Owls’ talent search ranged far and wide
Commitments from Florida to California among 2020 class
Two themes have characterized Rice coach Mike Bloomgren’s first two recruiting classes.
He and his staff have shown the ability to recruit junior college and graduate transfer talent. They’ve also had success casting a wide net to draw talent from 13 other states over their time on South Main.
Entering its third early signing period, Rice’s class is set to feature transfer and out-of-state talent. The team in on pace to add depth to a roster that was one of the youngest in Conference USA last year and will return most of its starting players in 2020.
The Rice offense will experience the most losses this offseason.
Quarterback Tom Stewart departs, leaving a competition between rising redshirt sophomore Wiley Green and redshirt freshman JoVoni Johnson to play out in the spring.
But the team sought to add another competitive option to the battle and secured a commitment from quarterback TJ McMahon.
After attracting graduate transfer quarterbacks from Vanderbilt and Harvard, McMahon — a former Mississippi State walk-on — comes to Rice from Cerritos College in California. He completed 66-percent of his passes for 2,667 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions this year.
Rice will lose three running backs including its top two rushers, Aston Walter and Charlie Booker, but the Owls remaining backs — including explosive sophomore Juma Otoviano — will have at least three years of eligibility remaining. Tyler-native Khalan Griffin will join the mix next year and make the transition from quarterback as Walter did back in 2014. Baton Rouge, La., fullback Brian Hibbard will also join the backfield. Every Rice tight end and receiver who caught a pass in 2019 will return. Still, the Owls will welcome 6-6 tight end Nate Kamper and speedy receiver Andrew Mason.
Up front, the Owls 2019 recruiting class made its most notable contributions through the addition of three graduate transfer offensive linemen who would go on to start and earn All C-USA honorable mention this past season.
Jovaun Woolford, a 2017 All-Patriot League selection from Colgate could be the next. The offensive line haul includes Montgomery product Trey Phillippi. Twoway Tomball lineman Braedon Nutter could also join them on the offensive side of the ball.
The Owls have six offensive linemen returning with at least two games of experience versus 10 defensive linemen after tackle Uzoma Osuji and defensive end Anthony Ekpe entered the transfer portal. Allen High School defensive end Cole Latos looks to add depth to the latter group.
Linebackers Blaze Alldredge and Antonio Montero solidified their respective roles in a competitive linebacker room last season. They’ll welcome Shreveport, La. product Geron Hargon and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. linebacker Jalen Reeves to the group if they make their commitments official in December.
In the defensive backfield, where the Owls arguably experienced their greatest improvement in 2019, they’ll add cornerback Jordan Dunbar from New York and safety Plae Wyatt from McKinney.
Sean Fresch, a shifty athlete from Austin, and Hightower High School’s Kobie Campbell, a twoway athlete who’s a physical defensive back and a slippery ball carrier — and kick returner — round out the Owls’ commitments a week ahead of the early signing period.
At 15 commitments, the class is smaller than the previous two classes (each at least 22 players strong). It’s also slightly less expansive.
Together, the past two classes included players from 13 different states outside of Texas. Some of those states (California, Florida, Louisiana, New York) make a reappearance along with newcomer, Tennessee (Mason). Eight players are from Texas.
For whatever ratings are worth, all 13 high school commitments are considered three-star prospects by 247 Sports. As of this writing, the class ranks sixth in C-USA and 95th in the country. If the signing period were to end today, that would be Rice’s highest conference ranking since 2013 (fifth) and its highest national ranking since 2014 (91).