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Football: Former Harvard Running back Charlie Booker to transfer to Owls

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Former Harvard Crimson running back and Houston native, Charlie Booker has committed to play out his remaining eligibility with Rice football at South Main.

Mike Bloomgren spent the winter and early spring scouring the Transfer Portal in search of players who can provide an impact on the field immediately this coming season. After adding several graduate transfers in the weeks leading up to National Signing Day the Owls are working to put the finishing touches in place this spring.

There are a few loose ends to wrap up in the 2019 class, but Rice crossed one area of need off the list with the addition of former Harver running back Charlie Booker. The former Cy Ranch standout plans to join his former quarterback Tom Stewart at South Main in the fall.

A two-time team MVP and senior captain for the Crimson, Booker was a first-team All-Ivy League selection in 2017, racking up 733 yards and six touchdowns that season. In three seasons he amassed 1,230 yards and 10 scores. He fell into a timeshare role in 2018, but remained every bit as explosive. Rice has several shifty backs on the roster. Booker has some twitch, but more importantly, he runs hard north and south.

Booker’s addition gives the Owls a stable of talented running backs to lean on to support Bloomgren’s run-heavy scheme. That’s especially important given the offseason departures of Austin Walter (graduation) and Emmanuel Esukpa (transfer).

The new transfer will be aided by Aston Walter and Juma Otoviano. Freshman Jawan King could force his way into the mix as well. Having this many capable mouths to feed is a good problem to have. That’s especially true when two of those four horses are experienced veterans like Booker and Walter.

Standing 5-foot-9, Booker tips the scales right at 200 pounds but he plays big. He’s a candidate to be the most physical runner on the roster from day one. Just check out the first play on his highlight reel.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Staff juggles 2019, 2020 and 2021 classes this spring

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Spring ball is over, but recruiting season never ends. The 2019, 2020 and 2021 Rice football recruiting class are moving quickly through the spring.

The Rice football spring game was the last big on-campus push the Owls will have for a few months. With spring workouts complete, the coaching staff will hit the road and start another run of visits before the camp circuit begins in earnest in the summer. Entering another busy recruiting season, here’s where the Owls stand on several recruiting fronts.

Wrapping up 2019

Rather than reach for additional high school prospects the staff didn’t love, Rice left a handful of spots in the 2019 class open following National Signing Day. One of those spots will go to Reagan Williams, a fullback transferring to Rice from Stanford.

Rice came extremely close to picking up a commitment from Texas transfer Kyle Porter, losing out to Houston at the last minute. They’ve made more lasting traction with a few other transfer targets, a few of which could make their decisions in the next few weeks. Ideally, Rice wants to have all of their 2019 spots full before summer practices get underway in June.

Keep an eye out for two more additions to finish off the class.Rice Football, Rice Football Recruiting

Digging deeper on 2020

After a fast start on that front. Rice has hit a few snags in early April. Wide receiver Logan Kyle opted for Vanderbilt over Rice while both offensive lineman Drake Metcalf and tight end Drake Dabney have picked up offers from Power 5 programs. Several other top targets could follow.

An offer from a Power 5 program isn’t a hard stop for Rice, at least, not anymore. Current commit Braedon Nutter has a Colorado offer, but that didn’t deter him from staying home. The value proposition of Rice is gaining traction. Playing D1 football and earning a nationally recognized degree has value. Rice won’t win all of these battles, but don’t be surprised if they start winning more of them in the near future.

Looking ahead to 2021

The first batch of offers for the 2020 class went out this February. It’s probably safe to say the first 2021 offer comes out significantly quicker. Rice has been quicker on the game this year with the younger classes.

Although they haven’t extended any formal offers yet, several 2021 prospects were on campus for the Owls’ spring game. Several current sophomores had the chance to take in the game and meet with the staff including corner Miles Jones, wide receiver Cameron Moore and quarterback Wyatt Begeal. The impact of the Owls’ new Director of Recruiting Alex Brown is being felt in a very tangible way.

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Rice Football lands former Stanford Fullback Reagan Williams as grad transfer

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Just like last year, Rice football went west to snag a grad transfer full back. This time earning a commitment from Stanford product Reagan Williams.

Grad transfer fullback Reagan Williams will transfer to Rice. He’ll join center Brian Chaffin, another Stanford transfer and a former teammate of Williams, both of which have followed their former coach to Rice. The duo made the decision together this spring. Williams’ paperwork went through this week, finalizing his 2019 plans.

Williams’ decision to head to South Main is a year removed from another grad-transfer fullback who made a significant impact for the Owls both on and off the field.

Gio Gentosi came to Rice from UCLA last season and quickly became an important leader on a young Rice team. Even though fullback isn’t a position most consider glamorous, Gentosi still managed a career year, capped off with a touchdown run in his final collegiate game. Williams hopes to follow in those footsteps.

The No. 3 fullback in the nation in the 2015 recruiting class, Williams drew interest from teams like Michigan, Boston College and Purdue before choosing Stanford. Like Gentosi, he wasn’t a focal point of the offense, but paved the way for the likes of Christian McCaffrey and Bryce Love during his three seasons playing for the Cardinal.

On the field, Williams can step in immediately and fill the void left by Gentosi. But what he provides off the field might be equally as important. Williams bought into the culture Mike Bloomgren was selling at Stanford, following Rice’s current coach to Palo Alto four years ago. Now he’s taking another step on the journey, committing once again to be a voice championing Bloomgren’s cause.

Williams never registered a carry at Stanford. Given how Bloomgren and offensive coordinator Jerry Mack have utilized the position so far, that’s something likely to change. Williams will see more action at Rice, something that could benefit both parties tremendously.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFcLE26F5pQ

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Rice Football Recruiting: Recapping the Owls’ status with a few key targets

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The 2020 Rice football recruiting class is picking up steam and the Owls might not be done adding to their numbers. Here are a few names to know.

It’s been a busy few weeks for the Rice football recruiting staff. Most notably was the hiring of former Houston assistant Alex Bown as the Owls’ Director of Recruiting and the promotion of James Burnett. The staff is already making waves, landing Fort Bend athlete Kobie Campbell this week as well as making significant headway on a few other key targets. Here are some names to keep a close eye on this spring.

Logan Kyle, WR – Tomball, Tx

The race is heating up for Tomball Memorial wideout Logan Kyle. All reports from his most recent visit to campus over the weekend were positive and there’s a belief the end could be in sight for his recruitment. At this point, the Rice and Vanderbilt lead the pack and the Owls feel good about their chances.

Sage Ennis, TE – Tallahassee, Florida

Rice finds themselves in a battle for another prized weekend visitor, too. Out of state tight end target Sage Ennis said his experience at Junior Day “couldn’t have went any better.” Barring an offer from in-town Florida State at some point down the road, Rice is sitting in good position for his commitment. Memphis is the key competitor is his recruitment.

Joseph Alexander, Connor Finucane and Brian Hibbard, OL – Baton Rouge, LA

Rice has two offensive linemen in the 2020 haul already and will look to add at least a few more before the class is complete. Three teammates from the same high school are drawing the Owls attention, all of which have been on campus in the last few weeks. Hibbard made his pledge over the weekend and the other two are trending in the right direction.

Other news and notes

The Noah Teliancich commitment to Lousiana came a bit out of left field. He had a great time at the visit and was in communication with those on the staff on his journey home. Less than 24 hours later he’d committed elsewhere. The motivation on his end is uncertain, but the abruptness of the decision suggests Rice could stick around if they choose to do so.

Rice is taking a shot on a few higher tiered recruits in this cycle, too. They know they won’t bat 1.000 on that front, but a focused effort on a few key guys could yield a big commitment or two. Drake Metcalf, a teammate of 2019 commit Jake Bailey is currently being courted by Stanford, Oregon and some other big names. Right now Rice has a foot in the door. If there’s a chance he leaves the west coast, the Owls are in as good of a position as they could be,

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2020 ATH Kobie Campbell commits to Owls

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The 2020 Rice football recruiting class continues to add weapons to their arsenal, this time with the commitment of do-it-all athlete Kobie Campbell.

Campbell enjoyed his experience on campus on Junior Day this spring and came away with nothing but positive comments regarding the program and the staff. Not long afterward he returned to campus to observe spring practice and make his pledge, committing to play his college football at Rice in 2020.

Rice was the first D1 program to offer Missouri City athlete Kobie Campbell, securing his commitment in the span of a few weeks from the initial offer. The expedited recruiting process reflects how focused the staff was on landing Campbell and how much Campbell bought into the trajectory of the program. He joins an arsenal of talent which has only continued to grow.

Prior to Campbell coming on board, an impressive succession of recruiting wins already had Rice football at four commitments. Campbell raises that tally to five — Rice didn’t have their first commitment last year until the summer months began. The hot start has continued from March into April with more positive news likely on the horizon.

Campbell played just about everywhere in high school, but Rice intends to play him at running back. The 5-foot-8, 160-pound ball carrier has burst, quickness, and an elusiveness which leaves defenders flat-footed in his dust.

His time spent in the secondary gave him a fearlessness at the point of attack and he’s more than powerful enough to run through tackles. He’s a fantastic addition to an already strong class.

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