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2019 defensive lineman Izeya Floyd commits to the Owls

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Rice football has made the offensive and defensive lines a priority in the 2019 recruiting class, the latest addition coming in the form of defensive lineman Izeya Floyd.

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

The recruiting run on the offensive and the defensive lines has continued. After securing the commitment of 3-star tight end Jack Bradley on June 11 the Owls have added multiple additional pieces to the trenches. 2-star guard Regan Riddle committed to Rice on June 16 before 3-star Izeya Floyd joined him on Tuesday evening.

All three of those commitments are from the Dallas area — possible building blocks of what promises to become fertile recruiting ground for the Owls in the coming years. In the near future, Floyd is a savvy addition for the Owls.

Standing 6-foot-2 and tipping the scale at 305 pounds, Floyd has a body built for the trenches. Bloomgren and his staff were the first Texas school to take notice. Up until the Owls offered him this week, Floyd’s offers consisted largely of Ivy League schools like Harvard, Cornell, Brown, Yale and Princeton. Outside of the Ivies, Floyd also had offers from Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Air Force.

247 sports ranks Floyd as the No. 18 center in the 2019 class and the No. 303 player in the state of Texas. It’s still a bit unclear where he’ll suit up in the college ranks. He played primarily at left guard during his junior season but Bloomgren’s staff plans to play him on the defensive line.

His willingness to flip over to the other side of the ball make it seem likely that he’ll find a way to get on the field sooner rather than later. For now, he’ll join current defensive end commit Justin Moore somewhere along on the defensive front.

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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 in 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 the 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. 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 Moore 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.  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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