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Rice Football: Bradley Rozner granted additional eligibility

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Rice football received some good news. Wide receiver Bradley Rozner has two more years of eligibility following a waiver from the NCAA.

The upcoming 2020 Rice football season will not be the final year of eligibility for wide receiver Bradley Rozner. The NCAA has granted him a waiver for an additional year of eligibility beyond 2020. That effectively makes Rozner a redshirt sophomore entering the season ahead. He’ll now have two more years of eligibility rather than just one.

Rozner missed his freshman season with injuries before his breakout “sophomore” campaign in 2018. He led all junior college players in touchdown receptions that year, paving the way for his jump to the next level.

More: Brad Rozner – The Roost’s Rice Football newcomer of the Year 

The lanky wideout was a raw talent when he arrived at Rice. The coaching staff new he had ability, but how it would translate to the D1 level was somewhat of an unknown. Rozner took some time to assimilate, but the growth that began in fall camp continued to progress as the season went on.

He flashed some big play ability in his early games, including 100-yard outings against Wake Forest and Baylor. He caught his first D1 touchdown against UAB and followed it with a score in the Owls’ following game against UTSA.

Then his big day finally came. With Rice still in search of their first victory of the 2019 season, Rozner went off. Against Middle Tennessee No. 2 caught three touchdown passes in the first half, spotting the Owls a sizable lead on the road. Rice would go on to win 31-28, thanks in large part to the eight receptions, three scores and 130 yards racked up by Rozner.

He finished the year with, 55 catches, 770 yards and five touchdowns. He and Austin Trammell should once again be one of the better receiving duos in Conference USA this season. Keeping Rozner for another year in addition to several up-and-coming young receivers is fantastic news for the Rice offense for seasons to come.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2021 TE Jaggar Hebeisen commits to Owls

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The 2021 Rice Football recruiting class has its first tight end. Colleyville Heritage tight end Jaggar Hebeisen has committed to the Owls.

The limitations on in-house recruiting visits haven’t slowed down the 2021 Rice Football recruiting class. The Owls’ didn’t lose focus, they just shifted their attention online and on the phone. They entered the sudden pause with four commitments. On Friday they picked up their first new addition since. Colleyville Heritage tight end Jaggar Hebeisen has committed to the Owls.

More: 2021 Rice Football Recruiting commitment tracker

Hebeisen had several offers at the time of his commitment, Utah being the most prominent name. Other notable offers included several Ivy League schools, Air Force and Louisiana Tech. Even with interest picking up this spring, he still planned to make a decision sooner rather than later. The goal was to have things wrapped up before his senior season this fall.

Not only was Hebeisen able to cull the list down before the summer, he’d made his final decision before spring was over. He had plans to visit campus at the end of March, but the shutdown put those on hold. A week later, he committed to the Owls.

The tight end position encompasses several different kinds of players. Rice has several strong blockers who fare best on the line of scrimmage. Heibensen should fill more of the vertical role, giving the Owls the ability to stretch the field and use him in the passing game.

Standing at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Hebeisen has a sturdy frame. He can play in-line and flex out to the slot. Whether Rice needs him in the backfield or split out, he feels comfortable in space. With him in the fold, the Owls have built a strong contingent of young tight ends including Jack Bradley and Nate Kamper.

Rice is going to get to use Hebeisen in a variety of ways. This was a big get for the Owls’ offense.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep. 27 – Taylor McHargue talks 2013 Rice Football Championship

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Former Rice Football quarterback Taylor McHargue joins the show to discuss the 2013 Conference Championship team and the direction of the program today.

Rice Athletics has opted to bridge the sports void with re-airs of some of the program’s best moments. This past week they showed the 2013 Rice Football Conference Championship victory over Marshall at Rice Stadium, prompting a nice segue to our guest for this week’s show. Taylor McHargue, the quarterback of that team, joins us to relive those memories and discuss the latest happenings in the Rice sports world.

McHargue was mentioned in our prior episode (Ep. 26) with Rice Owls’ Voice JP Heath as a candidate for the 2010’s Rice Athletics Mount Rushmore. If you missed it, make sure you give that discussion a listen and send us your thoughts. We’re aiming to air a new show every Saturday for the next several weeks.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, Give a listen to Episode 27.


Episode 27 Notes

  • Housekeeping — If you like the show, please don’t forget to rate and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. Spreading the word helps and your voice matters!
  • Taylor McHargue joins the show — It was great getting to catch up with the most recent conference championship-winning quarterback at Rice. We discussed:
    • The 2013 team and the build up to the championship season
    • His potential punting competition with former Owls’ specialist James Farrimond
    • The transition from David Bailiff to Mike Bloomgren and the program today
    • Proper football scheduling and the right mix of nonconference opponents
    • How the coronavirus could impact college football in 2020

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: New 2021 offers continue through the shutdown

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It’s been a busy month for the 2021 Rice Football recruiting class. The lack of in-person visits hasn’t slowed the Owls down on the recruiting trail at all.

The coronavirus pandemic has put the sports world in gridlock. The NCAA suspended all in person on-campus and off-campus recruiting through April 15, making adding new members to the class difficult, but not impossible. The 2021 Rice football recruiting class picked up four commitments in the week leading up to the stoppage and has continued to offer targets since in-person recruiting was temporarily halted.

I caught up with several of these players to get their interest on Rice and find out where they’re at in their recruitment process. Here’s a rundown of the names to know at some key positions, many of which have surfaced in the last few weeks.

Quarterback

The shifting dynamics on the recruiting front have impacted the Owls’ quarterback hunt significantly. Rice has altered its strategy to some degree, offering three quarterbacks this week rather than putting all their eggs in one basket. Extending these offers officially puts Rice in the mix for three dynamic signal-callers.

Shawqi Itraish (Bradenton, FL) says he’s been impressed with the consistency and focus of the Owls’ staff when it comes to building a relationship despite the long distance. He hasn’t been on campus yet but would love to as soon as he can.

Lucas Coley (San Antonio, TX) did get the chance to visit and liked what he saw. He said he understands the “40-year decision” that Rice offers and how unique an opportunity it would be to get a high-level degree and play D1 football would be. He likes the staff, but is most looking forward to seeing how the culture translates onto the field this fall. Proving this program is on the upswing is an important factor for him.

Jaylen Henderson (West Hills, CA) rounds out the trio of offered passers. Rice has made sound headwinds in California in recent years, landing Jake Bailey (2019) and Lamont Narcisse (2020). Adding someone with the finesse of Henderson, who can attack defenses both through the air and on the ground, would represent another big out-of-state win for the Owls.

It’s very early in the game for all three of these players. It’s important to note that Rice football recruiting offers are handed out with purpose. Rice would be happy to have any of these three as their cornerstone passer for the 2021 class.

Offensive Line

Rice is going to be in very good position with its 2021 class. Faaenauu Pepe is already in the fold and the response has been overwhelmingly positive from the other targets Rice has offered on the offensive line. Canon Boone (Dickinson, TX) is the newest name to watch right now.

Defensive Line

There’s a good chance Rice keeps their growing pipeline to the Northeast open with Khordae Sydnor. A standout pass rusher from Iona Prep, Sydnor is the No. 5 rated defensive end in the state of New York. Former Iona Prep players Jordan Dunbar and Derek Ferraro play for the Owls right now. Dunbar’s influence has been important for Sydnor as he explores Rice. On the local front, Stone Eby (Flower Mound, TX) has risen up as a target at that position.

On the interior, Bryce Goodner (Athens, TN) is a grown man that can play both ways, although the Owls want him on the defensive side. He’s hoping to get to campus whenever possible. He, Elroyal Morris (Houston, TX), and Grady Kelly (Navarre, FL) were both offered in the last several weeks. Morris was able to get to campus before the break. That seems to have been extremely beneficial in his recruitment.

Tight end

Jaggar Hebeisen (Colleyville, TX) is another prospect that seemed particularly high on the Owls. At the moment, he’s the clear-cut No. 1 target at the tight end position. He’s looking forward to getting on campus as soon as he can, but the shutdown has stretched out his recruitment just like everyone else.

Linebacker

Two of the Owls’ four current commitments play linebacker, so Rice is really starting to narrow their focus here. DJ Arkansas (Denton, TX), Dylan Hazen (The Woodlands, TX) and DJ Brown (Memphis, TN) are the remaining offered players on the Owls’ board at this time.

Arkansas was the first defensive player Rice offered in this class. His stock has continued to rise. It’s possible the shutdown could aid Rice in his recruitment, but we’ll have to wait and see. Brown and Hazen have both seen an uptick in their interest in recent weeks with Hazen picking up an offer from Illinois this week.

Other recruiting notes

Rice did something interesting in their final spring practice. Without knowing it would be their last, head coach Mike Bloomgren flipped the position groups. Running backs did linebacker drills with the defensive coaches. Defensive lineman worked with Bloomgren and new o-line coach Sanders Davis. Prudy Calderon was a quarterback. Wiley Green played defensive back and even made a nifty play on the ball for a leaping interception.

The change made my head spin on the sideline, but the players had a blast. One upperclassman remarked on his way off the field that this was one of the most fun practices he’d ever been a part of at Rice.

Beyond lifting the spirits of the team, the recruits on hand picked up on the energy. Placide Djungu-Sungu (Arlington, TX) and Trevor Woods (Katy, TX) both told me they really enjoyed getting to see everyone playing their opposite roles.

Lastly, one overarching topic that has flown a bit under the radar regarding the 2021 class. SAT and ACT testing has been put on hold, along with everything else. At least for the time being, recruits are riding with whatever their last test score was. Getting the grade is an important first step in the recruiting process. It hasn’t appeared to limit the Owls’ much so far,  but it’s another factor to keep in mind.

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Rice Football: 2020 Spring practice closing thoughts

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Rice Football snuck in six spring practices before they were canceled by Conference USA. Here are a few things we learned and questions still unanswered.

My notebook is an organized mess every time Rice football practice is underway. I have notes from each session I attend. Those range from individual moments that impressed me to far-reaching questions that I’ve yet to reach a conclusion. Sometimes coaches or players can shed light on my queries, other times they’re left to ruminate until next session, next week, or longer.

More: Erica Ogwumike talks end of season, Rice career on The Roost Podcast

Rice is fortunate they got to practice at all. Several Conference USA teams called off all sessions before they ever stepped foot on the field. There are a lot of question marks scribbled in the pages from the Owls’ six spring practice sessions. In this case, some clarity is better than none.

Depth Charts

I hesitate to put out defined depth charts, especially from spring ball. Players are cycling in and out, some are learning new positions. The alignment of the team on any one play varies tremendously. Starters are easier to determine. Backups are … well, an exercise best guessing. With that caveat, take these words as being scribed in pencil.

Rice Football First Team Offense

QB | Collins OR Johnson
RB | Otoviano
WR | Trammell, Rozner, Pitre
TE | Myers
OL | Servin (LT), Garcia OR Sheriff (LG), Klarkowski (C), Baker (RG), Woolford (RT)

Rice Football Second Team Offense

QB | McMahon
RB | Montgomery OR King
WR | Knipe, Bailey, Palmer
TE | Bull OR Bradley
OL | Ferraro (LT), Riddle (LG), Baker (C), Floyd (RG), Peterson (RT)

Offensive depth chart notes

I hate OR designations, but I really do believe there are several open spots on the offense right now. Quarterback is the most obvious. If Rice football had to play tomorrow, I’d bet Mike Collins is the guy, but it’s close. That’s not to say he stole the show this spring — he and JoVoni Johnson were both solid — but I like Collins’ combination of size and elusiveness. I’m still looking to see who can make more consistent plays downfield between those two. The more accurate passer could win the job in fall camp.

Cam Montgomery looks really good. Really good. Rice had a deep backfield last year and Montgomery fumbled away some of his opportunities, leaving him buried on the bench. He’s probably the fastest player on the team right now (or at least in the top five). He’ll be the third down and pass catching back. There’s plenty of room for Jawan King to carve out a role as well.

Not much changed on the pass catching front outside of some good plays from sophomore tight end Jack Bradley. He was on a very short list of true freshman that played every game. They’d like to see him more involved this year. August Pitre had a great showing, too. He was much more aggressive in the air, fighting for the football and winning one-one-one matchups.

On the offensive line, it’s encouraging to see Izeya Floyd running with the twos. So far, the transition seems to be going well. Klarkowski as the starting center surprised me a bit, but I attribute that more to the need for answers at guard. If someone emerges there, Baker more than likely moves back to center. JoVaun Woolford is an impressive human being. If he adds another 15 to 20 pounds this offseason he’s going to be a huge asset at the tackle spot.

Rice Football First Team Defense

DL | Schuman, Hubbard, Carrol, Orji
LB | Alldredge, Montero
CB | Devones, Thornton
Saf | Smith, Nyakwol, Chamberlain

Rice Football Second Team Defense

DL | Doddridge, Enechukwu, Garcia, Page
LB | Morrison, Grammer
CB | Bird, White
Saf | Calderon, Lockhart, Richardson

Defensive depth chart notes

The defense looks pretty cookie cutter from how Rice football ended last season. De’Braylon Carroll will slide up into a starting spot replacing the departing Myles Adams. Kenneth Orji will become the full-time man at rush end with Anthony Ekpe gone. The rest of the first team is essentially unchanged.

Myron Morrison has entrenched himself as a rotation player at linebacker. The coaches love his work ethic and he made several big plays this spring. He and Garrett Grammer will back up Antonio Montero and Blaze Alldredge.

There’s a pretty clear delineation from the first and second teams in the secondary, but the top 10 guys are solid. Rice is bringing in some talented playmakers in the secondary, but this shouldn’t be a situation where anyone is forced to play early from necessity. They’ll have to earn it, which they very well might do.

The defensive line is a spot to monitor. I loved what I saw from Kebreyun Page, and Ikenna Enechukwu has been steadily improving from last season until now. I’m not sure about the defensive end spot. Joshua Pearcy and Jacob Doddridge both took some time there during the spring.

Special Teams

There are a few certainties on special teams.

  1. Austin Trammell will be the punt returner
  2. Stanford transfer Collin Riccitelli will be the place kicker
  3. Charlie Mendes will be the punter
  4. Cam Riddle will be the long snapper

There really won’t be any competition whatsoever at those four spots. That leaves kickoffs and the holder as the only real question marks. Those auditions will continue into the fall.

Unanswered questions

1. Who is going to be the starting quarterback?

Collins and Johnson separated themselves this spring, but neither “seized the job” as coach Bloomgren has often wished of his quarterbacks. They’re both great on the ground with Collins getting a slight edge because of his size. Johnson may not be injury prone, but he’s slimmer and did get forced out of his start against Marshall last year with an injury. I still think we could have one guy before the season opener, but don’t expect the competition closed before a week or two of fall camp.

2. Which offense will Rice run?

The way Rice lined up against Army was night and day different from how they played against Middle Tennessee. Bloomgren will stick to his guns and run the football, but he’s not going to discount the success they found through the air. The offensive line might be the key determinant in how Rice attacks on offense. But we still don’t know how that unit will be pieced together quite yet.

3. Where are the gaps that incoming players need to fill?

In previous springs, it’s been fairly evident where the team needs an impact player. Given the little sample size this time, it’s hard to know which of the incoming signing class is going to have the clearest path to playing time.

I have a hunch someone is going to emerge from the running backs. Kobie Campbell and Khalan Griffin are special talents that could impact the game on special teams or as offensive weapons. On defense, I want to see what happens in the secondary. Can someone like Lamont Narcisse work his way onto the field? That might depend on a few factors. On both sides of the ball, we’ll have to wait and see what happens in the fall.

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