Rice University football players balance demands of college on and off the field

As the Rice University football team enters the 2026 season unranked, the players face demands at one of the nation's highest-rated universities for academics. Rice's fall camp is in full swing under second-year head coach Scott Abell. "I think the DNA of this team is different," Abell said. "It begins to show signs of the DNA of what we want this program to be holistically, not just for this year, but for the future." The Rice University Owls have more depth this season, with players who are bigger, stronger, and faster. "The guys want to be here, they want to win, they want to see change, and they're like great with that," starting quarterback Jacurri Brown said. "They're responding to that really well." To play Rice, you need to be comfortable with 'hard' because of not only the athletic demands, but the high academic standards Rice is known for. "When you do a hard every day, hard becomes your normal and you don't really see it as hard; it's just my day," fifth-year senior Chibby Nwajuaku said. High expectations on the field and in the classroom are just the norm. "You get the best of both worlds," slot receiver and captain Quinton Jackson said. "When I tell people I was going to Rice, it's like a shock; 'Oh, you're going to Rice?' you know, that's a big school out here in Texas. You know, they call it the Ivy of the South." "You find out really quick, being new, that Rice is different," captain and safety Daveon Hook said. "You know, of course, with the academic side of things, but time management, I mean, being able to focus on where your feet are and being able to allocate time to different things is always very important." Nwajuaku just graduated with a degree in Sports medicine and exercise physiology with a 3.5 GPA. He said he might use his education to become a physical therapist. "You actually have to do the work, so there's no going around that; there are no shortcuts," he said. "You have to go put in time just like you do in football. You have to go study, you have to go meet with your academic advisors, you have to put in effort, or you're not going to get anything out of it." Someone making the most of his time as a Rice student-athlete is walk-on linebacker Cooper King from Stratford High School. Defensive Coordinator Jon Kay said King's hard work has earned him playing time this season. "All summer long he got to do the early work out because he's served an internship with Morgan Stanley and he's trying to balance being an undersized FBS football player with, you know, a Rice degree in this internship," Coach Kay said. "You see the work that he's put in, you know, then he gets offered a position with Morgan Stanley and, you know, I mean, that's what this experience should be about." Rice opens the season on Sep. 5 when they face Houston Christian University before going on the road to play Notre Dame on Sep. 12.