The source for Rice sports news

Rice Football Recruiting: DE Ejike Adele commits to Owls

By

The 2025 Rice Football recruiting class keeps adding talent. Ivy League defensive player of the year Ejike Adele has committed to the Owls.

The pipeline connecting Rice football recruiting and the Ivy Leagues continues to push talented football players from the Northeast to South Main. A year removed from landing standing Dartmouth defensive end Charlie Looes, Rice has picked up a commitment from his former teammate. Defensive end and reigning Ivy League defensive player of the year Ejike Adele has committed to the Owls.

“I had heard great things about the team and the program from my former teammate Charlie Looes,” Adele told The Roost. “I was already familiar with Coach Abell and his staff since they recruited me out of high school when they were at Davidson. I could sense a lot of excitement about the program on my visit and it felt like they were developing a family atmosphere that I want to be a part of.”

Looes was a runner-up for the Bushnell Cup, given annually to the Ivy League’s best defensive player. Adele took home the award last year, finishing in the top 25 in the nation in tackles for a loss (12.0) while leading Dartmouth in sacks (6.0) and racking up 54 tackles, second on the team.

To this point, the 2025 Rice football recruiting class has filled out quite nicely including 10 transfer additions, eight of which have already enrolled. Adele will finish up his degree this spring and join the team in the summer alongside fellow Ivy League addition Sean Sullivan from Yale.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Adele’s versatility makes him a particularly exciting addition in the defensive trenches. As his film showcases, he can line up all over the front, something that has proven particularly valuable to the Owls in recent years.

“I liked that the scheme allows guys to be versatile and line up in different spots depending on the situation,” Adele said of the Owls’ scheme. “That’s one thing I enjoyed being able to do at Dartmouth which also allowed me to be successful as a player there.”

Become a Patron!
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football Recruiting: QB Patrick Crayton Jr. commits to Owls

By

The 2025 Rice Football Recruiting class has its QB1. Hebron High School quarterback Patrick Crayton Jr. has committed to the Owls.

In search of a quarterback for the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class since he arrived, new head coach Scott Abell finally has his man. Dual-threat Hebron High School quarterback Patrick Crayon Jr. has committed to the Owls.

Crayton fills a void in a 2025 class full of playmakers, but without a signal-caller following a December defection following the coaching change. An under-the-radar playmaker, Crayton had a handful of junior college and lower division offers, keeping him on the market this late in the calendar. Rice swooped in with an offer on January 13. He committed just hours later.

“Getting to know [Coach Abell] and the staff, had great conversations, just discussing my future,” Crayton told The Roost. “Rice felt like a great place to develop and be a great football player.”

After retaining the bulk of the class that had already committed, Abell was choosy with his next handful of high school offers. Crayton is just the second non-transfer commitment to the 2025 class since Abell arrived, the other being offensive lineman Justin Michaelis who committed in mid-December.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Crayton’s film is electric and easy to connect to what the Owls want to do on offense with his skill set. He has a big arm with great touch downfield and is a dynamic runner with the ball in his hands. That ability to create, “to make plays out of nothing and be able to extend plays [on the ground], is something Crayton says he prides himself in as a player. The tape backs it up.

Become a Patron!
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football Recruiting: OL Cole Morgan commits to Owls

By

The 2025 Rice Football Recruiting class is getting more help in the trenches. Michigan offensive line transfer Cole Morgan has committed to the Owls.

The run on talent in the trenches continues for the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class. On the same day they picked up a pledge from defensive enforcer Dillan Botts from Mary Hardin-Baylor, the Owls added a big man on the other side of the line, too. Michigan transfer offensive lineman Cole Morgan has committed to the Owls.

Following two years spent at Michigan, Morgan quickly garnered interest from a host of Group of 5 programs when he entered the Transfer Portal earlier this winter. He picked up offers from Toledo, FAU, Central Michigan, New Mexico and Utah State, among others before Rice entered the picture in early January. Less than two weeks later, Morgan was South Main bound.

With Morgan on board, the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class is 20 players deep and counting. That includes seven incoming additions from the Transfer Portal, four of which have come on board in the last week: Morgan and the aforementioned Botts as well as UTSA kicker Chase Allen and Yale offensive lineman Sean Sullivan.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Morgan projects as an interior player at Rice, his primary position while at Michigan. There’s not much in the way of game film for Morgan, but the available highlights from practice paint a picture of a sturdy, 6-foot-4, 285-pound blocker who can move, making him a nice pickup for the Rice offense. He has three years of eligibility remaining.

Become a Patron!
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football Recruiting: DT Dillan Botts commits to Owls

By

The 2025 Rice Football Recruiting class gained some reinforcements in the trenches. Mary Hardin-Baylor transfer defensive lineman Dillan Botts has committed to the Owls.

Following a high school-centric Early Signing Period, the 2025 Rice Football recruiting class continues to pick up steam from Transfer Portal additions this winter. The latest hails from the DIII ranks. Sought after Mary Hardin-Baylor defensive tackle Dillan Botts has committed to the Owls.

Botts still racked up seven tackles for a loss and three sacks as a sophomore last season for Mary Hardin-Baylor, a longtime DIII powerhouse. Upon entering the portal he drew offers from the likes of Boise State, Texas State, North Texas and others. After time to consider his options, Botts chose South Main.

“The academic opportunities, degree and resources available at Rice can prepare you for the future,” Botts told The Roost regarding why he was drawn to Rice. “Also, the family atmosphere is unmatched.”

Botts played up and down the line last season but projects as primarily an interior player in the Rice defensive scheme which has historically been willing to take advantage of versatile players later Botts, who told The Roost he prides himself on that versatility and his ability to stop the run.

With Botts in the fold, Rice has quietly stockpiled an array of transfer commitments with the spring semester slated to begin soon. That includes a pair of offensive linemen, two defensive backs, a receiver and a former all AAC kicker.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Whether one looks back at Botts’ high school film or the limited clips available from his time at Mary Hardin-Baylor, there’s a lot to like. For someone who stands 6-foot-2 and 270 pounds, he moves quickly and meets would-be blockers with power. Getting a veteran presence in the defensive trenches was a must this offseason and Botts looks to have all the tools to fill that role.

Become a Patron!
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football Recruiting: OL Sean Sullivan commits to Owls

By

The Ivy League pipeline is paying dividends for the 2025 Rice Football Recruiting picks. Yale transfer offensive lineman Sean Sullivan has committed to the Owls.

Over the years Rice Football recruiting has reaped the benefits of Ivy League rules which restrict graduate students from participating in sports. That’s left many high academic football players searching for the right fit for their final season of college football. This time, it’s a Yale product making his way to South Main. Former Yale Bulldog offensive lineman Sean Sullivan has committed to the Owls.

Sullivan credited the vision of head coach Scott Abell with his decision to head to Houston. “Coach Abell is awesome and has been in this situation before, as a first year head coach,” Sullivan told The Roost. “I think he’s got a really good vision of how to succeed in this conference.”

Sullivan is a veteran in the trenches who has played up and down the line, everywhere but center. That versatility will come in handy as head coach Scott Abell and his staff look to piece together the strongest front five they can this coming season. For the time being, Sullivan says he expects to play tackle.

The fifth transfer in this cycle so far, Sullivan joins UTSA kicker Chase Allen, JUCO defensive backs Jerrick Harper and Jo Chavez and former Cincinnati wide receiver Aaron Turner.

With so many moving parts along the offensive line and the departures of many veteran players, landing someone with the experience of Sullivan was crucial for this class. Sullivan appears ready to step into those big shoes. “I’m excited for the opportunity and ready to get to work,” he told The Roost.

Premium: Rice Football Recruiting Offer and Commitment Tracker

Being able to move people and (quickly) move yourself is crucial for offensive linemen Abell’s offensive scheme and Sullivan certainly flashes those traits on film.

Become a Patron!
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts