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2019 Linebacker Garrett Braden commits to Owls

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Rice football recruiting has gone outside the state to secure the commitment of 2019 linebacker Garrett Braden from New Canaan, CT.

More: Complete list of 2019 Rice football commits after the early signing period

Mike Bloomgren came to Houston intent on turning Rice football into a national brand. If the Owls are on par with schools like Stanford, Northwestern and Duke in the classroom the next step is to achieve equal footing on the gridiron. And that starts with a national recruiting footprint.

After reeling in a stretch of Texan commits, Rice landed their first out-of-state commitment on Wednesday with the commitment of Connecticut linebacker Garrett Braden.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound linebacker, Braden chose the Owls over several schools from around the nation. His offer list included Lafayette College, Albany, Rhode Island, Monmouth, Kent State, New Hampshire and Wofford among others.

Braden hasn’t appeared on any of the national recruiting services yet, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make an impact at Rice. The Owls will have to replace their top four tacklers this season including linebackers Emmanuel Ellerbee and DJ Green. That production has to come from somewhere, and Braden has the motor to make plays — he just needs the opportunity.

As we approach the middle of the summer Rice football sits in the middle of the pack in the CUSA recruiting ranks. Even without the inclusion of Braden, the Owls check inĀ at No. 6 in their conference. That leaves plenty of wiggle room as the season gets near and some of the Owls’ higher profile targets make their decisions.

The saying goes, “defense wins championships”. Braden is one more tool for the coaching staff to use to that end. He’s quick, instinctive, and is willing to come all the way to Texas to be a part of what Coach Bloomgren and his staff are building at Rice. That’s an encouraging sign, and hopefully an omen of things to come.

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Owls’ target Mckel Broussard talks Rice visit and recruitment

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McKel Broussard could be the difference-maker that crowns the 2019 Rice football recruiting class. Where do the Owls stand in his recruitment?

By all accounts, the Owls had a successful Junior Day this weekend. They picked up a commitment from Regan Riddle and sent out a few offers as well. One of those player offered by coach Mike Bloomgren and his staff was McKel Broussard. He came away impressed by theĀ weekend and excited about the direction of the program moving forward.

Broussard was complimentary of the coaching staff, saying they made him feel like family and challenged him to be the best that he could be, both on the field and off of it. The high academic standard can be a turn off for some. Broussard, however, seemed to embrace the challenge. He called it an eye-opening experience. “I enjoyed everything about my Junior Day experience,” he said, “the drive, the family, life, academics.”

Landing a prospect like Broussard would be a landmark moment, both for Bloomgren and for Rice. Bloomgren developed a reputation as an ace recruiter at Stanford, but translating that success to Rice is far from a guarantee. Meanwhile, Rice has never signed a player as highly regarded as Broussard, ever.

The 247 Sports Composite ranks list Broussard as a 4-star prospect and the No. 11 athlete in the nation. According to the composite ranks, Rice has never landed a blue chip player, someone rated as a 4-star or 5-star prospect. That makes Broussard’s recruitment all the more important. He’s the kind of player that can help Bloomgren achieve his vision and make Rice an immediate competitor in Conference USA and beyond.

Coach Bloomgren came to Rice because he believed the Owls were on par with programs like Stanford, Northwestern and Duke. If Rice football is going to take the necessary steps to become a major player on the field in the future it’s going to have to start with significant headwinds on the recruiting trail. If they can get Broussard that process could be expedited.

So where does Rice stand with their prized recruit? According to Broussard, “definitely on the top of my list.”

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2019 OG Regan Riddle commits to the Owls

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Rice football added their first offensive lineman to the 2019 class on Saturday with the commitment of guard Regan Riddle from Highland Park High School in Dallas, Tx.

More: Complete list of 2019 Rice football commits after the early signing period

Head coach Mike Bloomgren knows a thing or two about winning in the trenches. His offensives at Stanford were known for their bruising rushing attacks and intimidating offensive lines. Size and power up front set the tone for the offense as a whole, making the addition of Highland Park offensive guard Regan Riddle a big get for the Owls.

Riddle made his decision public on social media Saturday afternoon following his visit to Rice:

https://twitter.com/Regan_Riddle/status/1008082464508481536

247 Sports tabs Riddle as a 2-star prospect. At the time of his commitment, he held offers from fellow CUSA member North Texas as well as Air Force, Army, Navy, Louisiana-Monroe and Tulsa. Riddle checks in at 6-foot-2, 285 pounds. A state champion in 2017, he was an honorable mention to the 5A All-State team.

Riddle has quick feet for a man of his size and he’s not afraid to use them. Playing mostly at right tackle during his junior season, he spent plenty of time creating space on the outside. He’s a grinder and the right kind of piece for Mike Bloomgren as he injects his own brand of toughness into the Rice program moving forward.

This marks the second commitment this week for the Rice staff; tight end Jack Bradley committed to the Owls on Monday.Ā With three total commits in the 2019 class the Owls are beginning to build some momentum towards the future. Their class now ranks fifth in Conference USA, one place below last season’s Western Division winner North Texas (4th) and one place above the Eastern Division winner FAU (6th). That’s good company to keep as Rice football continues to build on its upward trajectory entering 2018.

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2019 Tight End Jack Bradley commits to the Owls

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2019 Bishop Lynch tight end Jack Bradley committed to Rice Football over multiple other in-state programs including Texas and Baylor.

More: Complete list of 2019 Rice football commits after the early signing period

During his tenure with the Stanford Cardinal Mike Bloomgren helped develop an impressive line of NFL-caliber tight ends. Five Stanford tight ends were drafted while Bloomgren was on staff with Stanford, the latest being Austin Hooper (Rnd. 3, 2016) and Dalton Schultz (Rnd. 4, 2018).

It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that tight end is a priority to Bloomgren in the 2019 class. After securing the commitment of defensive end Justin MooreĀ in April, Bloomgren added his first offensive player to the fold with the commitment of Bishop Lynch (Dallas, TX) tight end Jack Bradley.

Bradley’s commitment to Rice is a big get for Coach Bloomgren. He came to Rice with several recruiting accolades which he’s already bringing to bear. Bradley had interest from Texas, Baylor and Colorado, among others.

If Rice wants to climb out of the bottom of Conference USA they need more talent. Taking players away from some of the state’s top programs is a good place to start. Beating out Tom Herman and Matt Rhule is no small task, and it could be a sign of things to come.

A 3-star prospect according to Rivals.com, Bradley has the potential to become an impactful weapon in the Rice offense. At 6-foot-6, 230 pounds he’ll be the biggest and tallest tight end on the roster.

Bloomgren isn’t likely to finish up the 2019 class without adding at least one more tight end to the fold. So far he’s offered five other players at the position spanning from South Carolina to California.Ā  For now, Bradley’s commitment is a sign of positive momentum on the recruiting front for the Owls. Expect that to continue and intensitfy as Bloomgren and his staff have more time to pour into the 2019 class this summer.

 

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Defensive End Justin Moore becomes first commitment of 2019 class

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The 2019 Rice football recruiting class has its first commitment. Defensive end Justin Moore pledged himself to the Owls in early April.

Mike Bloomgren was introduced as the head coach at Rice in early December, a few days before the inaugural early signing period. Six players signed with his staff in December and the Owls added 12 more signees on National Signing Day in February – a full class, but one that came together over the span of weeks rather than months. The 2019 class will make the first year cycle that Bloomgren has charge of from start to finish.

Bloomgren has his first commitment of that 2019 class — Justin Moore of Trinity Christian Academy committed to Rice on April 4. The 6-foot-3, 240 poundĀ defensive end chose Rice over offers fromĀ Arkansas State, Louisiana Monroe and Texas State.

https://twitter.com/bigmoore00/status/981695456521719808

247 Sports rates Moore as a 2-star recruit, although he isn’t ranked on their composite index. Since one service has him ranked there’s a chance he could wind up on other services down the road. Even if other recruiting services haven’t given him much love, a few other big programs have. Since his commitment, Air Force and Texas Tech have offered Moore but he’s still locked in to his original pledge to the Owls.

This will be a good test for Bloomgren’s recruiting prowess. Hailed as an ace recruiter, can Bloomgren keep a coveted player in the fold when another D1 school in the state comes knocking? Texas Tech was the first, but others could soon follow if Moore produces on the field during his senior season.

If Bloomgren is able to convince Moore to stick around he’ll have his first building block on the defensive line for the 2019 class. Rice needs to find someone to take over for the departed Brian Womac, who signed has since signed with the Los Angeles Rams. The quick, yet powerful edge rusher out of Addison, Tx is raw, but flashes plenty of intriguing potential.

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