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Rice Football Recruiting: 2022 QB AJ Padgett commits to Owls

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With visit restrictions lifted, the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class didn’t waste any time adding to the fold. 2022 Quarterback AJ Padgett has committed to the Owls.

A quiet summer on the recruiting front started to heat up over the weekend. The limitations placed on staff and players by the NCAA were loosened this month and in-person visits were permitted to resume. It wasn’t long after that the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class picked up another new commitment at a very prominent position.

2022 Reedy quarterback AJ Padgett has committed to the Owls. Padgett is the third member of the class and the first offensive player in the fold this cycle. He joins defensive lineman Davion Carter and Chibby Nwajuaku as the initial trio of 2022 commits. He was one of several quarterbacks Rice brought in over the weekend to work out. It didn’t take him long to pull the trigger once he’d officially been offered.

Padgett chose Rice over offers from Houston Baptist and Incarnate Word.  His offer and quick commitment comes the same week Rice more or less finalized their 2021 class, bringing in transfer quarterback Luke McCaffrey from Nebraska. The quarterback room will be crowded, but the level of talent is continuing to rise.

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Padgett flashes a strong arm in his tape with an impressive level of accuracy. He’s also far from a statue, showcasing an ability to move within the pocket, roll out and still make his throws. Rice has shown they can take advantage of a quarterback who can make an impact with his legs. Padgett will bring some of that to the table.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 78 – Previewing North Texas Football with Matthew Brune

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Matthew Brune of Mean Green 247 joins us this week to preview the 2021 North Texas football season. What can we expect from the Mean Green this year?

The 2021 Rice Football is still a ways away, but we’re getting a head start on the Owls’ opponents this summer. This week Matthew Brune of Mean Green 247 joins the show to talk North Texas football. We take a step back to the Mason Fine years and walk through a brief history of how the program came to be where it is now, with brief tangents into recruiting graphic mishaps, viral Tweets and more.

Be sure to stick around for the lightning round and check out his answers to a selection of North Texas and Conference USA related topics. You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 78.

Episode Notes

  • Housekeeping
    • Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice. Every little bit helps.
    • Please support us on Patreon. Be the first to get the inside scoop on what’s going on with Rice football and stick around for even further analysis. That includes our debriefing series on spring football, recruiting news and more.
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  • Matthew Brune joins the show — Matt shares his insight on North Texas football under Seth Littrell and what to expect from the Mean Green this coming season, including:
    • What to make of North Texas’ down 2020 season
    • Littrell’s hot seat
    • Jace Ruder, Austin Aune and C-USA quarterback situations
    • Expectations for the Mean Green in the upcoming season
    • The Lightning Round

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Breaking down the Luke McCaffrey commitment

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The 2021 Rice football recruiting class picked up its marquee player this week with the addition of former Nebraska quarterback Luke McCaffrey.

Luke McCaffrey, a bonafide blue-chip quarterback recruit, has decided to don the Blue and Gray and play for Rice football. That decision will have ripple effects on the Owls and Conference USA, starting with the impact McCaffrey’s arrival will have on the overall talent level of the Rice roster.

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BREAKING: Transfer Quarterback Luke McCaffrey commits to Rice football

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Rice Football has a quarterback. Former Nebraska signal-caller Luke McCaffrey has committed to play for the Owls.

On the surface, the Rice football roster looks more or less complete. The Owls have one of the best defenses in Conference USA. They’ve got talented wide receivers, a couple of good running backs and an offensive line that’s been reasonably effective. What they’ve lacked, for multiple years now, is a surefire quarterback. Enter Luke McCaffrey.

McCaffrey’s college football career began in 2019 with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He played in 11 games over two seasons in Lincoln, throwing for 608 yards and three touchdowns with six interceptions. He added 540 yards and four touchdowns with his legs. He would later transfer from Nebraska to Louisville, but shortly after arriving on campus at Louisville, decided the fit wasn’t right for him.

It was at that point the Owls swooped in. Head coach Mike Bloomgren coached Luke’s older brother, Panthers’ running back Christian McCaffrey, while the two were at Stanford. That connection, combined with McCaffrey’s interest to start and the Owls nebulous quarterback situation, made for a perfect pairing between McCaffrey and Rice.

At the time of his original recruitment, McCaffrey was the No. 1 athlete in the state of Colorado, the No. 13 athlete in the nation and a four-star rated recruit. From a pure composite score perspective, when McCaffrey takes his first snap he’ll become the most highly-rated player to ever play for Rice football. That distinction is currently held by safety Gabe Taylor, who took over the top spot last season.

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McCaffrey instantly becomes the favorite to be the quarterback for the Owls in 2021. He’ll have to get caught up on the playbook and work diligently to understand the scheme, but his talent level, particularly as a runner, has the potential to revolutionize the Rice offense. This was a big get for the Owls.

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Rice Football Burning Questions: Who steps up at wide receiver in 2021?

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The abbreviated 2020 Rice football season provided some answers regarding where the program is at. But questions remaining, starting with the receiving corps.

The injuries sustained by the Rice football wide receiving corps last season were unbelievable. Never in my time covering college football had I seen a group of pass catchers so depleted by injuries. It’s not as if there weren’t enough wideouts on the roster — there were enough bodies — they were just all hurt.

By the time Rice played its final regular season game against UAB, the Owls had one scholarship wide receiver available at practice, and he was beaten up, too. Which brings us to the 2021 season and our first of a few pieces in our Burning Questions series this offseason. Who fills that void in the passing game in 2021?

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