that happens when you open your next wave of incoming talent with a string of commitments along the offensive line. Four of the Owls’ five 2023 commits are offensive lineman, with the newest addition coming from within the state. Somerset, TX product Phillip Gallegos has committed to the Owls.

Gallegos took multiple visits to Rice this spring, checking in most recently at the spring game. That late push by the Owls made a difference, giving him the confidence he needed to pull the trigger and make his pledge official.

Dartmouth and Sam Houston State each extended official offers to Gallegos before the Owls. Although Rice didn’t get in the door first, they were able to seal the deal. In the world of recruiting, that’s all that matters.

Gallegos is the fifth offensive lineman to commit to Rice in the past two weeks.  Nate Bledsoe started the run on April 17. The most recent addition before Gallegos came from the JUCO ranks. Center Weston Kropp committed to Rice on April 25.

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Standing 6-foot-7, Gallegos will dwarf the majority of his 2023 Rice Football recruiting classmates. And while those size metrics do look good on a roster, they’re even harder to miss when he’s on the field. Gallegos is a bruiser who wins in the trenches with his physicality. His film highlights how he uses his hands to and size to hold defenders at bay.

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Filed Under: Archive, Football, Football Recruiting Tagged With: Phillip Gallegos, Rice Football, Rice Football recruiting

Rice Football Recruiting: JUCO OL Weston Kropp commits to Owls

April 25, 2022 By Matthew Bartlett

The 2022 Rice Football recruiting class has added experience up front, earning a commitment from JUCO offensive lineman Weston Kropp.

Adding an experienced piece along the offensive line has been on the to-do list for the 2022 Rice football recruiting class since the Early Signing Period. The Owls were content with their pair of high school scholarship signees at the position, but hoped to add one proven player that could contend for time in the rotation, at the very least.

After a few months of searching, Rice has found their guy, landing a commitment from JUCO offensive lineman Weston Kropp. Kropp was lightly recruited out of high school, mainly receiving offers from a handful of JUCOs. He spent the 2021 season at Jones College where he appeared in eight games.

Kropp joins what has become a tidal wave of young offensive lineman commitments this week. The Owls picked up three additions in the 2023 class — Nate Bledsoe, Luke Needham and Peyton Farmer. Kropp will have the benefit of having a year of college ball under his belt and he’ll be with the Owls this season.

Kropp has experience at center, something that undoubtedly made him an intriguing addition for the Owls. Prior to his addition, Braedon Nutter, a starting guard, was slated to be the backup center, inevitably causing mass shuffling along the line if a change needed to be made.

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On the tape, Kropp checks a lot of boxes. He’s quick off the ball and holds up well in pass protection. Getting his 6-foot-4, 300-pound frame in the weight room with strength coach Hans Straub should only serve to accentuate his strong talent base. He’ll have three seasons of eligibility remaining.

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Filed Under: Archive, Football, Football Recruiting Tagged With: Rice Football, Rice Football recruiting, Weston Kropp

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