B.G. mulls career, looks to pro prospects
HOUSTON (April 19) -- Rice seniors often have a lot on their mind as they head down the home stretch of their final semester of school, facing issues like interviewing for jobs or wondering if graduate school will be as hard as their undergrad experience. All the while, these short-timers are finishing their classwork and facing final exams for the last time. One senior in particular already has had an interesting "interview" experience as he prepares for his life after Rice: star defensive end Brandon Green recently was among the elite college football players in the country selected to go to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. The Combine is famous for the extent to which it attempts to evaluate player potential. For four days, hopeful players are poked, prodded, timed, and quizzed. Brandon elaborates, "a lot of the time is spent with questionnaires and physicals, making sure the players aren't hiding any injuries." So what was the most ridiculous thing he was asked? Brandon laughed, "they wanted to know if we had ever wanted to kill anybody. Well, even if you had thought about it, who would answer yes? But they told us every once in a while, one or two guys answer yes." What other kinds of surprising questions did you get? "They wanted to know if I thought of myself more as a dog or a cat." Interestingly, the speed, agility and strength tests only take up a relatively small percentage of the Combine. One of these tests is the dreaded 40 yard dash. We asked Brandon how he did. "My best time was a 4.72. That's about average for defensive ends at the Combine. They say the electronic times on that surface tend to be a little slower. Some of the teams have come down and timed me in the 4.6s." We asked about the disappointing times of another defensive end, project first-rounder Terrell Suggs. "I heard he was timed in the 4.8s and 4.9s. There's no way he's not a quick player, though. One thing is that the way you run a 40 is different than the way you rush a quarterback. When you run the 40, you keep your head down and take long strides, but when you rush, you keep your head up and take shorter strides. It's a different style. I think the 40 is a good measure of speed, but not the only one." With so-called 'tweener' defensive ends like Brandon, who have the quickness to play linebacker and weigh less than NFL-standard 275-285 (Brandon weighs in the 260s), sometimes a move to outside linebacker is considered. "I played linebacker in high school and like playing in the up position and being able to be in on more plays." However, Brandon says it's good to keep all options open, "I want to be flexible and play where an NFL team needs me to play. A few teams have talked about me playing outside linebacker in a 3-4, but then the Broncos were here last week and were more interested in me at end. If a team picks me, I'll be happy wherever they want me to be." Speaking of high school, how does a kid from a 3A school, who was injured most of his senior season, end up with a good chance of playing on Sundays? In particular, we asked Brandon if his goal was to play in the NFL. "When I was in high school, I was just excited about the chance to play Division I football. It was only after I got here and played a couple of years, that I started thinking about the NFL." What about the decision to come to Rice? "Some schools were nervous because of the injury as a senior, but Rice stuck with me and I was happy to come because I thought it was a good fit." We asked Brandon to reflect on his decision. "All the schools treat you well when they are recruiting you. What I like about the coaches here at Rice is that I was treated the same when I was recruited, the same when I was a nobody freshman, and the same when I became a leader on the team as a junior and senior. I really do appreciate that." How about a favorite personal moment? "One of mine was definitely scoring the touchdown against Louisiana Tech. I kept joking with everyone that I hadn't scored since I was in junior high when I was a fullback. That was my goal every year, and every year it didn't happen. I finally got the chance as a senior." Another candidate favorite moment actually came after the season, when Brandon was invited to play in the All-Star Hula Bowl, where he made the defensive play of the game, a forced fumble on a sack of opposing quarterback Brad Banks. "The Hula Bowl was a lot of fun, we only ran one defense and just went at it." We talked a little bit about life after football, which will hopefully involve a long NFL career. "It's not going to take a whole lot to make me happy." Brandon laughed, "though I would like to be near the coast so I can fish." Brandon continued, "coming out of school with a degree and not owing any money, it's going to allow me to have a lot of options. And if I did end up staying here in the south, with a Rice degree you can market yourself pretty well." Looking back on his time at Rice, like so many seniors, Brandon says it's the relationships he's made that he'll remember the most. "The most fun thing for me was all the guys I've known and had the privilege of playing with, from the guys here now dating back to guys that have left, like Jake Jackson and all the rest." Owls bask in the sun while
redshirts shine HOUSTON (April 7) – It's been beautiful weather for spring practice, and Friday was no different, as the Rice Owls took part in the most exhaustive controlled scrimmage thus far held in spring drills as they headed into the final week of workouts culminating April 10. Maybe the weather accounted for the enthusiasm and spirit in Friday's matchup, or maybe it was the fire in the bellies of all the redshirts finally getting to play something other than scout team. Whatever the cause, there certainly were numerous big plays to go along with the crisp, intense hitting on both sides. Newcomers continued to make a splash and impress onlookers. On defense, for instance, redshirts Omeke Alikor and Jimmy Shaw were two of the primary difference-makers: linebacker Alikor with his ability to cover ground and deliver the big lick and defensive end Shaw with his tenacity in continuously invading the backfield. Alikor appears to be made in the Jeff Vanover mold, while some compared Shaw to the second coming of Brandon Green. The exploits of these ‘new kids on the block,’ together with some of their redshirt brethren, didn't go unnoticed by Coach Hatfield, who remarked, "defensive personnel is looking really good. The biggest thing we're trying to look at there is getting our young linebackers ready to go, Omeke Alikor and Jeremy Harper. Our defensive lineman, Jimmy Shaw is playing really well, William Wood is doing a great job inside as well as DuJaun Cooper -- I can't say more about all three of those guys, they're doing one heck of a job." Coach Hatfield also commented on new faces among defensive backs, "Lance Byrd is doing good since we moved him to cornerback from scout team quarterback, and also Tyler Smith, Stephen Wood, and almost everybody else we've got in the secondary has been coming along and playing extremely well, which is good because we know we're going to need them for the Houston game." On offense, because Marcus Battle and Jeremy Hurd were unable to practice, another new weapon got his chance to impress. "The one that's been doing a great job and has shown the most improvement this week is old number 80, Andy Hall. He has made just catch after catch. He's been getting a lot more repetitions because of the other receivers being out, and has made some big, big catches." Probably one of the most spectacular plays of the day occurred on the last play of the scrimmage -- a 30-yard touchdown pass to Hall right down the middle of the field. He also drew a crucial pass interference penalty on an end zone fade route, keeping a drive alive that eventually resulted in a touchdown. Update: April 9
Despite the strong showing by the redshirts, it was the veterans who had the last laugh, at least offensively, in Friday's scrimmage. Ed Bailey, who had been the running with authority all day, broke through a consistently stubborn defense on a fullback sweep to complete the scrimmage with the final play of the scrimmage: a touchdown run. Bailey's score was a combination of tough, nimble running and outstanding blocking by fellow veterans Scott Mayhew, Joe Wood, and Micah Meador. That the offense finished on such a positive note was a bit of a surprise, considering the way the early part of the scrimmage had gone for them. With the exception of Bailey's excellent overall performance and a few isolated plays by Andy Hall, Ryan Simonak, Greg Henderson, and Mike Falco, the offense sputtered a little, at least in the early going, and was not able to move the ball consistently. Part of their initial struggles could be attributed to the banged-up offensive line. However, according the (admittedly biased) defensive players, the defense has had the upper hand all spring. Indeed, the defense has been playing with obvious gusto and enthusiasm, and has shown that it will be a force to be reckoned with next season. Even without injured starters like Jeff Vanover, Jonathan Chism, and Raymorris Barnes, the "blue shirts" have been flying to the ball and hitting with plenty of pop. Besides the rookies already mentioned, upperclassmen like Jeremy Calahan, Adam Herrin, and Terry Holley have been making life tough for guys on the other side of the line of scrimmage. As the scrimmage Friday went on, however, the offense showed its mettle and its will to reverse the trend as it continued to hammer away at the defense, culminating in the touchdown run by Bailey. The offense was clearly bouyed by the way things turned out, and Coach Hatfield shared the observation with his players afterward that having strong, tough fullbacks is a built-in advantage that Rice teams have at the end of games. Coach went on to say that while the other team's defense is feeling somewhat worn-down, the Owls have bangers like Bailey, Beck, and Kramer that can run through the arm tackles of defenders. The fourth quarter, then, is a time where the triple option pays off. It certainly did Friday. --D.M. Official Rice spring practice roster HOUSTON (March 24) -- Following is a roster for Rice players participating in spring drills, done numerically and alphabetically: Numerical roster ("w" denotes walk-on)
Alphabetical roster ("w" denotes walk-on)
Attempt at depth chart pretty much a shot in the dark
Consider this a rough draft for discussion purposes – we’re not trying to make any assessments on our own as to whether one guy’s better than another, or has done better thus far in spring drills. We’re only trying to answer the hypothetical -- if we had to pick a lineup right now, among the available players, based upon prior performances, how would we line ‘em up? The Rice coaches do not publicize a depth chart in the spring. In August, they do keep a depth chart, and it’s posted right there in the corridor between the locker room and the Rice Stadium tunnel, for all the players to see each time they take to the practice field. Coach Hatfield's idea is that he wants his players to focus more on the fundamentals during spring drills -- the jockeying for position doesn't come until August two-a-days. In any case, there’s bound to be quite a bit of uncertainly on Rice’s 2003 depth chart, at least on defense. That's especially the case given the fact that, at current count, five former Owls who’ve seen playing time are not listed on the spring roster. Conclusions? There just might be a dog fight in August for some depth chart spots that have unexpectedly opened up. One other thing -- probable starters Greg Wilson and Jonathan Chism are listed as backups to reflect their injured status, which will probably be a non-factor by fall. Any thoughts? E-mail us.... OFFENSE
SE 11 Marcus Battle (5-9, 180, So.-1L, Ocean Springs, Miss.)
13 Jeremy Hurd (5-10, 155, Sr.-2L, Duncanville)
83 John Brock (6-2, 175, Fr.-Sq. Spearman)
82 Ben Wiggins (6-3, 190, Jr.-1L, College Station)
80 Andy Hall (6-4, 200, Fr.-Sq. Scottsdale, Ariz)
84 Ryan Simonek (5-9, 170, Jr.-1L, Fort Worth)
LT 69 Chris DeMunbrun (6-4, 295, Sr.-2L, Houston)
71 Cory Laxen (6-2, 270 Fr.-Sq., Galena Park)
LG 76 Micah Meador (6-2, 295, Jr.-1L, Humble)
50 Rolf Krueger (6-4 260 Fr.-Sq., Sealy)
C 52 Ben Stephens (6-2, 300, Sr.-2L, Arlington)
63 Ross Huebel (6-2, 270, Jr.-1L, Houston)
65 David Carter (6-4 265 Fr.-Sq., Dallas Greenhill)
RG 53 Michael Holman (6-3, 290, Sr.-1L, Houston)
51 Cotey-Joe Cswaykus (6-4, 280, Jr.-1L, Midland)
66 Braxton Evans (6-3 230 Fr.-Sq. Sugar Land)
RT 60 Scott Mayhew (6-6, 280, Jr.-1L, Nederland)
55 Greg Wilson (6-4, 310, Jr.-2L, Houston)
67 James Pitman (6-4, 270, Jr.-1L, Nashville, Tenn.)
TE 89 Joe Wood (6-1, 235, So.-1L, Crandall)
87 Matt Bolding (6-4, 250, Fr.-Sq. Andrews)
QB 1 Kyle Herm (5-8, 175, Sr.-3L, Stanton)
5 Greg Henderson (5-10, 190, Jr.-2L, Wichita Falls)
LHB 7 Joe Moore (5-10, 205, Jr.-2L, Fort Worth)
22 Mike Falco (5-10, 185, Fr.-Sq., Scottsdale, Ariz.)
44 Quinton Smith (5-11 179, Fr.-Sq., Cedar Park)
FB 41 Robbie Beck (5-10, 220, Sr.-3L, Atlanta, Ga.)
18 Ed Bailey (5-9, 210, Jr.-2L, Klein)
35 Jordan Kramer (6-0, 210, Jr.-2L, Lewisville)
RHB 23 Clint Hatfield (5-9, 185, Jr.-2L, Clewiston, Fla.)
21 Thomas Lott (5-7, 180, So.-1L, Plano)
25 Andrew Cates (6-0, 210 Fr.-Sq. Atlanta, Ga)
DEFENSE
DE 94 Rob Daniel (6-3,235,So.-1L,Wichita Falls)
47 John Syptak (6-2,215,So.-1L,Bellville)
92 DeJuan Cooper (6-2,225,Fr.-Sq.,Sugar Land)
DT 90 Jeremy Calahan (6-3,270,Jr.-2L,Pflugerville)
91 Jonathan Chism (6-3,275,Sr.-3L,Pine Bluff,Ark.)
NG 78 Ross Lassley (6-2,275,Sr.-3L,Mustang,Okla.)
99 Rishone Evans (5-11,250,So.-1L,Duncanville)
DE 58 Thadis Pegues (6-1,210,So.-1L,Friendswood)
62 Jimmy Shaw (6-4,230,Fr.-Sq,Spring Grove, Penn.)
SLB 4 Jeff Vanover (5-11,210,Sr.-2L,Diboll)
33 Julius Mitchell (6-2,205,Sr.-2L,Grand Prairie)
27 Omeke Alikor (6-0,195,Fr.-Sq.,Tulsa, Okla.)
WLB 28 Brandon Boyd (6-0,195,Sr.-3L,The Woodlands)
48 Adam Herrin (6-0,215,So.-1L,Celina)
14 Jeremy Harper (6-0,205,Fr.-Sq.,Pauls Valley, Okla.)
LCB 29 Raymorris Barnes (5-9,170,Jr.-2L,D’Iberville,Miss.)
24 Edgar Vega (5-8,185,Jr.-Sq.,El Paso/Cathedral)
2 Andray Downs (5-10,170,Fr.-Sq.,Garland/Rowlett)
RCB 20 Patrick Dendy (6-0,180,Sr.-3L,Austin)
6 Dustin Haynes (5-10,180,So.-1L,West Columbia)
15 Matt Ginn (5-9,170,Fr.-Sq.,Arlington)
SS 37 Michael Merrick (6-0,195,So.-1L,The Woodlands)
43 Chad Price (6-0, 185,Fr.-Sq.,Bay City)
WS 10 Terry Holley (6-0,200,Jr.-2L,Oklahoma City)
31 Tyler Smith (6-2, 190,Fr.-Sq.,Dallas/Highland Park)
FS 19 Clifford Sparks (5-9,195,Jr.-2L,Grand Prairie)
38 Lance Byrd (5-11, 161,Fr.-Sq.,Madisonville)
Experience the byword for Owl backfield returnees
HOUSTON (March 17) -- Like everything else about the 2002 season, the offense often appeared to be tantalizingly close to breaking through and delivering on a consistently high level. We saw the ability to sustain long drives against Fresno, dominate a lesser opponent against Tulsa, pass effectively against UTEP, and make the big play against Nevada and Hawaii. Unfortunately, in a season where a mere three plays determined the difference between 4-7 and 7-4, even being a few inches short translated into frustration. What will happen next year? As we look at the offensive backfield, we see tremendous returning experience, which will hopefully translate into at least those few extra precious inches, and potentially much more. Quarterback is a no-brainer. If the dynamic duo of Kyle Herm and Greg Henderson stays healthy, it would be a surprise if they didn't take every snap this year. In the case that injury dictates the need for a third-string quarterback, Joel Armstrong, Rice's sole 2003 quarterback recruit, will shed his redshirt and step in. Rice fans are certainly eager to see Armstrong demonstrate the abilities that enabled him to score 53 touchdowns in high school. Of course, most of these fans can be expected to be patient enough to wait until 2004 when Armstrong backs up Henderson. QB 1 Kyle Herm (5-8, 175, Sr.-3L, Stanton)
5 Greg Henderson (5-10, 190, Jr.-2L, Wichita Falls)
At the running back position, the loss of Vincent Hawkins and Sean White has left some slots up for grabs. Expect to see Joe Moore and Clint Hatfield as the frontrunners for starting positions. The task of backing them up will fall on quick and compact Thomas Lott as well as exciting redshirts Mike Falco and Quinton Smith. As scout-team backs last fall, Falco and Smith regularly tested the first-team defense with their speed and elusiveness, a fact that was remarked upon by several veteran teammates. It's clear that the future is looking bright at the running back position. Amazingly, the 2003 recruiting class features runners who all averaged 10 yards per carry their senior years. Biobele Bilaye-Benibo, Nehemiah Heard, Marcus Rucker, and John Wall hold great promise as cogs in the Rice option machine for years to come. LHB 7 Joe Moore (5-10, 205, Jr.-2L, Fort Worth)
22 Mike Falco (5-10, 185, Fr.-Sq., Scottsdale, Ariz.)
44 Quinton Smith (5-11 179, Fr.-Sq., Cedar Park)
RHB 23 Clint Hatfield (5-9, 185, Jr.-2L, Clewiston, Fla.)
21 Thomas Lott (5-7, 180, So.-1L, Plano)
At fullback, the team is so loaded that Coach Hatfield didn't even feel inclined to recruit the position this year. With star sledgehammer Robbie Beck returning to cap off a terrific career, as well as impressive Ed Bailey to back him up, the Owls are sporting a powerful tough a one-two inside punch. In fact, Beck needs just one more touchdown to tie Chad Nelson for second place in career TD's, behind only the incomprable Trevor Cobb. The "Killer B's" are backed up by two talented fullbacks from fruitful high school programs: Jordan Kramer from Lewisville (home of Chad Nelson) and Andrew Cates from Marist (home of Robbie Beck). FB 41 Robbie Beck (5-10, 220, Sr.-3L, Atlanta, Ga.)
18 Ed Bailey (5-9, 210, Jr.-2L, Klein)
35 Jordan Kramer (6-0, 210, Jr.-2L, Lewisville)
26 Andrew Cates (6-0, 210 Fr.-Sq. Atlanta, Ga)
Reader reply: info on Addison
Hopkins (2/4).... Secondary needs new blood;
HOUSTON (Feb. 5) -- As signing day is upon us, we'll have a look at the secondary and special teams, both now and down the road. Because of the 4-2-5 defense Rice runs, there are five positions that could be considered defensive back: two cornerbacks, the free safety, weak safety, and the hybrid safety/linebacker position previously known as bandit but now usually called strong safety. And with Rice facing the kinds of pass-oriented attacks common in the WAC, one needs every player one can find capable of running backwards faster than most athletes can run forward. We can see from one potential depth chart, below, that we are unusually deep at cornerback. Jason Benjamin (37 tackles) and Raymorris Barnes (47 tackles) had strong seasons last year and were rarely beaten deep, the exceptions almost exclusively due to slippery footing or loose turf. Patrick Dendy and Clifford Sparks are excellent talents as well, who have shown big-play potential in their careers at Rice. Haynes and Vega will likely see some action this season as well, due to the demands of the position. LCB 29 Raymorris Barnes (5-9,170,Jr.-2L,D’Iberville,Miss.)
19 Clifford Sparks (5-9,195,Jr.-2L,Grand Prairie)
24 Edgar Vega (5-8,185,Jr.-Sq.,El Paso/Cathedral)
RCB 2 Jason Benjamin (5-7,185,Sr.-1L,Mesquite)
20 Patrick Dendy (6-0,180,Sr.-3L,Austin)
6 Dustin Haynes (5-10,180,So.-1L,West Columbia)
The redshirt freshmen cornerbacks will come from a talented group that includes Andray Downs (5-10, 170), Matt Ginn (5-9, 170), and probably Lance Byrd (5-11, 161). Byrd played scout-team quarterback last year and demonstrated obvious quarterbacking ability, but with a verbal commitment from highly-touted Joel Armstrong (and perhaps others), Byrd might end up back on the defensive side of the ball this spring and beyond. In terms of the recruiting at the cornerback position, so far, we have the lone verbal commitment from Will Galusha (5-10, 170), whose coach said of him, "I don’t know if I have ever coached a player with that kind of desire". Interestingly, Galusha played at quarterback his senior season, following a 61-tackle season as a junior defensive back.
Let's have a look at the weak and free safety spots. In contrast to corner, it appears we are quite thin at these positions, though the starters are proven veterans. WS 10 Terry Holley (6-0,200,Jr.-2L,Oklahoma City) FS 31 John White (5-11,175,Sr.-3L,Grand Prairie) John White, a starter last year, had 63 tackles, 3 passes broken up, 2 forced fumbles, and a blocked kick last year; counterpart Terry Holley had 27 tackles backing up departing senior Greg Gatlin, whose leadership will be missed. One thing is for sure, unless players are moved to new positions, redshirt freshmen will see significant playing time. This picture may be clarified somewhat this spring. It's heartening to have some solid redshirts available to step in and spell the starters in Chad Price (6-0, 185) and Tyler Smith (6-2, 190). Price, for instance, was 28-3 his last two years in high school, and Smith was recruited by programs like Texas A&M and Nebraska. At this point, we only know of one safety recruit in Justin Abt (6-0, 170), who, in his senior season, had an impressive 162 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 3 interceptions. Of course, you can never tell for sure where players may eventually end up. Someone recruited as running back or wide receiver could move to the secondary. After all, last year, Corey Evans made a meaningful contribution at the safety position after beginning his career at Rice as quarterback.
The strong safety/bandit position doesn't have the returning experience of the other secondary positions, but it does have two players that saw a fair amount of action, with Kevin Ford racking up 33 tackles backing up Antwan Shell, and Academic All-District Michael Merrick participating in every game. However, it will be a challenge to fill the shoes of Shell (who had big shoes to fill himself). Shell overcame serious injury to quietly put together an outstanding year, with 72 tackles, 3 TFL, and 4 passes broken up. Highly-recruited Ford will look to cement the position for years to come, with Merrick competing for playing time. SS 16 Kevin Ford (5-11,210,So.-1L,Madisonville)
37 Michael Merrick (6-0,195,So.-1L,The Woodlands)
Stephen Wood (5-11, 180) is the redshirt freshman who seems to have a shot at subbing for Ford and Shell. Like other positions, we may see a player or current recruit change positions to bandit to provide additional depth if needed. So far, though, it's not clear any of this year's recruits are slated for bandit.
As far as special teams go, it wouldn't be surprising to see Rice pass this year on both the kicker and punter positions, since Rice already has two young starters. Brennan Landry returns as kicker, with Brandon Skeen handling the kickoff duties. Redshirt freshman Jared Scruggs stands ready to take over the punting duties from Travis Hale who finished his career as the number two punter in Rice history. If Landry is injured, Skeen can step in. And if Scruggs should suffer an injury, we'll have to go to a player that has previous punting experience; perhaps we'll see Gavin Boothe in such an emergency -- he averaged over 40 yards per punt in high school. That's not to say a special teams player won't surface in Wednesday's announcement. A player that plays a special role indeed on the team is the deep snapper, the position vacated after this season by Ryan Pontbriand. At the spring awards banquet, Pontbriand joked that he had the easiest position on the team, but in fact, his consistency with critical snaps made the business of punting, kicking field goals, and kicking extra points easier. With some teams, this part of the game was always an adventure, but not at Rice for the past several years. Coach Hatfield appropriately recognized Pontbriand's contributions, and it appears recruit Drew Clardy (6-6, 276) will be taking over the duties. There was some mention of John Syptak handling the responsibilities, but with Clardy's arrival, perhaps Syptak will be freed to focus exclusively on the defensive end position.
HOUSTON (Jan. 30) -- College football's recruiting season is entering its home stretch, and this year, unlike past years, Owl fans seem to be getting more information on Rice's verbal commitments than is usually the case with head coach Ken Hatfield's staff, which likes to play the recruiting game 'close to the vest'. Why the secrecy, one might ask? Well, for one reason, NCAA rules require it. But Rice assistants have said in the past that opposing coaches tend to be particularly covetous of Rice's candidates when faced with last-minute defections. They know two things about any player Rice recruits: first, that he's going to be highly motivated, and second, that he can pass the work. Add to that the fact that Rice recruiters tend to scour the small-town schools for 'diamonds in the rough', and it adds up to a situation that Owl mentors would just as soon keep as quiet about as possible. However, this year, we've had a few more workers toiling in the vineyards to root out publicly-announced information from various, in some cases rather obscure, sources. Mark Sanders, SammyTheOwl.com, and numerous posters deserve a lot of credit for scouring the web for gems of Rice recruiting information. Even though the 2003 Rice recruiting puzzle is still incomplete, it may be worth examining the pieces we do know about and see how they can address the needs of next season and beyond. A look at the "Front Seven" Let's consider a position-by-position perspective on this year's class (so far), starting with the defensive "front seven" (actually, in the 4-2-5 defense, the front six). To help us imagine what next season's state of affairs might look like, we can toss out a candidate depth chart, at the bottom of the page. It may not be entirely accurate, but it can give us a feel for what next year's team might look like, as well as where the greatest needs are. First off, it's worth noting that historically, Rice teams always end the season hurting in two areas overall: defensive line and defensive back. Occasionally, we'll be hard hit at another position (for example, quarterback in 2000), but, in general, Rice is able to maintain starter-quality players at most positions (and frequently quality backups as well) throughout the season. However, we often see defensive linemen and defensive backs unable to complete the season, at least at 100%. In particular, the defensive tackle and cornerback position always seem thin by the time November rolls around. This is especially true for defensive tackles -- not entirely a surprise, since it is probably the most physically punishing position on any team. So, how do things look at defensive tackle for next season? There are a lot of unknowns. First off, the position is already thin. Some of the players who were signed as likely defensive tackles, like Paxton Corder, Lance Redmon, Chris DeMunbrun, and Scott Mayhew, have left the program or have changed positions. The departure of B.J. Forguson will be certainly be felt. His 44 tackles, 6 TFL and 3 sacks is going to be hard to duplicate. The returning players (Calahan, Chism, Lassley, Evans) have the potential to be an effective unit, but they will have to make strides from last year and stay healthy. William Wood would appear to be the lone redshirt freshman.
It looks like we are stocking up on that position, though, with incoming players Jonathan Cary (6-3, 255) and George Chukwu (6-0, 270). Courtney Gordon (6-4, 235) and Addison Hopkins (6-5, 250) could wind up at end or tackle. Notice that Lassley and Chism will depart after the 2003 season, so there will be opportunity for these recruits to see playing time as redshirt freshmen. Defensive end also has some question marks. Like defensive tackle, we are also thin partly because of departures, in this case of Danny Cestero and Pike Pickett. Of course, Green and Sabula were a formidible pair of ends, averaging as a pair 14 sacks per year over the past two years. Their backups combined for one sack last year. We are hoping this next season will prove to be a breakout seasons for the new starters. The big question for next year is: will Rob Daniel play at end (which seems to fit his build better) or tackle? Returning ends Thadis Pegues and John Syptak are inexperienced and need to add bulk, but are known to be aggressive and have shown potential. DeJuan Cooper and Jimmy Shaw will be promising redshirt freshmen, but will be even greener than Pegues and Syptak. As mentioned, Gordon and/or Hopkins could play at the end position. Also, one of the bigger incoming linebackers could be moved to play at end as well.
It looks like it's conceivable one more more true freshmen will play on the defensive line, which seems to happen just about every year, unfortunately. One good thing, though, is that we won't be losing any players after the 2003 season to graduation, so maybe we will see this nucleus of young players develop into the next Green-Sabula combo. Linebacker appears to be a strong point, not just on the current depth chart, but also in the new players. Jeff Vanover, of course, was All-WAC last year and Herrin, Howe, and Boyd are capable, though untested when it comes to major playing time. If Julius Mitchell can recover from his battle with significant injuries, that could be another plus. Next season's redshirt freshmen are both from Oklahoma: Omeke Alikor and Jeremy Harper. Both around 6-0 and 200 lbs, but also posess good speed, in the Jeff Vanover mold. Alikor had an incredible number of tackles in High School -- 446 in his final two years, so he could have a knack for always being around the ball.
The four linebackers we've recruited so far seem
physically impressive, with three (Buck Casson, Garrett Dornon, and Landon Johnson) having
prototypical linebacker size (around 6-2, 220) and Luedeker (6-0, 235) appearing to be a
stout runstopper in the middle. Casson is the first recruit in recent memory from
Illinois. Dornon, who, along with John Syptak, is from Bellville, is a bit of a wildcard,
a player who probably would have drawn more interest if he hadn't missed his senior year
with a knee injury. Since we are pretty deep at linebacker, one or more of these players
could end up playing defensive end (as John Syptak did last year). Somewhat like defensive
end, the linebacker position is fairly set for a while |
By Dax Mitchell
HOUSTON
(March 23) -- Here’s a stab at a Rice
football depth chart after one week of spring drills. Bear in mind that the list includes
only players who are on the spring roster. (We’ll have the roster posted for
you in a day or two.) 
