Rice Owls Depth Chart 2026 — starters, backups & full two-deep

Unit

Tags · year-class · 3-SO = third-year soph

JobStarter2nd3rd4th5th+

Offense

11 starting jobsPrimary personnel · 11

×5

11Jacurri BrownQB15-SR—

PORTAL 4Gael OchoaQB23-SO—

PORTAL 2Lucas ScheerhornQB33-SO

PORTAL 15Patrick Crayton Jr.QB42-FR

14Ayden WilhelmQB5

×6

10Quinton JacksonRB15-SR—ALSO KR 28D'Andre Hardeman Jr.RB22-SO—26Tyvonn ByarsRB32-SO 33Justin PowellRB4FR (3)

30Carson MorganRB5

PORTAL 27Dionne SimsRB6

X×7

0Payton MatthewsX12-SO—88Keenan Arcega-WhitesideX22-FR—6Ben GriceX33-SO

PORTAL 13Max MoseyX45-SR

PORTAL

21Sawyer RiceX5

Z×6

81Braylen WalkerZ15-SR—7Barry Jackson Jr.Z24-JR—

PORTAL 19Jordan ClarkZ32-FR 20Fisher LeftwichZ4FR (3)

29Jai Jacobs-FordZ5 43Chris BruceZ6

SLOT×5

5Davis LaneSLOT15-SR—

PORTAL 8Colin LeaheySLOT22-FR—18Owen CarterSLOT33-SO 89Preston JacksonSLOT4FR (3)

24Larry DeBose IVSLOT5

×8

86James FalkTE14-JR—9Preston ZinterTE24-JR—

PORTAL 91DD OliverTE32-FR 17Jake RendaTE45-SR

84Will SwartzTE5

LT×4

67Luke NeedhamLT14-JR—73Justin MichaelisLT22-FR—59Colter AlberdingLT32-FR 77Ian BothwellLT42-FR

LG×4

50Patrick ValentLG15-SR—–Leo BluhmLG25-SR—

PORTAL 76Marcus Page Jr.LG3FR (3)70Bennett EivensLG4FR

C×3

–Scott BeckerC15-SR—

PORTAL 56Nate BledsoeC24-JR—57Leyonte ChandlerC3FR (3)

—open

RG×3

71Cole PrincipeRG12-SO—58Peyton FarmerRG24-JR—74Clay MitchellRG3FR (3)

—open

RT×3

53Luke MillerRT13-SO—62Cullen WittRT23-SO—78Erben BirkhoffRT32-FR

—open

Defense

11 starting jobsBase front · Nickel sub

DT×7

96Dillan BottsDT14-SR—

PORTAL 11Christopher Clark-JolivetDT24-JR—98Robert RooksDT32-FR 97Chris KnaulsDT4FR (3)

93Quincy TchikouDT5

NT×5

57Aquantis ClemmonsNT14-JR—15Matthew AribisalaNT25-SR—

PORTAL 21JD SingletaryNT3FR (3)88Tyler LavallierNT4FR (3)

92Luca AkirtavaNT5

EDGE

DE×4

8Joseph MutomboDE14-JR—94Braden BaysDE22-FR—56Seth ClarkeDE3FR (3)41Preston HealyDE4FR

EDGE

RUSH×3

16Chibby NwajuakuRUSH15-SR—–Tariq MayRUSH25-SR—

PORTAL 42DeReyon JenkinsRUSH32-FR

—open

WLB×5

44Cooper KingWLB14-JR—14Beau BartonWLB24-JR—54Austin HarnetiauxWLB35-SR

PORTAL 34Kaleb BlantonWLB43-SO

55CJ WittenWLB5

MLB×4

99Jesus Machado Jr.MLB1GR—

PORTAL 47Ty ThamesMLB22-SO—40Jayden CupittMLB3FR (3)33Stone CombsMLB4GR

LCB×4

5Jerrick HarperLCB14-SR—PORTAL 1Zach CodyLCB23-SO—

PORTAL 10Kyren CondollLCB33-SO

PORTAL 35Elijah BrownLCB4FR

RCB×3

4Tariq WatsonRCB15-SR—

PORTAL 12Jamir BenjaminRCB23-SO—

PORTAL 24Jordan MitchellRCB3FR (3)

—open

VIPER×3

2Jo ChavezVIPER13-JR—PORTAL 7AJ BrownVIPER25-SR—

PORTAL 25Caden VerMaasVIPER32-FR

PORTAL

—open

FS×4

–Koa AkuiFS15-SR—

PORTAL 20Bailey FletcherFS23-SO—32Seth BrownFS3FR (3)36Austin LeeFS4FR

SS×4

0Daveon HookSS1GR—18Ahran OgborSS22-SO—23Michael Amey IIISS32-FR 6Dylan StephensSS42-SO

Special Teams

5 starting jobsCoverage & return units

×1

28Enock GotaKO15-SR—

—open

×1

10Quinton JacksonKR15-SR—ALSO RB

—open

×2

48Phoenix DerichsweilerLS12-FR—

PORTAL 52Morrow EvansLS23-SO—

—open

×1

28Enock GotaPK15-SR—

—open

×1

29Charlie DurkinPT15-SR—

PORTAL

—open

Offense

11 starting jobs

Primary personnel · 11

QB5 listed

Jacurri Brown#11QB15-SR—

PORTAL QB24Gael Ochoa3-SO

PORTAL QB32Lucas Scheerhorn3-SO

PORTAL QB415Patrick Crayton Jr.2-FR

RB6 listed

Quinton Jackson#10RB15-SR—ALSO KR RB228D'Andre Hardeman Jr.2-SO RB326Tyvonn Byars2-SO RB433Justin PowellFR (3)

WRX7 listed

Payton Matthews#0X12-SO—X288Keenan Arcega-Whiteside2-FR X36Ben Grice3-SO

PORTAL X413Max Mosey5-SR

PORTAL

WRZ6 listed

Braylen Walker#81Z15-SR—Z27Barry Jackson Jr.4-JR

PORTAL Z319Jordan Clark2-FR Z420Fisher LeftwichFR (3)

WRSLOT5 listed

Davis Lane#5SLOT15-SR—

PORTAL SLOT28Colin Leahey2-FR SLOT318Owen Carter3-SO SLOT489Preston JacksonFR (3)

TE8 listed

James Falk#86TE14-JR—TE29Preston Zinter4-JR

PORTAL TE391DD Oliver2-FR TE417Jake Renda5-SR

OLLT4 listed

Luke Needham#67LT14-JR—LT273Justin Michaelis2-FR LT359Colter Alberding2-FR LT477Ian Bothwell2-FR

OLLG4 listed

Patrick Valent#50LG15-SR—LG2Leo Bluhm5-SR

PORTAL LG376Marcus Page Jr.FR (3)LG470Bennett EivensFR

OLC3 listed

Scott BeckerC15-SR—

PORTAL C256Nate Bledsoe4-JR C357Leyonte ChandlerFR (3)

OLRG3 listed

Cole Principe#71RG12-SO—RG258Peyton Farmer4-JR RG374Clay MitchellFR (3)

OLRT3 listed

Luke Miller#53RT13-SO—RT262Cullen Witt3-SO RT378Erben Birkhoff2-FR

Defense

11 starting jobs

Base front · Nickel sub

DLDT7 listed

Dillan Botts#96DT14-SR—

PORTAL DT211Christopher Clark-Jolivet4-JR DT398Robert Rooks2-FR DT497Chris KnaulsFR (3)

DLNT5 listed

Aquantis Clemmons#57NT14-JR—NT215Matthew Aribisala5-SR

PORTAL NT321JD SingletaryFR (3)NT488Tyler LavallierFR (3)

EDGEDE4 listed

Joseph Mutombo#8DE14-JR—DE294Braden Bays2-FR DE356Seth ClarkeFR (3)DE441Preston HealyFR

EDGERUSH3 listed

Chibby Nwajuaku#16RUSH15-SR—RUSH2Tariq May5-SR

PORTAL RUSH342DeReyon Jenkins2-FR

LBWLB5 listed

Cooper King#44WLB14-JR—WLB214Beau Barton4-JR WLB354Austin Harnetiaux5-SR

PORTAL WLB434Kaleb Blanton3-SO

LBMLB4 listed

Jesus Machado Jr.#99MLB1GR—

PORTAL MLB247Ty Thames2-SO MLB340Jayden CupittFR (3)MLB433Stone CombsGR

CBLCB4 listed

Jerrick Harper#5LCB14-SR—PORTAL LCB21Zach Cody3-SO

PORTAL LCB310Kyren Condoll3-SO

PORTAL LCB435Elijah BrownFR

CBRCB3 listed

Tariq Watson#4RCB15-SR—

PORTAL RCB212Jamir Benjamin3-SO

PORTAL RCB324Jordan MitchellFR (3)

CBVIPER3 listed

Jo Chavez#2VIPER13-JR—PORTAL VIPER27AJ Brown5-SR

PORTAL VIPER325Caden VerMaas2-FR

PORTAL

SFS4 listed

Koa AkuiFS15-SR—

PORTAL FS220Bailey Fletcher3-SO FS332Seth BrownFR (3)FS436Austin LeeFR

SSS4 listed

Daveon Hook#0SS1GR—SS218Ahran Ogbor2-SO SS323Michael Amey III2-FR SS46Dylan Stephens2-SO

Special Teams

5 starting jobs

Coverage & return units

KO1 listed

Enock Gota#28KO15-SR—

KR1 listed

Quinton Jackson#10KR15-SR—ALSO RB

LS2 listed

Phoenix Derichsweiler#48LS12-FR—

PORTAL LS252Morrow Evans3-SO

PK1 listed

Enock Gota#28PK15-SR—

PT1 listed

Charlie Durkin#29PT15-SR—

PORTAL

Program & Venue

Program

Rice Owls

Rice University

Conference American AthleticFootball began 1912Location Houston, Texas

Home

Rice Stadium

47,000Listed capacity

Location Houston, Texas

Coaching staff

Head coachScott Abell

Offensive coordinatorVince Munch

Defensive coordinatorJon Kay

Identity

Mascot Sammy the Owl

Blue Primary

Gray Secondary