Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM PRESEASON 2026 47 OPPONENT ON DECK: RICE OWLS Date: Sept. 12, 2026 Site (capacity): Notre Dame Stadium (77,622) Kickoff (TV): 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC) All-time series: Notre Dame leads 5-0 Last meeting: Notre Dame 48, Rice 17 (Aug. 30, 2014, at Notre Dame Stadium) 2025 Record: 5-8 (2-6 AAC) Rice head coach: Scott Abell (second season, 5-8 entering 2026) Season outlook: Notre Dame defensive coordi- nator Chris Ash will not only see a familiar face Sept. 12 when Rice rotates onto the Irish football schedule for the first time in 12 years, he'll have to come up with a game plan to defend him. Preston Zinter, a valuable special teamer during his three seasons at Notre Dame and a reserve defender, opened the Owls' training camp in Au- gust as their top option at the tight end position. Zinter transferred to Rice in January after coming to the Irish as a linebacker and then migrating to defensive end. Zinter and Rice visit Notre Dame Stadium for the Irish home opener Sept. 12, a week after the Owls open at home against Houston Christian and six days after Notre Dame kicks off the 2026 season against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The 6-2, 245-pound redshirt junior will be part of an offense that is called the "gun choice" scheme, a modernized version of the triple-option brought to Rice by second-year head coach Scott Abell. It leans heavily into the run game — the Owls were 15th nationally in rushing offense last sea- son and second-to-last in passing offense (133rd). Overall, they were 124th in scoring offense, and were 0-6 when they didn't reach the 190-yard mark in rushing last year. Rice has a new triggerman leading the offense, 6-4, 207-pound redshirt senior Jacurri Brown, a former four-star prospect and a career backup in his two seasons each at Miami and UCF. Pass defense was Rice's biggest weakness on the other side of the ball, ranking 124th nationally in pass efficiency defense. And Abell is attempting to address that with seven of the Owls' 21 incoming transfers this offseason being defensive backs. Of note, Notre Dame electing to opt out of the bowl scene last December, along with Iowa State and Kansas State, led to Rice and two other 5-7 teams playing in bowls. The Owls got trucked, however, 41-10 by Texas State in the Armed Forces Bowl. — Eric Hansen Quarterback Jacurri Brown is a former four-star prospect and a career backup in his two seasons each at Miami and UCF. PHOTO COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS OFFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. TE 9 Preston Zinter 6-2 254 R-Jr. 17 Jake Renda 6-5 225 R-Sr. TT* 53 Luke Miller 6-5 304 R-So. 67 Luke Needham 6-5 320 Jr. TG* 71 Cole Principe 6-4 310 So. 60 Leo Bluhm 6-4 315 R-Sr. C 56 Nate Bledsoe 6-4 315 R-Jr. 68 Scott Becker 6-2 309 R-Sr. SG* 50 Patrick Valent 6-3 330 R-Jr. 74 Clay Mitchell 6-4 308 Fr. ST* 73 Justin Michaelis 6-4 321 R-Fr. 58 Peyton Farmer 6-6 300 R-Jr. QB 11 Jacurri Brown 6-4 227 R-Sr. 4 Gael Ochoa 6-2 197 R-So. RB 10 Quinton Jackson 5-7 175 R-Sr. 28 D'Andre Hardeman Jr. 5-8 197 So. or 26 Tyvonn Byars 5-10 217 So. WR-Z 6 Ben Grice 6-0 194 R-So. 19 Jordan Clark 5-10 187 R-Fr. or 22 Michael Sifford 5-11 164 Fr. WR-X 0 Payton Matthews 5-11 185 So. 7 Barry Jackson Jr. 5-11 198 R-Jr. Slot 5 Davis Lane 6-1 201 R-Sr. 8 Colin Leahey 6-0 192 R-Fr. or 13 Max Mosey 6-0 200 R-Sr. DEFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. DE 8 Joseph Mutombo 6-5 271 R-Jr. 94 Braden Bays 6-3 269 R-Fr. DT 96 Dillan Botts 6-1 286 Sr. 11 Christopher Clark-Jolivet 6-1 295 R-Jr. NT 57 Aquantis Clemmons 5-11 286 R-Jr. 15 Matthew Aribisala 6-2 308 R-Sr. RUSH 16 Chibby Nwajuaku 6-2 246 R-Sr. 13 Tariq May 6-4 244 R-Sr. MIKE 99 Jesus Machado Jr. 6-1 216 R-Sr. 33 Stone Combs 6-1 227 R-Sr. WILL 54 Austin Harnetiaux 6-2 228 R-Sr. 14 Beau Barton 6-2 205 R-Jr. VIPER 7 AJ Brown 6-0 188 R-Sr. 2 Jo Chavez 6-0 194 Jr. SS 0 Daveon Hook 5-11 190 Gr. 18 Ahran Ogbor 5-10 205 So. FS 3 Koa Akui 5-10 193 R-Sr. 25 Caden VerMaas 6-0 190 R-Fr. RCB 12 Jamir Benjamin 5-10 185 R-So. 10 Kyren Condoll 6-2 186 R-So. or 5 Jerrick Harper 6-0 191 Sr. LCB 1 Zach Cody 6-0 172 R-So. 20 Bailey Fletcher 5-11 190 R-So. or 5 Jerrick Harper 6-0 191 Sr. SPECIAL TEAMS Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PK 28 Enock Gota 6-0 209 R-Sr. 49 Tommy Bauchiero 5-11 197 Fr. KO 28 Enock Gota 6-0 209 R-Sr. 49 Tommy Bauchiero 5-11 197 Fr. P 29 Charlie Durkin 6-0 190 R-Sr. 49 Tommy Bauchiero 5-11 197 Fr. LS 48 Phoenix Derichsweiler 6-2 216 R-Fr. or 52 Morrow Evans 6-1 227 R-So. RICE TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART 2026 SCHEDULE Date Opponent Time (ET) Sept. 5 Houston Christian 7 p.m. Sept. 12 at Notre Dame 3:30 p.m. Sept. 19 Western Michigan 7 p.m. Sept. 26 at Fresno State 10 p.m. Oct. 3 UTSA TBA Oct. 10 at East Carolina TBA Oct. 17 Tulsa TBA Oct. 24 at Florida Atlantic TBA Nov. 7 at North Texas TBA Nov. 14 Tulane TBA Nov. 19 at Temple 7:30 Nov. 28 Army TBA * Tight/Split OL designations referencing the tight end/ split end rather than left/right