Braden Bays holds the DE · Backup spot in Rice Owls’s edge room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Braden Bays is a defensive end for Rice who stands 6'3" and weighs 269 pounds. A redshirt freshman from Boerne, Texas, Bays entered the playing rotation late in 2025 and appeared in five contests. He accumulated eight total tackles across the season, including a career-high five at South Florida and one tackle for loss in the Armed Forces Bowl. At Boerne High School, Bays earned Unanimous All-District and third-team All-State honors as a senior, recording 20 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. He concluded his high school career with 60 tackles for loss and 21 sacks.