Class of 2023 Rice football signees (list will update as changes occur)

Chase Jenkins, QB (5-11, 185) - Houston (Alief Taylor) [mid-semester enrollee at Rice]
Nate Bledsoe, OL (6-4, 285) - Eads, TN (Briarcrest Christian)
Peyton Farmer, OL (6-6, 270) - Missouri City (Ridge Point) [mid-semester enrollee at Rice]
Luke Needham, OL (6-5, 300) - Germantown, TN (Houston)
Phillip Gallegos, OL (6-7, 300) - Somerset (High)
Patrick Valent, OL (6-4, 280) - Warren, OH (JFK)
Jamarion Clark, DB (6-0, 170) - Dallas (South Oak Cliff) [mid-semester enrollee at Rice]
AJ Stephens, DB (6-0, 175) - Aldine (MacArthur)
Landon Ransom, WR (6-0, 175) - Trophy Club (Byron Nelson) [mid-semester enrollee at Rice]
Beau Barton, LB (6-3, 205) - Van (High)
James Falk, TE (6-6, 235) - Haverford, PA (Haverford School)
Chris Clark, DL (6-2, 280) - Houston (Furr)
Reese Keeney, K/P (5-11, 170) - Farragut, Tenn (High) - signed in February
Drayden Dickmann, WR (5-11, 170) - Georgetown (High)
Joseph Mutombo, DE (6-5, 240) - Fort Worth (Keller Central)
Ty Morris, S (6-1, 170) - Houston (Dekaney)
Daelen Alexander, RB (5-10, 200) - Pflugerville (Weiss)
Justin Williams, Jr., WR (6-3, 180) - Aldine (MacArthur)
Ashton Ojiaku, S (6-0, 190) - Richmond (Foster)

Graduate Transfers/Regular Transfers
JT Daniels, QB (6-2, 225) - Irvine, CA (Mater Dei/USC/Georgia/West Virginia)
Brad Banks, OL (6-7, 300) - Houston (Westbury Christian/Nebraska) - two years of eligibility remaining
Jordan Campbell, DE (6-3, 240) - Middlesex, NJ (Nassau CC) - two years of eligibility remaining
Coleman Coco, DE (6-5, 265) - Pittsburgh, PA (Mt. Lebanon High/Colgate) - two years of eligibility remaining
Matt Hall, TE (6-3, 225) - Columbia, MO (Rock Bridge/Truman State) - two years of eligibility remaining
Ethan Powell, TE/WR (6-5, 215) - Mason (High/Southwestern University)
Wyatt Freeman, LS (5-10, 200) - Bakersfield, CA (Centennial/Naval Prep Academy) - four years of eligibility remaining

Commitments since December signing day
Hudson Perroni, OL (6-4 1/2, 280) - Houston (Stratford)
Lavel Dumont, OL (6-4, 321) - Tampa, FL (Toledo) - grad transfer - one year of eligibility remaining - attending classes at Rice
Matt Sykes, WR (6-4, 200) - Makakilo, HI (Saint Louis High/UCLA) - grad transfer - two years of eligibility remaining
Chali Taylor, LB (6-3, 215) - Bethesda, MD (Sidwell Friends)
Ethan Brougham, LB/DE (6-3, 225) - Dana Point, CA (Dana Hills)
Jake Dragoo, WR/TE (6-4, 220) - Denver, CO (Valor Christian) - pwo?

I wouldn't be surprised to see more commitments get announced shortly. We seem to have had a good junior class turnout at the recent Spring Game. Nate Bledsoe has 21 offers according to 24/7, and is a 3 star OL (no P5 offers, but Rice, Tulane, Memphis, the military schools, and many Ivies).

(04-18-2022 01:09 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Chase Jenkins, QB (5-11, 185) - Houston (Alief Taylor)
Nate Bledsoe, OL (6-4, 285) - Eads, TN (Briarcrest Christian)

Have these guys committed to Rice? Or just have been offered a scholly?

commits. I would never bother posting offers - there are way too many of those to keep track of.

The new recruiting coordinator seems to be pretty active. I know he's not from Texas, but so far, it seems like he's doing a decent job (as have the other new coaches)

(04-18-2022 04:07 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  commits. I would never bother posting offers - there are way too many of those to keep track of.

The new recruiting coordinator seems to be pretty active. I know he's not from Texas, but so far, it seems like he's doing a decent job (as have the other new coaches)

Respectfully, I think these guys are ALL skilled administrators. That seems to be JK's key descriptor. The issue with 'being from Texas' is getting that extra push for those recruits you really want and/or getting an inside track on some real sleepers

I think Joe is actually pretty good at identifying talent and skills... Where he is struggling (it seems) is getting guys who can close a few 'difference makers'.... which may or may not include identifying talent/building a roster.

Contrary to what some others have suggested, I think we need a LARGER than average staff; especially until we start getting results and can hire more seasoned/experienced guys. As an example (but not pretending this is the only one or even a good example but) One guy to manage coaching relationships, especially in Texas and another to manage the recruits.

Matt Rhule came to Baylor as an outsider from Pennsylvania (Penn State, Temple). He addressed it up front by hiring David Wetzel (president of the THSFCA) and Joey McGuire (coach of 3-time state champion Cedar Hill). That gave him immediate credibility with Texas coaches. I thought it was a brilliant move and said so at the time, and even though his first Baylor team went 1-11 and lost to Liberty, I was pretty sure he would get it done because he understood and had addressed the need to relate to Texas HS coaches.

Rice needs to do something similar. I don't care how good your Xs and Os are (and like many on here, I question this staff's ability in that area), if you don't have the Jimmys and Joes it won't matter. And Texas HS coaches are where you get your Jimmys and Joes.

Two very impressive OL commits today. I've seen Farmer play and he has a chance to be a great one (he has to get a bit stronger, but he can move for someone his size). I mentioned him a couple of weeks ago in that other class of 2023 football recruiting thread. I'd compare him to Travis Bruffy (also from Ridge Point), who was a 4-year starter for Texas Tech on the OL. Another big body and late bloomer.

I can't wait for the day that I care again.

(04-21-2022 06:37 PM)Ourland Wrote:  I can't wait for the day that I care again.

For someone who doesn't care, you sure post a **** load.

Two more OL commits over the past few days. We're now up to 5 OL commits (plus a QB who must be pretty happy he's already getting that much protection). I wonder if any of these guys can re-classify to the Class of 2022 (probably not)? The OL of the future might be rounding into shape, but I'm still worried about the OL for the next two years or so.

I'm not a huge fan of signing a bunch of o-linemen. O-linemen tend to be the least athletic players on the field. It has always seemed to me as an approach that results in a lot of big slow people. I prefer Fred's approach of signing a bunch of d-linemen, who tend to be more athletic, and moving the ones who don't have the athleticism for defense over to the other side of the ball. That works particularly well with an offensive scheme that uses smaller and more athletic linemen, like the triple or the old Hawaii offense, and I'd bet a lot of money that Ruowls could make it work with his scheme.

Baylor OC Jeff Grimes, who had previously been at Auburn, LSU, and BYU, said that his o-line last year was the best that he had ever coached. It was the smallest, but the most athletic.

I like recruiting fullbacks and tight ends because 1) the big P5 spread offenses don't use them, so you have less competition for better athletes, and 2) they tend to be very versatile athletes, big and strong enough to play several positions, but also pretty fast. I would always prefer a scheme that utilized both TEs and FBs, and featured them, for that reason. On defense, I would tend toward a lot of moving down to get more speed--corners to safety, safeties to LBs, LBs to DE/DL, and of course injecting athletes who would otherwise be on the bench at FB or TE.

2 more commitments today, to go along with one from earlier in the week. We're working our way around the state - Waco, the DFW metroplex and East Texas with the latest three commitments.

(04-18-2022 01:09 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Class of 2023 Rice football commitments (list will update as changes occur)

Chase Jenkins, QB (5-11, 185) - Houston (Alief Taylor)
Nate Bledsoe, OL (6-4, 285) - Eads, TN (Briarcrest Christian)
Peyton Farmer, OL (6-6, 270) - Missouri City (Ridge Point)
Luke Needham, OL (6-5, 300) - Germantown, TN (Houston)
Phillip Gallegos, OL (6-7, 300) - Somerset (High)
Patrick Valent, OL (6-4, 280) - Warren, OH (JFK)
Jamarion Clark, DB (6-0, 170) - Dallas (South Oak Cliff)
AJ Stephens, DB (6-0, 175) - Aldine (MacArthur)
Jamarie Wiggins, S (6-1, 175) - Waco (Connally)
Landon Ransom, WR (6-0, 175) - Trophy Club (Byron Nelson)
Beau Barton, LB (6-3, 205) - Van (High)

I'm not sure who the big recruit ranking/rating websites are these days, but should we be concerned that none of these commits has a rating on 247sports? I find it hard to care too much about Rice Football at the moment, though I am sure I will inevitably watch most of the games that are available...

I don't know what happened to 247's rankings, but we're currently rated with the 73rd best class by Rivals (1 3 star and 5 2 stars). And I've seen Peyton Farmer play - he compares favorably to Calvin Harvey, who was a 3 star recruit this past season for Oklahoma State (same high school).

https://rice.rivals.com/commitments/football/2023

I suspect that 247 is having some issues with schools changing conferences - and somehow in the transfer, their ranking system went awry.

So no, I wouldn't be too concerned.

I am impressed with the size of the O-line recruits.

(06-22-2022 04:14 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  I am impressed with the size of the O-line recruits.

But can they move? Or just be big?

I don't think any of them are ranked. Surely 24/7 wouldn't forget how to do what it does best.

You never know. There could be some talent there. Yes, the OL signees look darn big. Hopefully they're athletic as well.

https://twitter.com/tjendebrock/status/1...F8edgJW0Xw

And I picked today as the day to cancel my Athletic subscription - bad timing I guess (although I was able to read the write-up - I still have it a few more weeks).

In terms of the first feature on that page - Arch Manning committed to Texas today.

And in terms of another question earlier on 247 ratings, they still haven't updated the Rice recruiting ranking on the transfer portal team ranking (we're currently ranked 93rd there). But they list Rice with 3 3-star transfers, and that's it, when in actuality, Rice has 1 4-star transfer (the Notre Dame transfer), 6 3-stars (all the other FBS transfers except 1) and 1 2-star (the Cal transfer). And that's only counting the FBS transfers - it doesn't even take into consideration guys like Uriah West from Jacksonville State or some of the other FCS transfers.

I suppose they might not have updated other schools either, but Kansas State by comparison also has 8 transfers - 1 4-star and 6 3-stars. And their class is rated 33rd. I think the P5 bias is fully apparent on 247 class rankings and in their star system.

(06-23-2022 06:32 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  https://twitter.com/tjendebrock/status/1...F8edgJW0Xw

Now if Bloom would commit to an offense that had a chance of working.