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Rice Football: 5 Position battles to watch in fall camp

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Five position battles have been a focal point of Rice Football fall camp. Here’s where the Owls stand at those key spots after the first week of camp.

1. Wide receiver

The suspension of Aaron Cephus left Rice in a tough spot at the wide receiver position. Austin Trammell will push 100 targets, but the rest of the depth chart is going to be asked to step up. August Pitre and Brad Rozner started camp with the first team.

When the team goes to split squad practice, freshman Zane Knipe works with the veterans. Jake Bailey is with the second team at the moment, but he stands out as the best player at his position in that group.

Projected starters against Army as of today: Trammell, Rozner, Pitre

2. Offensive line

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Three grad transfers in the mix make the offensive line one of the most competitive races of camp. The only position that is definitively set in stone is left tackle, where Clay Servin returns as the team’s top starter. Nick Leverett, Brian Chaffin and Cole Garcia are fighting it out for the two interior guard spots with Shea Baker the presumptive favorite to stick at center.

Learn more about each of these challengers by reading their player profiles in our 2019 Rice Football Season Preview, on sale now.

The most competitive race will come at right tackle where Uzoma Osuji and Ouachita Baptist transfer Justin Gooseberry are dueling for the starting role.

Projected starters against Army as of today: From left to right – Servin, Leverett, Baker, Garcia, Gooseberry

3. Quarterback

Wiley Green has had the inside track on the starting job in 2019 since the end of last season. He performed reasonably well in the spring and has continued to progress through fall camp. But, just like last year, the Owls brought in a grad transfer at the position to push their incumbent starter.

Through the first week of camp, it’s looking like Tom Stewart is the real deal. It was never a given that Green would be the de facto starter against Army, but recent developments make me believe this competition is going to very real and quite contentious. Stewart’s progress, plus the arrival of Jovoni Johnson could see this race draw out til the final days of camp.

Projected starters against Army as of today: Green

4. Special Teams

While the rest of the aforementioned position battles project to be close, each of them features some sort of frontrunner rather by way of seniority or familiarity with the Owls’ schemes. Two of the most prominent special teams jobs are wide open.

Adam Nunez and Chris Barnes have both had strong fall camps at punter. Nunez was a multi-year starter at TCU; Barnes sat behind current-NFLer Jack Fox. There’s probably not a wrong answer here. The kicker spot features more uncertainty. Will Harrison has experience but wasn’t accurate this spring. Incoming freshman Zach Hoban has an impressive highlight reel, but he’s never produced at the college level.

Projected starters against Army as of today: Punter – Adam Nunez, Kicker – Zach Hoban

5. Corner

The emergence of Andrew Bird late last season was huge for the Owls’ secondary which lost several veterans this offseason. Back alongside Bird are D’Angelo Ellis and Tyrae Thornton, both of whom have had their ups and downs. One of the two is going to start opposite Bird out the gate. Who that will be remains to be seen. This is one of the spots where we could see freshmen emerge early to play meaningful snaps.

Projected starters against Army as of today: Bird, Ellis

All practice updates will be available for all to see during fall camp. Once the regular season starts they’ll be reserved for members. Becoming a member is 100% FREE and takes 30 seconds. You can register here.

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Rice Football: 8 Freshmen making noise at fall camp

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Several veteran players are drawing rave reviews at Rice Football fall camp, but here are a few freshmen who have thrust their names into the mix.

The Owls were already a young football team before the 2019 Rice Football recruiting class arrived on campus. A week into fall camp, those new additions are turning heads. Zane Knipe is already working with the first team, but there are several other freshmen making significant noise.

Defensive line

De’Braylon Carroll is the real deal. There hasn’t been a practice that’s gone by without him turning heads. The defensive MVP of the 8-6A District of high school football, this Duncanville star has proven himself to be the real deal. It’s going to be tough for any freshmen to earn starting jobs before nonconference play through. Carroll might just be the exceptions

Rice Football Season Preview
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If Carroll wasn’t dominating to the degree he was, his partner in the trenches, Izeya Floyd, would be garnering all the accolades. He’s been a welcomed physical presence on the inside. It’s evident he and Carroll are going to be regulars in the rotation this season.

Secondary

The safety spots are spoken for. George Nyakwol won’t leave the field much this season. The winner of a close battle between Prudy Calderon and Naeem Smith will give Rice another strong option in the defensive backfield.

Corner is a different story. Andrew Bird has been rock steady on one side, but the rest of the depth chart has been up and down. Freshman Treshone Devones, Josh Landrum and Kirk Lockhart have all impressed early. Winning a starting role before midseason would be a stretch, but each of those three will be in the mix for playing time.

Offensive line and tight end

Rice is relatively deep along the o-line and at tight end, but that hasn’t stopped some younger players from flashing. Regan Riddle has done well for himself. He faces an extremely crowded depth chart along the interior of the line but could see some playing time as the “ogre” sixth man. He’ll be a chief contender to start in 2020.

Likewise, Jack Bradley is entering the conversation at tight end. He’s drawing buzz as one of the more well-rounded players the Owls have at that position. He’s another name to keep an eye on.

All practice updates will be available for all to see during fall camp. Once the regular season starts they’ll be reserved for members. Becoming a member is 100% FREE and takes 30 seconds. You can register here.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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The Roost Podcast | Episode 2 – 2019 Rice Football offense preview

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The Roost Podcast is back for Episode 2 where Carter and Matthew break down the Rice football offense in 2019, complete with MVPs and sleepers at each position.

Carter and Matthew are back with Episode 2 of The Roost Podcast. Last week in Episode 1 we talked through the 2019 schedule. If you haven’t yet, you should go ahead and give that a lesson. It should serve as sufficient grounding for Episode 2, where we break down the offense in great detail.

Give a listen to Episode 2 below.


Episode 2 Notes

  • Quarterbacks — The latest on how the quarterback battle is shaping up and what to make of the buzz surrounding freshman quarterback Jovoni Johnson.
  • Running backs and fullbacks — Our best estimate on how the carries will be distributed to start the season and how Rice plans to utilize several very different backs.
  • Wide receivers — A clarification on what we know about the Aaron Cephus suspension and what to expect from the other receivers on the roster. Which freshman have made waves early in camp?
  • Tight ends — Why weren’t the tight ends as productive last year as expected? More on Jonathan Sanchez and Robert French and how they could be productive pieces of the offense this season.
  • Offensive line — Assessing the depth on the outside and the inside. Where do the three grad transfers fit into the mix and which players are most likely to earn starting jobs out of the gate?
  • Carter and Matthew each give a potential offensive MVP and a sleeper to watch for in the 2019 season

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, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean.

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2019 Rice Football Season Preview exclusive features

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If you haven’t purchased the 2019 Rice Football Season Preview yet, you should. Here are three things that make this preview a must-have for Owls’ fans.

This idea for this preview originally came forth from my preseason preparations. Here are three things I considered a must-have, so I gathered them for myself. It was only after they were all in one place the value of this information began to crystallize and I set out to make it the most comprehensive source for the 2019 Rice Football team that exists.

1. A helpful schedule

The extended schedule page has everything you need to know as a fan for every game on the 2019 Rice Football Schedule. Beyond the start time and broadcast information (which changes from game to game), there are details about each opponent.

The all-time series, last games and school background give you a better flavor for each contest — and it’s all in one place. No googling. Just pull up the preview on your phone and reference it whenever you’d like, that goes for in-season, too.

2. The best snapshot of the entire roster

Did you know Rice Football added 40 players this offseason? 10 transfers plus 30 freshmen make for more names to learn in fall camp than many might have anticipated.

There are pages and pages dedicated to every player on the roster and individuals notes will be shared on the site throughout fall camp. For me, this page is a staple, the best singular snapshot of the entire roster that I’ve seen.

3. A realistic depth chart

The only depth chart released by the university thus far was put together before fall camp began. Charlie Booker, the Harvard transfer who has worked exclusively with the first team, wasn’t even listed. Neither was Adam Nunez, and he could be the Owls’ starting punter this season.

None of that takes into account what will happen at receiver following the indefinite suspension of Aaron Cephus. The depth chart is a fluid situation, but this is a three-deep look across the board at the best bets to contribute at Rice this fall.

What else in the 143 pages?

If that wasn’t enough by itself, there’s plenty more. Get a sample here.

  • Notes and profiles on every player on the roster and each position group
  • Breakout freshman to watch
  • An exclusive interview with head coach Mike Bloomgren
  • Deep dives on every Rice opponent and all 14 CUSA teams supported by plugged-in local experts
  • All-CUSA Teams
  • 15 must-watch games for all CUSA football fans
  • 2018 CUSA statistical leaders

What are you waiting for? Pick up your copy today. Already have it? Leave a review in the comments.

Buy Now

 

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Rice Football: Toughness up front a focal point of Owls’ weekend (8/3)

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The top position battles are beginning to surface as Rice football marches onward. Here’s where we stand with three days of fall camp in the books.

Several interesting position battles on the offensive line

The Owls’ revamped offensive line will receive plenty of attention throughout fall camp as a trio of grad transfers vie for starting jobs. One of those new additions, Nick Leverett, seems to have solidified his spot. Leverett was with the team during spring practices and has taken advantage of the extra time in the system. He’s going to claim one of the two starting guard spots, most likely on the left side, where he’s lined up so far during camp.

The other two grad transfers, Brian Chaffin and Justin Gooseberry, have less certain futures.

Rice Football Season Preview
Buy Now | 2019 Rice Preview

Shea Baker looks to have the starting center job locked down, at least for now, and Cole Garcia has been taking the majority of the reps with the first team at the right guard spot. Chaffin is an interior guy with experience coming off the bench at Stanford. It’s possible he’ll serve as a “sixth man” for the Owls’ offensive line, spelling starters on drives throughout games.

Another plug — if you haven’t downloaded a copy of the 2019 Rice Football Preview yet, there’s five pages and 2,000+ words on the offensive line.  

Gooseberry is listed as the co-starter with Uzoma Osuji at right tackle on the pre-camp depth chart. The battle between those two has been intense and could go down to the wire. Osuji raised his level of play last year, beating out Florida grad transfer Andrew Mike. Gooseberry looks to be a more formidable challenger.

Wide receiver remains up in the air

There are a lot of reps available at wide receiver. As mentioned in the first camp update, August Pitre III has taken up the majority of the reps with the first team. A new wrinkle, though, has been freshman Zane Knipe forcing his way into the mix. He’s got sticky hands and moves well in the field. He’s a step ahead of some of the returning veterans and he’s just beginning to learn the ins and the outs of the offense.

Rounding out the rest of the starters, Austin Trammell looks as reliable as ever. Bradley Rozner has been steady, but hasn’t yet shown the ability to fully utilize his size downfield. He’s tall, but he’s lankier than Aaron Cephus. He’s going to have to get more physical to meet the demands of the Owls’ offense, which lacks any semblance of size apart from him.

Toughness will be the bedrock of this team

The Oklahoma drill is a favorite at South Main. Energy has been high this week, but things seem to crank up an extra notch when pads start popping. Several veterans flashed during Saturday’s session; Blaze Alldredge, Tyrae Thornton, Justin Gooseberry, Anthony Ekpe, Shea Baker and Clay Servin stood out the most.

All practice updates will be available for all to see during fall camp. Once the regular season starts they’ll be reserved for members. Becoming a member is 100% FREE and takes 30 seconds. You can register here.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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