Rice Owls Offensive Players to Watch vs. Texas Longhorns

Led by former No. 1 QB recruit JT Daniels, expect an up-tempo passing attack from the Rice Owls in the 2023 season opener against the Texas Longhorns.

The Rice Owls aren't a team that should scare many on paper, especially a program with national championship aspirations like the Texas Longhorns. Then again, crazier things have happened before in college football.

The Owls head to Royal-Memorial Stadium Week 1 to kick off the season against the Longhorns in what will mark their final season as members of the Big 12. Last season, Rice ended its seven-year bowl hiatus despite finishing below .500 under fourth-year coach Mike Bloomgren. 

There's a new sense of promise around the Houston-based school as the program makes the jump from Conference USA to the American Athletic Conference, along with five other schools.

Offensively, the Owls improved in all three phases. They averaged 25.2 points per game, 3.9 points higher than in 2021. They ranked 81st rushing and averaged 4.0 yards per run, .4 yards more than the season prior. On third-down, they converted 41 percent of the time, ranking inside the top 50 for the first time since 2015.

With the addition of an established quarterback, Rice may serve as one of college football's dark horses that garners national attention come mid-November. For now, it's about starting off on the right foot against the Big 12 favorites.

Here are a few offensive players to watch for the Owls in Week 1. Be sure to stick with LonghornsCountry.com as we preview every aspect of the matchup with Rice throughout the week.

QB JT Daniels 

Year No. 6, team No. 4, and maybe this year's Group of Five breakout candidate? That's likely what Daniels thought would be on display when he elected to spend his final college season at Rice after starting at three Power Five programs.

Daniels' consistent switches of zip codes have little to do with his ability and more so his situation. Initially the No. 1 quarterback recruit coming out of Mater Dei High School in 2019, Daniels reclassified and shined as a freshman at USC, throwing for 2,672 yards and 14 touchdowns. He would have retained the starting job for the Trojans, but a torn ACL opened the door for Kedon Slovis to take over.

A move down south looked promising on paper as Daniels committed to Georgia. He replaced Stetson Bennett midway through the 2020 campaign and led the Bulldogs to a Peach Bowl victory over Cincinnati. Competing with Bennett in the offseason, Kirby Smart named Daniels the starter for the season opener against Clemson in 2021.

After a 3-0 start, Daniels was sidelined due to an oblique injury, opening the door again for Bennett. The result: two national titles, a Heisman finalist nod and starting job for the foreseeable future.

Daniels struggled during his lone season at West Virginia. While building a rapport with former USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, the two never to be on the right page in Morgantown. After starting 10 games and throwing for 2,107 yards and 13 touchdowns, he entered the portal again.

Bloomgren, who first noticed Daniels as a junior at Mater Dei, has been more than pleased with his potential leading the offense. Daniels is now the highest-rated quarterback ever to quarterback the Owls. His experience in a variety of different personnel packages speaks for itself, and should provide stability as Rice makes the jump from C-USA to the AAC. 

WR Luke McCaffrey

Most people likely know Luke McCaffrey's older brother, All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey. Still, the youngest member of the McCaffrey clan has become a promising player since joining the program in 2021.

After starting his career as a quarterback at Nebraska, Luke McCaffrey elected to head to Houston. Struggles occurred under center, leading to a position switch last spring. A year later, the son of Super Bowl-winning receiver Ed McCaffrey has proven to be one of the Owls' more dynamic weapons and consistent play-makers across the middle of the field.

In 10 games, McCaffrey caught a team-high 58 passes for 723 yards and six TDs. He finished with three 100-plus receiving yard games and totaled double-digit catches twice.

WR Cedric Patterson III

One will have to go back to 2021 to see what Patterson's potential can be at full strength for Bloomgren's offense. A transfer from New Mexico, Patterson suffered an ankle injury during training camp last season that sidelined him for the regular season.

When healthy, Patterson has the speed to win as a vertical threat similar to Rozner. In two seasons with the Lobos, he averaged 18.8 yards per reception. During the 2021 campaign, Patterson averaged 15.3 yards and totaled six TDs.

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