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Rice Football Recruiting: OL Marcus Page commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class just added its cornerstone in the trenches. North Forney offensive lineman Marcus Page has committed to the Owls.

The fireworks got started early for the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class which picked up perhaps the most notable flip of the Scott Abell era on the eve of the Early Signing Period. A longtime Baylor commit is opting to come to South Main instead. North Forney offensive lineman Marcus Page has committed to the Owls.

Page had been pledged to Baylor since June, committing after a campus visit this summer. Before that decision, he’d also received offers from Houston, Texas State, UTSA, Tulsa, UTEP and others. That’s no small amount of interest in the 6-foot-6, multi-sport athlete who had only recently put his emphasis on football over basketball.

The addition of Page gives Rice a three-man haul in the offensive trenches, which should boost the Owls’ depth up front. Page joins Clay Mitchell and Leyonte Chandler, both of whom had committed before his announcement.

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Athletically, Page checks all the boxes. He’s long, strong and quick, and the film reflects that. He moves people and plays with a relentless motor. And best yet, he’s yet to reach the ceiling of who he could become. Page is a tremendous piece of clay that should be molded into a difference maker up front that can help Rice for years to come.

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Rice Football 2025: NFL Owls Week 13 Roundup

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Rice Football is well represented on 2025 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 13.

There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

TeamNFL Owl(s)This WeekResultNext Week
Washington CommandersLuke McCaffrey (WR)vs Broncos (SNF)L, 27-26 (OT)at Vikings
Atlanta FalconsElijah Garcia (DL)at JetsL, 27-24vs Seahawks
Philadelphia EaglesKylen Granson (TE)vs Bears (Fri)L, 24-15at Chargers (MNF)
Jacksonville JaguarsAustin Trammell (WR)at TitansW, 25-3vs Colts
Detroit LionsJack Fox (P)vs Packers (Thanksgiving)L, 31-24vs Cowboys (Thr)
Pittsburgh SteelersChris Boswell (PK)
Calvin Anderson (OL)		vs BillsL, 26-7at Ravens

Defense

Elijah Garcia – DL, Falcons

Two weeks ago, Garcia was signed off the Giants practice squad to the Falcons active roster. He was inactive for this week’s game against the Jets.

Offense

Austin Trammell – WR, Jaguars

Trammell saw a season-high 34 offensive snaps in the Jaguars’ Week 13 win over the Titans. He was targeted a season-high four times but did not record any receptions.

Calvin Anderson – OL, Steelers

A week removed from serving as an emergency injury fill-in with the offense, Anderson returned primarily to special teams duties for the Steelers against the Bills.

Kylen Granson – TE, Eagles

Granson tied a season low in offensive playing time this week, taking just two snaps against the Bears. He continued to be actively involved on special teams.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox punted twice in the Lions’ Week 13 loss to Packers, averaging 42.5 yards per kick with a long of 46 yards. He pinned of his two kicks inside the 20 yard line.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell did not attempt a field goal on Sunday, but did convert his only extra point attempt. He is 19-of-22 on field goals this season, including one blocked kick.

Injured Reserve

Luke McCaffrey – WR, Commanders

McCaffrey was placed on injured reserve with a broken collarbone suffered during the Commanders’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9 and is expected to be sidelined for the foreseeable future.

More Owls in the NFL

From practice squads to current free agents, there are other Owls on the cusp of returning to active rosters. Find more details on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

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Rice Football Recruiting: JUCO SAF Dylan Stephens commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class picked up some much-needed reinforcements in the secondary. JUCO safety Dylan Stephens has committed to the Owls.

Adding depth to the defensive backfield was a must for the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class. Entering the late fall with some attrition at those positions, the Owls swooped into the JUCO ranks to get another potential playmaker. Safety Dylan Stephens has committed to the Owls.

Stephens had offers from Army, Navy, Yale and a handful of local FCS programs coming out of high school before going the junior college route. After one season at Trinity Valley Junior College, he resurfaced and took aim at a D1 opportunity. Rice proved to be the perfect fit.

He joins fellow defensive back Jordan Mitchell as the anchors in the secondary for the 2026 class so far. He’s also the second JUCO commit in the group, with fellow JUCO product Brock Reddic offering support in the defensive trenches.

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Most of the tape from on Stephens comes from his high school days at Berkner High School in Richardson, TX, just a season removed from where he is today. He’s lanky with a quick twitch and has the ability to run. Those are good traits to bet on for a defensive back that will arrive on campus with some collegiate snaps already under his belt.

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Rice Football Recruiting: JUCO DL Brock Reddic commits to Owls

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The 2026 Rice Football recruiting class just added some in the trenches. JUCO defensive lineman Brock Reddic has committed to the Owls.

The first transfer addition to the 2026 Rice Football recruiting class is on the board. Following an initial build from the high school ranks, the Owls have nabbed a key player from the junior college ranks. Kilgore defensive tackle Brock Reddic has committed to the Owls.

Reddic originally signed with Northwestern State out of high school, playing sparingly before transferring to Kilgore Junior College last year. A strong season there earned him offers from programs like Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Monroe, PVAMU, McNeese State, Central Arkansas, and others. The Owls were the most recent to formally show interest and Reddic pulled the trigger soon after the offer came in.

“I could tell what coach Abell is building is special and will last for the long run,” Reddic told The Roost. “Getting a degree at Rice is generational, and getting to play high-level ball while getting that degree, I couldn’t ask for a better combo.”

The fourth defensive lineman in the class, Reddic should bring some experience to accompany high school commits Ian Harrell, Tyler Lavallier and Quincy Tchikou. In total, the class is up to 19 players with the early signing period right around the corner, beginning Wednesday, Dec. 3.

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Reddic’s highlights are intriguing. The 6-foot-4, 315 pound interior player has a couple moves already in his tool bag and shows good pursuit to the ball. Rice needs reinforcements in the trenches and Reddic looks to have the potential to slide in and contribute quickly.

“I’ll fit into that nose position to be a menacing presence in the middle of the defense,” Reddic said.”

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Rice Football Ends Season in Loss to South Florida

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Rice Football dropped its final game of the season on the road against South Florida, coming one win shy of a bowl trip in head coach Scott Abell’s debut season.

South Florida struck first and kept laying it on in what proved to be the final game of the 2025 Rice Football season. Unable to win a sixth game and earn bowl eligibility, the Owls’ season ends at 5-7 with a one-sided loss in Tampa. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

Long Ball Provides Early Gut Punch

South Florida struck for three quick touchdown drives to put Rice football on the defensive from the start. The Owls’ defense allowed 10.2 yards per play on those first three drives, providing little resistance to the admittedly ultra-efficient South Florida offense.

That South Florida was able to move the ball was one thing, but the ease with which they racked up multiple long touchdown plays was most problematic.

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Rice entered this game ranked dead last in the American Conference with 20 scrimmage plays of 40+ yards allowed. No other team had allowed more than 16. The Owls added to that number early against the Bulls as quarterback Byrum Brown threw touchdowns of 47 yards and 60 yards before the midpoint of the second quarter.

The deficit would only grow from there, leaving the offense quite a sizable hole to attempt to climb out of over the course of the next two quarters and change. But while all three phases showed there’s room for improvement, the lack of resistance the defense provided of any sort left this game out of reach before the offense and special teams had a chance to get going.

Steady Special Teams

Punters don’t get a lot of airtime, and while there have been a lot of things that haven’t gone according to plan in a season that ends without a postseason appearance, Alex Bacchetta has been a bright spot. The Owls veteran punter was largely serviceable, at best, a season ago. Ranking 11th in the conference in net punting, with 37.7 net yards per punt and ninth with an average of 41.2 yards.

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Entering Saturday, Bacchetta has boosted both of those marks. This year, he’s up to 40.4 net yards per attempt and a 44.8-yard average. Against USF he punted six times, averaging 43.3 yards per punt with a long of 51 yards. Those numbers will likely elevate him into the top five in the conference in average and keep him near a 40-yard net. That’s a solid season worth some recognition.

Backup Quarterbacks Get Cameos

Quarterback Chase Jenkins became the first Rice football quarterback to start every game in a regular season since Driphus Jackson in 2015, but unfortunately, he would not finish all 12 games. Jenkins left the UTSA game with a lower-body injury several weeks ago and was knocked out of the Owls’ final game in the late minutes of the second quarter following a blow to the head.

Drew Devillier replaced him and got his longest extended look as the quarterback in this offense thus far. Some of his passes in that emergency fill-in drive went long, but he did get the team within field goal range and looked much more composed when he returned in the second half.

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Devillier took that first snap after the break 10 yards on the ground, showcasing his ability as a runner, even if he might not be as fleet of foot as Jenkins. He orchestrated a 7-play, 61-yard drive sparked by a long run from Aaron Turner before giving way to Lucas Scheerhorn, who opened the fourth quarter.

Scheerhorn didn’t complete any passes, but ran the ball effectively, with a long carry of 20 yards. Originally recruited to run an option system at Kennesaw State, his level of comfort in the offense was evident, in spite of a fumbled low snap that resulted in a turnover. Ultimately, Jenkins still projects as the future at quarterback for this program, but live game reps should prove valuable for both moving forward.

Making Sense of the Season

There will be plenty of time to dissect this season — and we’ll have plenty of analysis on The Roost in the days ahead — but for the time being, the dichotomy of expectations rings as the defining dissonance that will forever mark head coach Scott Abell’s first season on South Main.

On paper, this season was a success. They beat Vegas’ preseason 3.5 win total expectations by a game and half and posted wins over two bowl teams: Louisiana and UConn. But games aren’t played on paper, nor are programs constructed on them.

“You always reflect on year one and you ask yourself the question, Hey, did we set the culture? I mean that’s got to be the primary goal. And so, without question, we did,” Abell said in his post-game comments.

In some ways, the hope inspired by the 3-1 start challenged the conventional wisdom that wins weren’t the conventional currency of Year One. Abell’s team inspired hope in a year that was meant to be a table setter for the seasons to come.

“How do we rate success this year will be when we really evaluate how we grew, and then are we ready to take the next step for the program? The next step is to compete with these teams,” Abell said, referring to the upper tier of programs in the American like Memphis, North Texas and South Florida.

“And when you show flashes of it, you get excited, but that’s all we did this year against this top tier, we showed a flash here and there. We showed a quarter here and there. We got to play four quarters. We got to get back the development time, which this program desperately needs. We need to continue to build the roster. I’m excited about doing that. Looking forward to doing that.”

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Defense Runs Out of Gas

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