The Rice Owls haven’t had a player selected in the NFL Draft for almost a decade (2015). It’ll take a peak performance from one of their prospects to get it done in 2024, but the Owls do have some talent flying under the radar.
Rice Owls NFL Draft Prospects
The offseason always serves as a period of change for teams, and the Owls weren’t without their losses. Stalwart defender Ikenna Enechukwu — a Shrine Bowl participant — entered the NFL Draft and signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent. Meanwhile, wide receivers Bradley Rozner and Isaiah Esdale both left through the transfer portal.
Having said all this, the Owls return a number of key contributors from 2022, including Luke McCaffrey, Chris Conti, Jordan Dunbar, and Gabriel Taylor. Additionally, they added an experienced signal-caller in JT Daniels from West Virginia. With a good year, there’s a chance that one or more of those names earn fringe draft consideration.
JT Daniels, QB
Leading the Rice Owls’ 2024 NFL Draft class in terms of name recognition is Daniels, a former four-star recruit who was a top QB in his initial signing cycle. He’s now become the ultimate college football journeyman, with stops at USC, Georgia, and West Virginia.
Most recently at West Virginia in 2022, he completed 200 of 327 attempts for 2,107 yards, 13 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He’ll be a 24-year-old rookie who lacks top-end tools, but a good year could earn him some PFA interest.
Luke McCaffrey, WR
Daniels isn’t technically the only QB on Rice’s draft board. Luke McCaffrey — the younger brother of NFL All-Pro Christian McCaffrey — is a former QB who started out at Nebraska, but he’s made a successful switch to wide receiver at Rice.
In 2022, the younger McCaffrey put up 58 catches for 723 yards and six touchdowns, along with 12 carries for 148 yards and an additional score. His smooth athleticism at 6’2″, 198 pounds invites some versatility, and he flashes impressive body control for a QB-WR convert.
Jack Bradley, TE
Though he may not ascend above PFA territory, Jack Bradley is a name to know in Rice’s offense, especially with an excess of targets now open for grabs after multiple transfer departures.
Bradley has a lean, NFL-caliber frame at 6’5″, 254 pounds, and he is an above-average athlete. He needs to improve his hand usage at the catch point and avoid letting the ball into his frame, but his 28 catches, 260 yards, and two scores from 2022 speak to his ability.
Lavel Dumont, G
On the interior offensive line, the Rice Owls will be benefitting from the addition of Toledo transfer Lavel Dumont. At 6’4″, 321 pounds, Dumont’s size and width are an obvious plus in a phone booth, but he also has versatility between tackle and guard.
Izeya Floyd, DT
Simply because of their scarcity as an archetype, nose tackles are worth watching wherever they linger. Rice has a capable collegiate nose in Izeya Floyd, who’s compiled five tackles for loss over the past two years. At 6’2″, 305 pounds, he’s dense and well-leveraged, and he fulfills an important role for the Rice defense.
Josh Pearcy, EDGE
It’s always tricky when undersized pass rushers from smaller conferences attempt to make the professional leap, but production can be a good indicator for those players. And Josh Pearcy, who stands around 6’2″, 243 pounds, has that production on his side. He’s been an active pursuit defender for three years running, and he had a career-best season in 2022 with 50 tackles, 10 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.
Chris Conti, LB
The Owls will welcome back their leading tackler in Chris Conti this coming year. Conti, a former Rutgers transfer who stands around 6’2″, 236 pounds, paced the team with 75 tackles, four tackles behind the line of scrimmage, a pass deflection, and a fumble recovery in 2022. Many Group of Five linebackers are undersized, but at the very least, Conti passes the size thresholds and could field looks from evaluators with a good year.
Jordan Dunbar, CB
The Owls have several intriguing players, but cornerback Jordan Dunbar arguably has the best chance to emerge as a legitimate 2024 NFL Draft prospect. Dunbar broke onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2021, racking up seven pass breakups.
In 2022, he upped that number to 10, serving as a constant nuisance for opposing QBs. At 6’0″, 196 pounds, Dunbar has decent size and eye-catching explosiveness, and he’s a natural playmaker when the ball comes his way.
Gabriel Taylor, S
The Rice secondary wouldn’t be the same without Gabriel Taylor, who’s amassed 116 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, four picks, 11 pass breakups, and three forced fumbles over the past two seasons. Taylor is the younger brother of the late Sean Taylor, who was a first-round pick and a star safety in the NFL before his untimely passing. The younger Taylor doesn’t have his brother’s size at 5’10”, 190 pounds, but he does flash that same playmaking range and impact.
Other Notable Names
- Juma Otoviano, RB
- Cedric Patterson III, WR
- Kobie Campbell, WR
- Clay Servin, OT
- Brant Banks, G
- De’Braylon Carroll, DT
- Coleman Coco, DL
- Myron Morrison, LB
- Sean Fresch, CB
Rice Owls Schedule
- Week 1
BYE - Week 2
Sept. 2: at Texas Longhorns - Week 3
Sept. 9: vs. Houston Cougars - Week 4
Sept. 16: vs. Texas Southern Tigers - Week 5
Sept. 23: at South Florida Bulls - Week 6
Sept. 30: vs. East Carolina Pirates - Week 7
Oct. 7: vs. UConn Huskies - Week 8
BYE - Week 9
Oct. 19: at Tulsa Golden Hurricane - Week 10
Oct. 28: vs. Tulane Green Wave - Week 11
Nov. 4: vs. SMU Mustangs - Week 12
Nov. 11: at UTSA Roadrunners - Week 13
Nov. 18: at Charlotte 49ers - Week 14
Nov. 25: vs. Florida Atlantic Owls - Week 15
BYE