What to expect from a new era of Rice football

Photo by Cayden Chen | The Rice Thresher
Running back Quinton Jackson celebrates in the end zone during a game against the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Sept. 28, 2024. Cayden Chen / Thresher

By Andersen Pickard 8/26/25 8:59pm

Rice football will have a new look when it takes the field for its regular season opener Aug. 30 at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

The Owls are set to enter a brand new era under head coach Scott Abell, who joined the program last November after a successful stretch at Davidson College. Abell was able to turn around Davidson’s football program by implementing the spread option, and he’s expected to deploy a similar offensive scheme at Rice.

Running the ball will be heavily emphasized in this new-look Rice offense led by Abell and offensive coordinator Vince Munch. Abell’s Davidson Wildcats ranked first in rushing offense among all Football Championship Subdivision teams during six of his seven years. Last season, they averaged 58.2 carries, 315.5 rushing yards and 3.4 rushing touchdowns per game.

The Owls’ offensive roster has adjusted to align with this new scheme. Abell has named redshirt sophomore Chase Jenkins as the starting quarterback. He played in part of five games as a true freshman in 2023, attempting 19 passes while rushing for 82 yards on 14 attempts. He converted to wide receiver last year but redshirted while playing just two games. Now, he has converted back to quarterback and will lead Rice’s offense into a new era of spread option football.

The backfield will also look different after running backs Dean Connors and Taji Atkins both transferred. Redshirt junior Quinton Jackson, who impressed on special teams with 589 kick return yards and a touchdown last year, is expected to start at running back. He’ll be relieved by redshirt senior Max Balthazar, a transfer from Coastal Carolina University, and redshirt sophomore Daelen Alexander, who scored five touchdowns through his first three games in 2023.

A team’s rushing attack is only as good as its protection in the trenches. The Owls lost Chad Lindberg and Ethan Onianwa this offseason as they transferred to the University of North Carolina and Ohio State University, respectively. Four of Rice’s five expected starters on the offensive line are returners. Graduate left guard Sean Sullivan, a transfer from Yale University, will join them, potentially at one of the tackle positions. Rice’s linemen have quality experience, and most of them played together in 2024, so there is optimism that the unit can survive the losses of Lindberg and Onianwa.

Defense will continue to be a major part of the equation for Rice, and there are reasons for Owl fans to be confident in the unit. One of the defense’s biggest problems last year was that they couldn’t stay off the field. They made numerous big stops and proved they could handle higher levels of competition, but only in short spurts. The Owls finished 2024 with a 29:02 time of possession, ranking among the bottom third of FBS teams. When the offense couldn’t stay on the field, Rice’s defense simply looked outmatched.

This year, if the Owls can gradually work the clock by running the football early often, the defense will be able to spend more time regrouping and less time on the field.

Rice’s linebacking core is very strong, anchored by junior Ty Morris, who had 56 tackles and four sacks in 2024. The position group will get major support from redshirt seniors Andrew Awe, who took on a bigger role with 52 tackles last year, and Plae Wyatt, who was gearing up for a breakout 2024 campaign before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the opening contest.

While the linebacking unit should make plenty of waves this season, the biggest name to watch on the defensive side of the ball is redshirt senior defensive lineman Blake Boenisch, who is a standout player in the trenches. He posted a career-high 10 starts, 42 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss last season. Meanwhile, his 83.2 PFF tackling grade ranked eighth-best among over 1,000 FBS defensive linemen.

The roster is rounded out by the Owls’ special teamers, including graduate kicker Chase Allen, who went 5-for-9 on field goals and 11-for-11 on extra points at the University of Texas at San Antonio last season. Rice returns redshirt junior punter Alex Bacchetta, who averaged 41.5 yards over 49 attempts in 2024. He landed 11 punts inside the 20-yard line. Rice’s return unit will feature Jackson on kickoffs and redshirt senior Tyson Thompson on punts.

Rice’s conference schedule is full of games that should be competitive, giving the Owls a chance to showcase their new stretch option attack in action. A highlight of the schedule is Rice’s Sept. 27 matchup on the road against Navy, whom the Owls upset in a rain-soaked thriller at Rice Stadium last year.

Non-conference headliners include a regular-season opener against Louisiana, led by former Power 4 quarterback Walker Howard, and the home opener against the University of Houston, in the final remaining installment of the Bayou Bucket series.

Rice is +15000 to win the American, second-worst in the conference behind Temple University. DraftKings has set the Owls’ regular-season line at 3.5 wins, a mark they haven’t dipped below since 2020.

The success of the Owls’ football season rides on their ability to operate the stretch option attack. The scheme has the potential to be lethal against even the best collegiate opponents, but executing it isn’t a given.

Vice President and Director of Athletics Tommy McClelland took a creative gamble by landing Abell and his unique offensive philosophy. Now, we’re just days away from seeing it in action.