The source for Rice sports news

Rice Football Recruiting: Early impressions from current 2022 commits

By

The 2022 Rice Football recruiting class has five commitments as the summer winds down. We caught up with a few of them to hear about their early impressions.

The 2021 season is right around the corner and while the Owls begin their preparations on the field, they’re working hard to build the future of the program off of it. The 2022 Rice Football recruiting class has five commitments to date, putting them in the middle of the pack among their Conference USA peers.

To understand how the class was progressing and get to know some of its foundational pieces, we caught up with a few of the Owls’ initial members of the class.

Subscriber content.<br /> Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.

Not a Subscriber?

Anyone who begins a subscription on the Starting Lineup tier or higher for their first time in the month of July will get a copy of our 2021 Rice Football Season Preview absolutely free.

Take a test drive of our exclusive insights into media days and stick around for fall camp and more.

Become a Patron!

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football Recruiting: 2022 Safety Tyson Flowers commits to Owls

By

The 2022 Rice Football recruiting class continues to heat up as the summer marches on. They started off their holiday weekend with a commitment from safety Tyson Flowers.

Things are going well for the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class. After picking up a pair of commitments prior to the June 1 relaxation of COVID-19 recruiting restrictions, Rice has added three news additions to the class over the month or so that have followed.

Quarterback AJ Padgett got things rolling with his commitment on June 21. Three days later, wideout Braylen Walker added his pledge, bringing the class size to four. Roughly a week later, that tally has risen to five with the commitment of Fort Worth safety Tyson Flowers.

Unlike the previous pair of recent commits, Flowers was offered during the spring with his recruitment picking up some steam after the Owls officially entered the mix. When Flowers felt ready to make the decision, he’d also received offers from Liberty, Buffalo, Ball State and several Ivy League schools. He’s third defensive player in the Owls’ 2022 class and the first member of the secondary.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

A two-way player in high school, Flowers’ experience as a quarterback will only aid his impact on the defensive side of the ball. He looks extremely comfortable in the open field, showing incredible awareness and using that to make plays.

He’s a true dual threat athlete, showcasing that intelligence and speed as he weaved through defenders. On defense, he reads, reacts, and makes plays. He’ll be a tremendous asset for the Owls on the back end of the defense.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football Recruiting: 2022 WR Braylen Walker commits to Owls

By

Joining quarterback AJ Padgett, the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class doubled down this week with a commitment from wideout Braylen Walker.

The 2022 Rice football recruiting class had gotten off to a relatively quiet start early on. The Owls picked up one commitment in April and another in May. Then they doubled the class size in a single week, landing a pair of important targets within the span of a few hours.

2022 Sulphur, Louisiana wide receiver Braylen Walker has committed to the Owls. Walker is the fourth member of the class and the second offensive player in the fold this cycle. His commitment comes the same week as quarterback AJ Padgett. That tandem joins defensive lineman Davion Carter and Chibby Nwajuaku as the initial trio of 2022 commits. He’s the first out-of-state addition for the Owls so far, who signed eight high school seniors from outside of Texas in their 2021 class.

Rice was the first to offer Walker. Being first to pull the trigger isn’t something Rice has been afraid to do over the last several seasons, with early returns being largely positive on that strategy. Walker’s offer and quick commitment comes the same week Rice more or less finalized their 2021 class, bringing in transfer quarterback Luke McCaffrey from Nebraska.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 170 pounds, Walker is frequently able to use his legs and burst to outrun defenders and get himself into open space. When he does find green grass with the ball in his hands, he’s hard to catch. Combining speed with a quick first step and acceleration makes him a problem for opposing defenses. He’ll be a potential slot candidate for the Owls when he gets to South Main.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football Recruiting: Recapping a productive weekend of June visits

By

The 2022 Rice Football recruiting class picked up another commitment this week on the heels of a busy weekend at South Main including a flurry of offers.

After more than a full year without being permitted to host recruits on campus, June marked the return of some level of normalcy for college football. The 2022 Rice Football recruiting class, already with a couple of players in the fold, added to its numbers. At the same time, additional offers went out to prospective members of the 2023 class. Here’s a rundown of the weekend with a few notes on who to keep tabs on and what might be next.

Subscriber content.<br /> Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.

The Roost has you covered in season and throughout the offseason. Get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and special features like this one. Subscribe on Patreon and unlock them all today.

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football Recruiting: 2022 QB AJ Padgett commits to Owls

By

With visit restrictions lifted, the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class didn’t waste any time adding to the fold. 2022 Quarterback AJ Padgett has committed to the Owls.

A quiet summer on the recruiting front started to heat up over the weekend. The limitations placed on staff and players by the NCAA were loosened this month and in-person visits were permitted to resume. It wasn’t long after that the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class picked up another new commitment at a very prominent position.

2022 Reedy quarterback AJ Padgett has committed to the Owls. Padgett is the third member of the class and the first offensive player in the fold this cycle. He joins defensive lineman Davion Carter and Chibby Nwajuaku as the initial trio of 2022 commits. He was one of several quarterbacks Rice brought in over the weekend to work out. It didn’t take him long to pull the trigger once he’d officially been offered.

Padgett chose Rice over offers from Houston Baptist and Incarnate Word.  His offer and quick commitment comes the same week Rice more or less finalized their 2021 class, bringing in transfer quarterback Luke McCaffrey from Nebraska. The quarterback room will be crowded, but the level of talent is continuing to rise.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Padgett flashes a strong arm in his tape with an impressive level of accuracy. He’s also far from a statue, showcasing an ability to move within the pocket, roll out and still make his throws. Rice has shown they can take advantage of a quarterback who can make an impact with his legs. Padgett will bring some of that to the table.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts