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Rice Football Recruiting: 2019 Cornerback Tre’shon Devones commits to Owls

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The 2019 Rice Football recruiting class added one more finishing touch with the commitment of Duncanville cornerback Tre’shon Devones.

The vast majority of schools around the nation have long since moved past their 2019 recruiting classes. Rice is working tirelessly to ensure they have the best talent available to them in every capacity possible. The 2019 class was poised to be special, but it got even better with one last addition from the high school ranks.

The Owls have tucked another high-ceiling, game-changing defensive prospect into their 2019 recruiting class. Teammate of Rice signee De’Braylon Carroll at Texas high school powerhouse, Duncanville, Tre’shon Devones has made his pledge to Rice.

A 3-star cornerback recruit, Devones committed to Air Force in February but chose not to sign a Letter of Intent on National Signing Day. That left him the latitude to sign with another school, should he choose to do so.

After weighing his options, Devones has opted to do just that. He picked Rice over Air Force, as well as offers from Baylor, Iowa State, Syracuse and Washington State. His addition immediately bolsters a position of great need.

Rice Football, Rice Football RecruitingDevones is the second-highest rated commitment in the 2019 class, trailing only standout California WR/DB Jake Bailey. Were he a member of the 2020 class, which ranks No. 1 among all CUSA schools, he’d be the highest rated recruit to commit thus far. When those inside the walls at South Main talk about raising the level of talent in the program, players like Devones are who they’re talking about.

The 6-foot, 165 pound defensive back plays with aggression. He’s going to attack the ball in the air and isn’t afraid to come up from the secondary to make a play. Devones is athletic and good with his hands, making opposing quarterbacks pay for their misfires with his fast break.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2020 push continues into summer

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The summer is approaching and Rice football recruiting is picking up steam. The Owls are working hard to add a few of these additional top targets.

The last weeks of May have been spent on the road. Head coach Mike Bloomgren is making stops across Texas on the Coaches Caravan. He made an appearance on Dave Campbell’s Texas Campbell live show on Thursday, one of several stops along the way. The coaching staff is making their rounds too. Camps start in June, making the final days of May a critical recruiting window.

Putting a bow on 2019

After the addition of Harvard grad transfer Charlie Booker, Rice has filled up all but one spot in their 2019 class. That last spot will more than likely be reserved for a corner given the youth at the position right now. There are a few options in the market at the position, whomever the right fit, Rice wants to have the last scholarship accounted for in the next two weeks.

Current commits leading the charge in 2020

Rice has the top-ranked 2020 class in Conference USA and it stands to get even better. The staff is working their avenues to add more talent to the group, but so are the members of the 2020 class themselves. Longtime commit Plae Wyatt and recent addition Khalan Griffin have taken up vocal leadership positions with the class. They’re recruiting the recruits and the reception has been overwhelmingly positive.

New Caney’s Zion Childress has been a focal point of their efforts at wide receiver. He was on campus for the Blue and Gray Spring Game and has spoken highly of the staff and the current class. He’s made plans to be in attendance at the Addidas Three Stripe camp on June 1.

The Owls have been choosey with their spring offers, only handing out a handful as they work to build on a strong start. One of those key targets is California defensive end Lance Keneley. A coveted recruit with offers from the likes of Utah, Colorado, Duke,  Northwestern and Vanderbilt, Kenely remains interested in what Rice has to offer.

He hasn’t gone as far to narrow down his choices, but the appeal of a first-class degree and D1 football is at the front of his mind. He’s developing a great relationship with the coaching staff and hopes to get to campus soon.

Quarterbacks

Rice has been choosy with the 2020 quarterback class. They’ve been all over the country and have begun to trim the list of possibilities down. The Owls have extended offers to Fresno State commit Jaden Casey from California, who has reciprocated some interest. Florida passer Devon Lingle holds their other quarterback offer.

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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.

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