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2021 Rice Football Recruiting class Top 5 in Conference USA as end of July nears

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The 2020 Rice Football class is well-positioned entering July. The Owls have a Top-5 class in Conference USA and plenty of momentum.

The success of the most recent Rice Football recruiting classes has been a point of pride for Mike Bloomgren and his staff. They have elevated the level of talent in the program, most recently signing the highest-rated class in program history.

According to 247 Sports player rankings, the 2020 class had an average ranking of 82.25. The 2021 class has an average ranking of 82.64 and ranks third in Conference USA. If the Owls can maintain that status, they’ll break last year’s record and earn Rice a Top 5 class in the conference for the first time since 2013.

Of the two classes rated more highly than the Owls, volume plays an important key. Top-ranked Florida Atlantic has a stunning 25 commitments, highlighted by 4-star pledge Shedeur Sanders. UTSA is second with 13 commitments.

The 2021 Rice Football recruiting class has nine commitments, the third most in Conference USA. The class will have somewhere close to the 25 allotted slots, meaning the Owls are a little more than a third of the way complete with five months before the Early Signing Period in December.

So much can change over the course of the next few months. Rice can’t control what other schools do, but they can continue to build their own class as best they can. Their most recent addition was an important one, securing the pledge of Bradenton, Florida quarterback Shawqi Itraish. With the most important position locked down, the Owls can turn their attention to other key targets.

Want more insight on Rice Football recruiting? Subscribe to The Roost on Patreon to get exclusive recruiting updates and insight into who the Owls have offered so far.

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Rice Football: Updated list of preseason honors and watch lists

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Led by linebacker Blaze Alldredge, several Rice football players have earned preseason honors prior to the beginning of the 2020 season.

This offseason has been anything but typical, but some things have stayed the same. The preseason watch lists and award calendars have remained largely in sync. Rice Football has had several players recognized across a variety of publications. Additional accolades will follow, including Conference USA preseason teams, among others.

Here’s the most up-to-date list of recognition for each Rice player:

Senior linebacker Blaze Alldredge

  • First Team, Phil Steele All-Conference USA
  • First Team, Athlon Sports All-Conference USA
  • Bednarik Award Watch List (Best defensive player in the nation)
  • Butkus Award Watch List (Best linebacker in the nation)
  • Nagurski Trophy Watch List (Best defensive player in the nation)

Redshirt junior wide receiver Bradley Rozner

  • Third Team, Phil Steele All-Conference USA
  • Third Team, Athlon Sports All-Conference USA
  • Biletnikoff Trophy Watch List (Best wide receiver in the nation)

Senior wide receiver Austin Trammell

  • Third Team punt returner, Athlon Sports All-Conference USA
  • Fourth Team wide receiver, Athlon Sports All-Conference USA
  • Third Team wide receiver, Phil Steele All-Conference USA
  • Third Team punt returner, Phil Steele All-Conference USA
  • Hornung Award Watch List (Most versatile player in the nation)

Senior safety George Nyakwol

  • Third Team, Phil Steele All-Conference USA
  • Fourth Team, Athlon Sports All-Conference USA

Additional Phil Steele honorees

  • Junior long snapper Campbell Riddle, Second Team
  • Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Clay Servin, Fourth Team

Additional Athlon Sports honorees

  • Redshirt junior offensive lineman Shea Baker, Fourth Team
  • Redshirt senior defensive lineman Elijah Garcia, Fourth Team

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Rice Football: Madden Ratings for NFL Owls released

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There are several former Rice football players on NFL rosters for this coming season. Each of those NFL Owls received their Madden 21 rating this week.

The extended hiatus from sports was briefly interrupted this week by the release of the Madden 21 ratings. Dozens upon dozens of variables were combined to reach one overall rating for the video game. Players from all 32 teams were assigned numerical grades. That included 10 former Rice football players.

The Roost Podcast: Christian Covington joins the show for Marvel Movie Draft

Post-NFL Draft free agent signees were omitted from the initial round of grades. That group included several Rice football alums hoping to get onto an NFL roster this fall. If you’re curious about other players, an exhaustive list including all of their categorical breakdowns is available here.

Top ratings weren’t handed out like candy. No Rice players received grades of 90 or above, but several received grades in the high-60s to low-80s range. That seems to roughly translate to starting caliber players. Here’s the breakdown of the overall scores for the NFL Owls. Fun fact, Jack Fox got a higher speed score than either of the Bosa brothers.

K Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers – 82

DB Bryce Callahan, Denver Broncos – 80

TE Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers – 76

Saf Andrew Sendejo, Cleveland Browns – 76

DE Christian Covington, Denver Broncos – 71 (update NFL Owls sheet)

TE Luke Willson, Seahawks Seattle – 69

DB Phillip Gaines, Houston Texans – 69

P Jack Fox, Detroit Lions – 65

LB Emmanuel Ellerbee, Seattle Seahawks – 60

OL Calvin Anderson, Denver Broncos – 55

Keep tabs on where every Rice football alum in the NFL is playing on our NFL Owls page. We keep that sheet up to date as players are signed, cut and move from team to team. The newest wave of signees following the 2020 NFL Draft are included.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep. 42 – North Texas Football Preview with Matthew Brune

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The Roost Podcast welcomes Matthew Brune, who covers North Texas football for Mean Green 247 to break down expectations for the Mean Green this fall.

Rice Football opponent previews continue this week with another opponent from Conference USA West. This week we welcomed our friend Matthew Brune with Mean Green to give us the inside scoop on North Texas football and the interesting coaching trajectory of Seth Littrel.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. All of the Conference USA team shows are there as well as the beginning of our Extended Offseason Series. That features popular Rice alums like Anthony Rendon, Christian Covington and James Casey, among others. For now, give a listen to our chat with Matthew on Episode 42.

Episode 42 Notes

  • Housekeeping — This week only: Leave us a five-star review and include what you like about the show. Also, make sure you follow Matthew on Twitter and let him know you enjoyed having him on the pod.
  • Subscribe on Patreon — If you enjoy the site and want to be a part of what we’re building at The Roost, please consider supporting us on Patreon.
  • Matthew Brune joins the show — Matthew shares his insight on North Texas football under Seth Littrell and what to expect from the Mean Green in 2020, including:
    • Littrell’s uncertainty coaching trajectory after the down season
    • The future at quarterback after Mason Fine
    • The array of weapons North Texas will have on offense
    • Which players could be difference-makers on defense
    • 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 2021: Mid-July update and targets to watch

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The 2021 Rice Football Recruiting class is continuing to gain steam. Here are a few targets to keep an eye on this summer.

Here are four names to follow as we get past the midpoint of the summer. Evan Jackson is one of the newer offers, but that relationship is off to a great start. Of the earlier offers, Rice is still very much in the mix for Katy Taylor safety Trevor Woods. I have some notes on both of those guys as well as lineman Coco Lukirch and Bryce Goodner.

RB/CB Evan Jackson – Woodland, GA

Evan Jackson is an incredible athlete with top-end speed. Rice has prioritized getting faster in recent classes. Jackson can run a 10.83 100-meter dash and could run track in college if he goes that route. He likes playing with the ball in his hands and likes playing in the slot as a receiver, but he might actually have a better long-term role at Rice as a corner.

At this point, Jackson’s offers have been all over the board. He’s been heavily recruited by the Ivies and has a quarterback offer from Army.

He said the facilities stood out from what he’s seen virtually. His relationships with the coaching staff continue to progress and he’s looking to narrow things down in late July. The everchanging COVID-19 situations have made nailing specific dates difficult, but it sounds like he hopes to have a decision made in the next few weeks if possible. Rice is in a very good place with him.

Saf Trevor Woods – Katy, TX

Rice was the first to offer Katy Taylor standout safety Trevor Woods, and that initial vote of confidence has stuck with him as he’s picked up offers from Arizona, Colorado and others.

He’s remained in close communication with the Rice staff through the in-person shutdown. He said it’s possible his rate of communication has increased with the lack of camps and other summer activities. To some degree, all he and the staff has to do is build relationships.

The recruiting restrictions have probably played into the Owls favor in Woods’ recruitment. He has the talent to be a special player in Conference USA and his lack of exposure this summer has helped secure Rice a spot at the table when it comes time for him to make a decision. The pandemic has made things hazier, but Woods says he’d still like to make a decision by the end of the summer.

OL Coco Lukrich – Park City, UT

Initially listed as a two-way guy on the Offer Tracker, Rice prefers Coco Lukrich on the offensive side of the ball. He’s been a guard at the high school level and could stick there at the college level, especially with the bookend of tackles Rice brought in last season with Trey Phillippi and Mike Leone. Lukrich himself made it clear he’s fine playing on either side of the ball and expects he’ll line up at defensive end frequently this year as well.

Lukrich’s offers are fairly robust. In addition to several Ivy League schools and service academies, he has Power 5 offers from Boston College, Syracuse and Washington State. All three came this summer prior to his offer from Rice. So far it sounds like the Owls are still somewhat in the mix, but the competition has heated up significantly in the last few weeks.

DL Bryce Goodner – Mcminn, TN

Of all the recruits Rice is currently after that don’t have any sort of rating on 247, Goodner might be the one I’m most excited about. First, he’s a monster that moves big things with ease. Second, he’s somehow flying under the radar and has Rice in the hunt when it comes time to make his decision.

Goodner says he’s narrowed his list down and is content with the collection of offers he has so far. He picked up Tulsa over the weekend and already had offers from Air Force, Arkansas State, Charlotte a few Ivy League schools and several more from the FCS ranks.

Goodner doesn’t have a timetable for his decision but says he’s in constant contact with Rice and is going to trust his gut. He said a decision could come “tomorrow morning or right before our first game.”

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