National Signing Day is Feb. 3. We’ll take a look at each recruiting class from the 12 FBS football programs in Texas as the day approaches.

Team

Rivals.com rank: 102^nd

Overview

Rice currently has 17 verbal commitments in 2016. The class lost one of its stars when Vandegrift wide receiver Paxton Segina flipped his commitment to Stanford. That is part of recruiting for G5 schools. The Owls aren’t known for landing top recruiting classes. Head coach David Bailiff doesn’t use it as an excuse, but the academic standards at Rice make it harder to pinpoint athletes. Still, recruiting has suffered over the past two cycles. The Owls will likely finish outside the top 100 in recruiting classes for the second straight season. The classes from 2012-2014 were all ranked 92^nd or better.

Strengths

The secondary is the strength of the 2016 Rice recruiting class. The Owls hold verbal commitments from five defensive backs. The best of the bunch might be two-star cornerback Jameel Moore. The Cedar Hill native practiced against some of the best wide receivers in Texas over his high school career and that experience might help him earn early playing time. Cypress Ridge teammates – D’Angelo Ellis and Dasharm Newsome – join Moore as defensive back recruits, along with Collin Whitaker and Dylan Silcox.

The linebacker position is also strong – on paper. Franklin High School’s Will Phillips leads a trio that also includes Austin-area products Jude-Anthony Ekpe and Uzoma Akunebu.

Needs

The Rice class is heavy in defensive commitments, but the offense lacks playmakers. That became more evident when Segina flipped his commitment to Stanford after being offered Thursday. That leaves the Owls with two skill position players committed, and one is a tight end. Rice does have four offensive line verbal pledges, including Joseph Dill from Baytown Lee. Quarterback Sam Glaesmann heads the class after winning a title at Waco Midway, but his only skill-position classmates will be tight end Jordan Myers and wide receiver Aaron Cephus unless Rice can get a late commitment or two.

Top Player

Texas high school football fans are familiar with Will Phillips. The two-way star from small-school Franklin played on the highest stages in the state and became sort of a cult hero over his past few seasons. He might be from a small school, but Phillips’ stature is nothing but. The 6-foot-3, 228-pound playmaker will find a home at middle linebacker of the Rice defense. He could probably help the offense around the end zone, too.

——

Mike Craven is a Senior Writer for Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. He covers college, high schools and recruiting, and even dabbles in some NFL. He’s a UTSA Insider and runs BirdsUp.com for Rivals. Find him on Twitter: @CravenMike.