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Owls key in on remaining targets for 2019 class

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The 2019 Rice football recruiting class is almost in the books. Here are a few names to keep an eye on as National Signing Day approaches.

The Owls signed 17 players in the early signing period. Since then they’ve picked up commitments from three players — Atascocita linebacker Myron Morrison, Duncanville defensive tackle De’Braylon Carroll,  Harvard grad transfer Tom Stewart. That brings the 2019 Rice football recruiting class up to 20 players. Rice has 26 spots this year, which leaves six spots to fill.

A quick note on eligibility

As the Owls hone in on their final few names there are a few players who Rice would love to take who won’t be academically eligible. Out of respect to the individuals, I won’t be sharing any names, but keep that in mind when culling through the potential pool of candidates.

There are high academic standards at Rice. That will always be a part of the calculus when it comes to building the Owls’ yearly recruiting classes. Football is an important part of the equation, but every athlete has to have the grades too.

Grad transfers

As previously noted, Center Brian Chaffin and fullback Reagan Williams remain near the top of the priority list for Mike Bloomgren and his staff. Defensive lineman Mike Hinton from Columbia and offensive lineman Justin Gooseberry from Ouachita Baptist are two more players to watch. Both players will on campus this weekend, the final official visit weekend for Rice in the 2019 recruiting cycle.

Hinton was a team captain at Columbia last season. He started every game at defensive tackle where he racked up 3.5 sacks and 29 tackles. Hinton has experienced at defensive end, playing on the edge in both seasons prior to 2018.

Gooseberry was named a DII All-American and anchored an Ouachita Baptist line which allowed just 15 sacks all season, a mark which would rank in the top 11 nationally among FBS teams. For reference, Rice quarterbacks were sacked 24 times last season.

High school targets

Jovoni Johnson remains the clear-cut target at quarterback in this cycle. Stewart has only one season remaining, making replenishing the pipeline behind Wiley Green and Evan Marshman a focal point of this class.

If Rice can secure Johnson’s commitment and sign a few of those grad transfer targets they’ll be running out of space in the 2019 class. For example, Johnson plus three more grad transfers would put the class at 24 players, leaving room for two more high school players. The math is fairly simple, what’s less clear is who is going to get the last few spot(s).

Corner Kenyon Reed and wide receiver Ardell Brown are two interesting names to keep an eye on. Reed also offers from Iowa State and Kansas State but has built in a strong relationship with the Rice coaching staff. Brown’s offer list might be less decorated, but his speed would be a great addition to the offense.

Don’t Miss: Full list of Rice football 2019 signees and commits

At this point it’s not looking likely any of the former Houston signees will be a part of this class, but if there are one or two guys the Owls could make a late run at it would be corner Isaiah Essissima and receiver Ife Adeyi. Both have publically announced they were leaving UH. A few other names might be in the mix, but those would two of the most probable candidates.

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Quarterback Tom Stewart commits to Owls

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For the second year in a row, Rice football adds a notable grad transfer quarterback, securing a commitment from Harvard passer Tom Stewart.

Having an experienced voice in the quarterback room was a priority during the 2019 recruiting cycle. Shawn Stankavage transferred from Vanderbilt last year, and in addition to serving as a mentor to underclassmen Wiley Green and Evan Marshman, he started the majority of the Owls’ games.

Rice went a bit farther north this year, earning the commitment of Harvard transfer Tom Stewart. He saw sparse action during his first three seasons with the Crimson before earning the starting job in 2018. Stewart threw 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. He was knocked out of the game against Yale with a hip injury, but has since made a full recovery.

Stewart will battle with Marshman and Green and incoming freshman Jovoni Johnson for the starting spot in 2019. With Green and Marshman one year wiser, he’ll have his work cut out for him to win the job. For now though, he’s going to get a shot with the ever-present guidance from coach Mike Bloomgren that the players that earn playing time will be on the field this fall.

Rice hoped the addition of Stewart would lead to one more Crimson addition. Stewart’s former wide receiver Justice Shelton-Mosley would eventually opt for Vanderbilt over Rice. Landing another playmaker would have been huge, but Stewart’s importance to this class shouldn’t be understated.

Stewart fills a void in the Owls’ depth chart and the locker room. He’s a veteran among a host of freshman and sophomores. His experience plus his ability make him a meaningful addition to the 2019 Rice football recruiting class.

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Owls make progress on several top targets

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Rice football is closing in on the completion of their 2019 recruiting class. Their latest official visit weekend was a big success.

The Owls picked up one commitment and got closer with several key targets over the weekend. The 2019 class now sits at 18 players with one more big weekend planned between now and National Signing Day in early February.

Defensive targets

The Myron Morrison decision was an important yes for the Owls over the weekend. His physicality fits right into the mentality that defensive coordinator wants to bring to this defense.

The defensive tackle situation didn’t work out quite as favorably. Rice had some concerns about Cooper Laake’s health entering the fall. Given the need for impact quickly at the position, Rice is going to hold off on offering Laake. There’s also a chance he takes the JUCO route and the Owls take a further look at him next year.

Transfers

The Owls made a strong impression on several transfer targets over the weekend. Stanford teammates Brian Chaffin and Reagan Williams were both offered and remain in play for the 2019 class, but I got the impression they’re going to take their time and think things over. Both players would be huge gets for Rice, so expect the pursuit to be relentless by the staff.

Quarterbacks

Rice didn’t offer Harvard quarterback Tom Stewart just yet, but both sides are still in contact as National Signing Day approaches. On the other hand, Jovonni Johnson, left with an offer and was thrilled with his trip to campus. He raved about the family atmosphere and spoke highly of the staff and fellow players. He’s got one more official visit lined up, but Rice is firmly in the driver’s seat in his recruitment.

Potential Houston transfers

Outside of those two, Rice is still perusing other alternatives as safety nets. I can confidently say former Houston signee Levi Williams is not high on the Owls’ list. He was recently released from his commitment by new head coach Dana Holgorsen, but doesn’t offer the same versatility as someone like Johnson.

As for the rest of the Houston players returning to the open market, Rice is taking a close look. If things work out for both parties the Owls could be in play to take the right guy or two.

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Linebacker Myron Morrison commits to Owls

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The 2019 Rice football recruiting class picked up its first addition after the early signing period with the commitment of linebacker Myron Morrison.

Rice signed 17 players in the early signing period in mid-December, leaving room for a handful of additional players slated to sign on National Signing Day. The coaching staff has been hard at work, hosting several key targets as soon as the dead period ended on January 11. Linebacker Myron Morrison, one of those targets who was on campus this weekend. He received an offer on Sunday and has committed to Rice.

The 6-foot-2, 193-pound outside linebacker won’t travel far from home to play for the Owls next season. The soon-to-be graduate of Atascocita High School is staying local, passing over offers from Colorado State and Air Force as well as fellow Houston-based schools Texas Southern and HBU.

Morrison will fit in nicely between safety Hunter Henry and defensive tackle Izeya Floyd, two of his future teammates who were with him on campus this weekend.

Building the family atmosphere and showcasing the culture of the Rice program continues to be a mainstay in the Rice recruiting process. Just about every official weekend features a mix of current commits, current players and heavy involvement by the staff. The results so far have been extremely promising.

Morrison joins Garrett Braden as the only linebackers in the 2019 class. Barring the emergence of a must-have type of player, the Owls will most likely stand pat with these two at the position this go around. They’ve got reason to be content. Braden is a winner and Morrison can deliver a hefty blow. Bringing in players who play with physicality has been a focal point of this offseason. Morrison certainly fits the bill.

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Owls set for big recruiting weekend

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With a few weeks remaining before National Signing Day, Rice football is working to finish off their 2019 recruiting class.

National Signing Day, February 6, is fast approaching. Rice signed 17 players during the early signing period —  a three day stretch in December which seems like so long ago. Now, though, the holidays are over and coaches and players trickling back to South Main.

Soon the final push for the 2019 Rice Football class will begin in earnest. That starts with an extremely important official visit weekend kicking off on Friday. Rice is tentatively scheduled to host nine players including a few signees. Here are five priority targets the Owls are after this weekend:

Brian Chaffin – Center from Stanford (Grad Transfer)

Graduations, injury losses and transfers have left a leadership void on this team. Bringing in the right veterans who understand the culture Bloomgren is trying to create at Rice would be a big catalyst to this program. Chaffin is one such player. An Under Armor All-American out of high school, Chaffin was a top-10 center in the nation. Recruiting by Bloomgren while he was at Stanford, he played in 28 games over the last three seasons along an impressive offensive line.

Reagan Williams – Fullback from Stanford (Grad Transfer)

Williams is another Stanford product with meaningful collegiate experience. The fullback played in 32 games over the past three seasons and could be the second Pac-12 fullback transfer in two years for Bloomgren. Rice added Gio Gentosi last year, who capped off the season with his first career touchdown. Needless to say, the fullback is an important piece in this offense.

Cooper Laake – Defensive Tackle from Austin, Tx

A former Texas Tech commit, Laake’s recruitment opened up when Kliff Kingsbury was replaced in Lubbock by Matt Wells. Laake has offers from Colorado State, Oregon, and Purdue among others. He’s a gamechanger up front. The 6-foot-3, 270-pound defensive tackle would be an even bigger addition in light of recent transfer news at the position.

Jovoni Johnson – Dual Threat QB from Conway, AR

Losing a commitment at the 11th hour wasn’t part of the plan at quarterback, but Rice could rebound nicely with the addition of Jovoni Johnson. Standing 6-foot-5 with some nice wheels, Johnson has intriguing raw talent. He threw for 1,339 yards and ran or 853 yards during his senior season, tallying 30 combined touchdowns. He’s being targeting by Arkansas for a walk-on spot but Rice would prefer he heads south to Texas.

Tom Stewart – Pro Style QB from Harvard (Grad Transfer)

Given the health concerns at quarterback last season it would be prudent for Rice to invest in another veteran arm who’ll be ready to come in and play immediately if needed. Stewart saw action in five games in his first two years at Harvard before appearing in nine contests last fall. He threw for 1,974 yards and 15 touchdowns with five interceptions. His teammate, wide receiver Justice Shelton-Mosley, is also high on the Owls’ priority list.

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