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The Roost Podcast | Ep 147 – ’23 Charlotte Preview with Hunter Bailey

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The Roost Podcast continues its AAC previews. Up next: Hunter Bailey of the Charlotte Observer previews Charlotte football in 2023.

Charlotte football is one of the six programs (along with Rice) making the leap up from Conference USA to the American this season. The 49ers are doing so with a brand new coach and lots of uncertainty surrounding the program. Hunter Bailey, who covers the 49ers for the Charlotte Observer, joins the show this week to shed some light on the changes and fill us in on what to expect from the program in 2023 and beyond.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 147.

Episode Notes

DCTF

The Roost Podcast is now part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner.

Homefield

We’re thrilled to partner with Homefield Apparel, the premier proprietor of college football clothing. First-time buyers can use the code ROOST for 15% off their order. The Owls hoodie is a personal favorite. Shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

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Previewing 2023 Charlotte football with Hunter Bailey

  • Did Charlotte just hire the polar opposite head coach?
  • Who is Biff Poggi and what will the 49ers look like under is leadership?
  • How much access should the media get to G5 programs?
  • Which new faces will make the biggest splash for Charlotte this season?
  • Can Poggi get the most out of the talent he’s assembled?
  • The Lightning Round

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Rice Football Recruiting: CB Ephraim Dotson commits to Owls

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The 2024 Rice Football recruiting class took off over the weekend including cornerback Ephraim Dotson, the newest of the Owls’ commits.

The influx of new Owls marches on as the 2024 Rice Football recruiting class continues to stockpile talent during an exciting run of new additions. Yet another name can be added to the commitment list which has grown tremendously in the past few days. Cornerback Ephraim Dotson has committed to the Owls.

Dotson chose Rice over Bucknell, Stetson and Eastern Illinois. While the battle for his services might not have been as intense as some of the other commitments the Owls have added in recent days, the courtship didn’t leave any room for ambiguity. Dotson was on campus this weekend. Rice liked what they saw and pulled the trigger on an offer and Dotson responded almost immediately.

“I felt like Rice really knew me and fit my background,” Dotson told The Roost. “The coaches truly evaluated my talent and treated and accepted me and my family as family. They truly believed in me being a part of making an impact on and off the field.”

After building their recent run of commitments on the offensive side of the ball, Dotson represents the first defensive addition of this new wave and just the third defensive player in the 2024 Rice Football recruiting class to date. Defensive lineman Armstrong Nnodim and linebacker Kaleb Blanton round out the Owls’ early grouping on defense.

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A self described “ball hawk”, it only takes a quick look at Dotson’s tape to see the many reasons Rice wanted to get him into the fold. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound defensive back has range, quickness and the willingness to deliver a blow when he’s lined up one-on-one in the open field. Having a keen eye for the ball in the air is important, too. When the ball is coming his way he always seems ready to make a play.

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Rice Football Recruiting: RB Rhys Phillips commits to Owls

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The 2024 Rice Football recruiting class took off over the weekend including running back Rhys Phillips, the newest of the Owls’ commits.

It’s been a very busy weekend at South Main, following a flurry of social media buzz the fifth new addition to the 2024 Rice football recruiting class in as many days has made his announcement. Versatile halfback Rhys Phillips has committed to the Owls.

Phillips chose Rice over North Texas, Louisiana Monroe, Army, Air Force and others. The familiar theme of the Owls trumping the Mean Green on the recruiting front continues to echo through the productive week at South Main.

As for where Phillips fits on the field, that might have more wiggle room. Listed in many recruiting services as a tight end, Phillips will be an H-back at the next level, playing running back in college. That’s something Phillips looks forward to when he arrives on campus.

“I take massive pride in my ability to play anywhere or be put in any position on the field,” he told The Roost. “I’ll play hand-down tight end, H-back, full back, slot, and outside receiver.”

As it stands, he’s the second back in the 2024 class, announcing his pledge just days after Westfield’s Taji Atkins. Phillips’ addition brings the 2024 class to eight total commits.

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The first thing that jumps out from Phillips’ film is the variety of different spots he lines up on the field. He filled so many different roles at the high school level so it doesn’t take much projection to find places he can make a difference at the next level.

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Rice Football Recruiting: OL Lane Jeffcoat commits to Owls

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The 2024 Rice Football recruiting class took off over the weekend including offensive lineman Lane Jeffcoat, the newest of the Owls’ commits.

The camp circuit came to South Main this past weekend and the 2024 Rice football recruiting class benefited from the influx of talent onto campus. The string of commitments began on Sunday and has continued to march onward every day since. The latest addition made his announcement on Tuesday: offensive lineman Lane Jeffcoat has committed to the Owls.

Jeffcoat picked Rice over offers from North Texas, Tulsa, Arkansas State and others. That’s yet another head-to-head recruiting win over the Mean Green this week and more victories over fellow AAC programs

Jeffcoat is the second offensive lineman in the class so far, making his pledge the day after fellow member of the trenches Luke Miller. In a class that is likely to have only a few slots for offensive linemen, the tandem on Miller and Jeffcoat makes for an extremely strong start.

He’s the seventh member of the class to date, although several other commitments have been hinted at by Owls’ recruiting director Marco Regalado on social media. That number is likely to grow quickly. Rice has already added four new members to the 2024 recruiting class this week.

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Standing 6-foot-9 and tipping the scales at 295 pounds, Jeffcoat certainly looks the part of a collegiate offensive lineman. His high school tape is filled with highlights of him outmuscling the competition. He’s not limited to raw power, though. He moves his feet well and drives would-be tacklers off the ball. The potential to combine those physical tools with technical skill makes his ceiling extremely high.

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Rice Football Recruiting: OL Luke Miller commits to Owls

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The 2024 Rice Football recruiting class took off over the weekend including offensive lineman Luke Miller, the newest of the Owls’ commits.

The camp circuit came to South Main this past weekend and the 2024 Rice football recruiting class benefited from the influx of talent onto campus. One such visitor was offensive lineman Luke Miller, who enjoyed his time so much that he decided it was time to make his pledge official. Miller has committed to the Owls.

Miller chose the Owls over offers from Sam Houston, several military academies and a handful of Ivy League institutions. The Owls’ own academics played into his decision to commit to Rice. “The welcoming people and the amazing coaching staff were a huge factor,” Miller told The Roost, “but also the world-class education is something to never pass up on.”

Following a 2023 class that had five offensive line commitments before June at this point last year, Miller represents the first important investment in what is likely to be a smaller haul in the trenches this time around. That’s certainly understandable, especially when the first building block of that next class begins with a player like Miller.

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Miller’s tape is a lot of fun to watch, regardless of how much you appreciate good blocking. He’s just so dynamic. From the moment the ball is snapped he’s moving, plowing into his assigned man with intensity and quickness that’s disarming and impressive.

Above all, though, Miller stressed how thankful he is to be in this position. “I’m just super excited for this opportunity. I’m absolutely in love with this program,” he told The Roost. 

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