The portal is technically closed and most of the top players who entered have found new homes for the 2026 season. We’re breaking down each of the 13 FBS portal classes across the state of Texas, continuing with Rice. The Owls reached a bowl game in Scott Abell’s first year in charge and a strong portal class could push them into American Conference relevancy in 2026. 

Overview 

Abell & Co. were much more active in the transfer portal this year than in their first offseason, signing 21 players so far compared to 11 in the portal ahead of 2025. The Owls signed at least one player at each position, including special teams. The biggest needs were at quarterback following the loss of Chase Jenkins (Kansas) and in the secondary where Rice ranked 106th nationally in passing yards allowed per game. Rice signed a pair of quarterbacks, including UCF transfer Jacurri Brown, and seven defensive backs. 
Class Grade: B

Three Key Additions 

QB Jacurri Brown, UCF: A former four-star prospect who played three times for the Knights in 2025 is expected to be the new starting quarterback for Rice’s option attack. Brown is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound run-first quarterback who started his career at Miami and is a native of Georgia. He rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries last season. He started against Iowa State in 2024 and ran for 154 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries a week after compiling 291 total yards against Cincinnati. He’s averaged six yards a carry in four seasons as a college player. 

LB Jesus Machado, Houston: The Miami native was a productive player from 2020-2023 at Tulane before an injury cost him the 2024 season. He transferred to Houston ahead of the 2025 season to reunite with head coach Willie Fritz, but he struggled to find snaps for a 10-win Cougar team. Machado recorded just seven tackles in four games in 2025. He did play in 45 games for Tulane and posted 98 tackles when he was last healthy in 2023. He’s a proven commodity in the American Conference and should help replace the production lost by Ty Morris’ transfer to Rutgers. 

DB AJ Brown, UAB: Brown stays in the American after a solid four-year career at UAB. He started six times last year and appeared in 12 games, finishing third on the team in tackles with 53 stops while recovering two fumbles. He registered seven or more stops in five of the 12 games last year. Brown played in 36 games over the last three years and should push for a starting spot at safety in the Owls defense. 

Two Sleepers 

TE Preston Zinter, Notre Dame: The former three-star prospect from Massachusetts was primarily a special teams contributor in three seasons at Notre Dame. He’ll have two years of eligibility to make his mark on South Main with the Owls. He played defensive end for the Irish, but he’s moving back to the offensive side of the ball as a tight end at Rice, where he played in high school. 

S Caden VerMaas, Nebraska: A young defensive back with high upside at the safety position who redshirted at Nebraska in 2025 after playing in two games as a freshman. VerMaas was the No. 3 ranked player in Nebraska as a recruit and was one of the nation’s top 25 safeties, according to ESPN. He was a two-way standout in high school, totaling more than 3,600 all-purpose yards and 46 touchdowns on offense and nearly 100 tackles, five interceptions, and four forced fumbles on defense. 

Transfer List

• QB Jacurri Brown, UCF 
• QB Gael Ochoa, UNLV
• RB Davis Lane, Virginia 
• WR Michael Sifford, West Point
• WR Max Mosey, Holy Cross
• WR Barry Jackson, Cincinnati 
• OL Leo Bluhm, Yale 
• OL Scott Becker, Princeton 
• TE Preston Zinter, Notre Dame 
• DE Tariq May, Eastern Washington 
• LB Jesus Machado, Houston 
• LB Austin Harnetiaux, Nevada 
• CB Jamir Benjamin, UCLA
• CB Zach Cody, Coastal Carolina 
• CB Tariq Watson, UAB
• DB Kyren Condoll, Duke
• DB AJ Brown, UAB
• DB Koa Akui, Sacromento State 
• DB Caden VerMaas, Nebraska
• P Charlie Durkin, Kent State 
• LS Phoenix Derichsweiler, Tulane