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Rice Football Recruiting: Owls offer 2021 QB Wyatt Begeal

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The first offer of the 2021 Rice Football recruiting class has been extended to Wyatt Begeal, a quarterback the Owls hope will be their future.

This is a big one. Rice football is two months away from the early signing period for their 2020 class. In the most recent recruiting cycle, the Owls didn’t extend their first offer to a high school junior until January.

That 2020 class is on track to be one of the best classes in program history. Their first commitment of that class, safety Plae Wyatt, didn’t make his pledge until the end of February. The highest-rated player to jump on board to this point, Sean Fresch, committed at the end of June. The 202o Rice football class isn’t done yet. The Owls have several additional targets in their sights  — more on that in a separate update soon.

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Not only is Rice setting a great pace with that strong class, but they’ve also kicked off the 2021 cycle with arguably their most important target: a quarterback. And not just any quarterback, Cibolo Steele’s dual-threat triggerman Wyatt Begeal.

First and foremost, Begeal is a playmaker. He threw for 2,100 yards as a sophomore. He kicked off his junior campaign with 1,384 yards passing, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions with 420 yards rushing and six rushing touchdowns.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and tipping the scales at just under 200 pounds, he’s a compact, powerful athlete. And he’s the number one priority in the 2021 Rice Football recruiting class. The Owls will begin to extend other 2021 offers as it makes sense, but they’re hoping to get out in front of Wyatt’s recruitment and bring him aboard as the leader of this class and the Owls’ future.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2020 Defensive end Jalen Reeves commits to Owls

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Prized defensive end target Jalen Reeves has committed to the Owls at the 2020 Rice football recruiting class continues to bring in elite talent.

The 2020 Rice Football recruiting class had plenty of skilled players. There were skill players like Khalan Griffin and Andrew Mason, defensive backs like Sean Fresch and Plae Wyatt and versatile athletes who will force their way onto the field somewhere like Devin Gunter and Cole Latos. But there wasn’t a top-flight pass-rushing defensive end.

Now there is. Florida defensive end Jalen Reeves has committed to Rice.

Reeves built a relationship with the Owls coaching staff over the summer. He was ready to commit to the Owls before he ever stepped foot on campus. Not only did Rice find a time to get him to South Main for the Baylor game; he committed on the spot.
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This is a huge get for Rice football. The Owls are no strangers to beating out Group of 5 programs, service academies and the Ivy League programs. Reeves had offers from all of those groups, but he also had offers from Boston College, NC State, Pitt, Syracuse and LSU. The 2020 Rice football recruiting class has taken the next step and is getting players sought after by elite college football programs across the nation.

With a little over two months until the early signing period, Rice has filled a little more than half of their class. Reeves’ addition puts the Owls at 14 commits and keeps them near the top of the 2020 Conference USA recruiting ranks.

Reeves was a sought after player for a reason. Those on staff view him as an “Anthony Ekpe 2.0” type of player. He has the power and the burst to move off blocks and get to the quarterback. Take a look at his highlights and smile. He’s going to be a fun one to watch at South Main for years to come.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2020 and 2021 targets and commit updates

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The 2020 and 2021 Rice Football recruiting classes are in the works. Here’s the latest on the Owls’ efforts on the recruiting front.

The end of summer lull in the recruiting calendar has come and gone. While the team has been busy on the field the Rice Football recruiting staff has worked equally hard off of it.

The Owls hosted dozens of players in their first two home weekends. Several commits and key targets took in the game at NRG Stadium against Texas last weekend following a get together on campus with plenty of food and football watching to do in the hours before Rice kicked off.

Here are some updates on the current 2020 commits and a few names to know in the 2020 and 2021 classes. Find the latest info on all the 2020 commits on our recruiting tracker.

Injury update

Last week was a tough one for a pair of 2020 Rice Football commits. Linebacker Geron Hargon suffered a torn ACL while he sacked an opposing quarterback. Uncertain as to the extent of the injury, Hargon returned to the field a few minutes later, scooped up a fumble and dashed 60-yards to the endzone. That play will be the final one of his high school career.

Khalan Griffin will also miss the remainder of his senior season. He suffered a torn meniscus at the start of the 2019 season, but didn’t find out until he played on during multiple games. He ran for 158 yards in his first game and 208 yards in game two — all on a torn meniscus.

It’s a tough blow for both Hargon and Griffin, but both remain in good spirits. They’ve become champions of the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class over the last several months. Both should be 100 percent in time for their Rice careers to begin next year.

2020 Quarterbacks

The beginning of the fall has been crucial for the Owls’ quarterback evaluation. Rice is continuing to trim their list of priority targets at the position. The staff’s find out Jovoni Johnson late in the cycle last year has lessened the pressure to fire off offers too quickly.

The Owls are going to do their homework before they land on their QB1 for this class. Right now, two Austin-based passers are beginning to emerge. Kirkland Michaux from Westlake HS and Wilson Long from Regents HS. Both have been on campus and liked what they’ve seen thus far.

Long has been on the radar for some time. The Owls are following his senior season, along with Michaux’s, before they make their next move.

Michaux said the buy in from the staff and the investment in the future of the program was evident, noting that the facilities were top-notch. He went so far as to say, “it really felt like I was at a Power 5 school” when he visited South Main.

More 2020 names

Jalen Reeves – Defensive End – University School (Fort Lauderdale, FL) | This pass rusher from the sunshine state has a handful of impressive Power 5 offers, but the Owls are going to take their best swing. He’ll be on campus for the first time this weekend against Baylor.

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Zack Haaland – Wide Receiver/Corner – Dallas Christian HS (Dallas, Tx) | A starting quarterback, Haaland has the complete package of athleticism and speed. He could be another guy who finds his position once he gets to campus, but right now it’s looking like he’ll play wide receiver or corner, it wouldn’t shock me if he winds up at safety either.

River Woods – Defensive Back – Episcopal HS (Dallas, Tx) | This two-way high school athlete is a highlight reel waiting to happen with great hands and plenty of quickness. His pursuit is savvy and he’d fit in well with the Rice secondary.

2021 Names to keep and eye on

Aaron Session –  Guard – Morton Ranch HS (Katy, Tx) | Big bruiser on the offensive line who’s already caught the eye of several teams in state. He was impressed with the facilities in his visit for the Wake Forest game and puts Rice squarely in his top schools, along with Texas, Baylor and Colorado.

Joseph Manjack – Wide Receiver – Tomball Memorial HS (Tomball, Tx) | Called the atmosphere on campus “electric” and really enjoyed his conversations with the coaching staff. He hasn’t come close laying out a pecking order for his top schools, but the connection he has with current Rice commit Braedon Nutter and a positive early impression put the Owls in great position this early.

Bryce McMorris – Corner – Bridgeland HS (Cypress, Tx) | Having the opportunity to talk with Bloomgren directly was big for McMorris, who’s already taken multiple trips to see the Owls in person this fall. He’s excited to see more of campus and continue developing a relationship with defensive coordinator Brian Smith and corners coach Gerrard Wilcher.

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2020 Rice Football Recruiting Class well positioned as summer ends

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After a successful summer, the 2020 Rice Football Recruiting heads into the fall with record-setting aspirations. #FlightSchool20 is taking off.

The countdown to fall camp has reached single digits. The 2019 Rice Football team will hit the ground running for their first day of practice on August 1. The return of football signifies a shift in the recruiting cycle as well. Once practices wrap up and September arrives the final sprint to the early signing period in December will begin in earnest.

That time will come. First, a quick snapshot of what the Rice Football staff has built so far.

According to 247 Sports, the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class is the third-best class in Conference USA and a Top-75 class in the nation. If the Owls can hold those marks, it’ll be their best finish in both regards since the service began compiling class rankings.

Rice has yet to finish with a recruiting cycle ranked in the top four of their conference. Their highwater mark in the national rankings came in 2009 when they finished 83rd. That class was highlighted by QB Taylor McHargue, CB Phillip Gaines and placekicker Chris Boswell.

The 2019 class was filled with potential gamebreakers like De’Braylon Carroll, Izeya Floyd, Jawan King and others. [Read more about our freshmen breakout candidates in our 2019 Rice Football Season Preview]. The 2020 class might be even more star-studded than their predecessors.

Even with a departure from the class in late July, the 2020 class is star-studded. Safety Plae Wyatt and corner Sean Fresch are going to be differen makers in the secondary. Wide receiver Andrew Mason and running back Khalan Griffin are offensive weapons. And the intensity of guys like Geron Hargon and Braedon Nutter is through the roof.

All things considered, Rice is poised to enter the fall in an excellent position for a historic class. Things are looking up at South Main. Who’s next?

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Rice Football Recruiting: O-Line class steady after late-summer decommit

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The 2020 Rice Football recruiting class suffered a blow over the weekend, but one decommitment won’t shake what the Owls are building.

More: Complete list of 2020 Rice Football commits

In what has become a rare occurrence for the Owls under Mike Bloomgren, offensive lineman Brady Feeney decommited from the 2020 Rice Football Recruiting class over the weekend. Even with his abscence, the Owls incoming class ranks among the best of their peers. Rice has the No. 3 class in Conference USA and the No. 72 class in the nation with days remaining before fall camp begins on August 1.

Houston we don’t have a problem

Feeney’s departure is disappointing, but it’s not a sign of any significant problem in the ranks. The Owls remain confident for a number of reasons. First, this situation hasn’t proven to be an area of concern. In the past two recruiting cycles (2019 and 2020), four players have decommitted from Rice:

  • Feeney left the fold, committing to Indiana on Sunday
  • One reached a mutual understanding with the coaching staff that the Owls weren’t the right fit
  • An east coast cornerback flipped to Vanderbilt from Rice last September. He was committed for less than a month.
  • One of the Owls’ 2019 quarterback targets fell back into an offer during the early signing period to play for Buffalo, a local team with connections to his family

Altogether Rice brought in 40 players with their 2019 class. They have a little more than a dozen in the 2020 group, and counting. Rice doesn’t have a decommitment problem — and that’s a sign of a strong culture which players don’t want to leave.

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More in the pipeline

Feeney first caught the Owls’ eye at a Stanford camp when coach Mike Bloomgren was working out west. He’s a good player who will be missed, but he projected as a guard at the next level, a position not as important for Rice right now as an outside man.

The Owls’ already have two guys in the wings ready to fill that tackle role, commits Trey Phillippi and Cole Latos. Both players are raw, ulta-athletic types with the physical frame ready for the college game. From a size and measurables perspective, they’re ready to hold down a side on the Owls’ offensive line.

Phillippi is a converted tight end and Latos can play both sides of the ball. They’ve yet to log a ton of film at the tackle spot, allowing the Owls’ to get in early and bring them on board. They’re raw talents with tremendous upside, fitting the position of greatest need for Rice on the offensive line.

Feeney’s decommitment wasn’t good news, but the future of Rice Football recruiting remains rock solid.

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