Rice Owls 2021 football recruiting class features size and versatility

HOUSTON – The class consists of 16 high school seniors, one from a prep school and one from the junior college ranks.  Among the high school players, 11 reached the postseason and six will be in action this weekend in the Texas state playoffs.

The Owls added four linebackers--including three high school signees who were ranked in Dave Campbell’s Texas Football’s preseason top 25 linebackers in Texas--and four defensive linemen, three offensive linemen, receivers and defensive backs and one quarterback.

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Nine of the players come from Texas and four are from Alabama, two from Florida and one each from California, Mississippi and New Jersey.  Since coming to Rice in December of 2017, Bloomgren has expanded the Owls national footprint to include recruits from 21 states.

The signee from Mississippi (linebacker Desmyn Baker) is the first for the Owls in the state since the signed John Welch in 2005 while the four recruits from Alabama are the first from that state since the Owls added safety Justin Carter in 2012.

2021 RICE OWLS FOOTBALL EARLY RECRUITS

NAME                                      POS     HT        WT       HOMETOWN (SCHOOL)

DJ Arkansas                                        LB           6-2          200         Denton, TX (Ryan)

Desmyn Baker                                   LB           6-2          226         Clinton, Mississippi (NW Mississippi CC/Clinton)

Blake Boenisch                                  DL           6-3          300         Needville, TX (Needville)

Jay Folmar                                           WR         6-1          185         Dothan, AL (Dothan)

Jalen Hargrove                                  DL           6-4          305         Patterson, NJ (Choate Rosemary Hall)

Jaggar Hebeisen                               TE           6-4          225         Colleyville, TX (Heritage)

Shawqi Itraish                                    QB          6-3          190         Bradenton, FL (Braden River)

Jonathan Jean                                   CB           5-10       175         Lakeland, FL (Victory Christian)

John Long                                            OL           6-4        300         Kempner, TX (Lampasas)

Elroyal Morris Jr.                              DL           6-3          270         Houston, TX (Dekaney)

Ethan Onianwa                                 OL           6-6          300         Katy, TX (Cinco Ranch)

Faae Pepe                                           OL           6-4          330         Bellflower, CA (Orange Lutheran)

Kenny Seymour Jr                            LB           6-3          225         League City, TX (Fort Bend Marshall)

Aidan Siano                                        LB           6-0          225         Celina, TX (Prosper)

Peyton Stevenson                           WR         6-3          190         Demopolis, AL (Demopolis)

Cal Varner III                                      DE           6-4          235         Katy, TX (Katy)

Joshua Williams                                 SAF        6-1          190         Linden, AL (Linden)

Marcus Williams                               SAF        5-11       190         Helena, AL (Hoover)


About the Author

KPRC 2 Sports Director since 2004. Covers the Astros, Texans, Rockets, Dynamo, Dash and a few hundred local high schools across Greater Houston.

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