The first big Rice football recruiting pickup of the post-spring Transfer Portal cycle is in. Former Georgia offensive lineman Chad Lindberg has committed to the Owls.
An offensive line coach at heart, head coach Mike Bloomgren would be hard-pressed to ever say he has enough offensive linemen. Days removed from a spring game that featured a productive, but injury-plagued front line, reinforcements are coming. Former Georgia offensive lineman Chad Lindberg has committed to the Owls, the latest victory for the Rice football recruiting department.
A former four-star recruit from League City, Texas, Lindberg was a hot commodity in the 2020 recruiting cycle, ultimately choosing Georgia over Texas. After redshirting with the Bulldogs in 2020, he appeared in 22 games over the next three seasons, operating primarily as a backup and special teams member. Because of the frequency of how often Georgia steamrolled its opponents, though, Lindberg saw a fair amount of action.
Lindberg also marks the second straight season Rice has landed an offensive line transfer from the Power 5 ranks. Nebraska transfer Brant Branks started all 13 games for the Owls at left guard last season. He had been slated to transition to right tackle this spring and played well, but Lindberg’s addition might cause further shuffling on the Owls’ front five.
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Lindberg is a tackle by trade but should have the flexibility to kick inside if that’s how Rice opts to find their best five at the position. More than anything else, this move solidifies the Owls’ depth at the position, giving them at least two starting caliber options at every position, something this staff has been dreaming about since they arrived at South Main and a luxury among the Group of 5 ranks. Lindberg has two years of eligibility remaining.
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