Rashee Rice NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for SMU WR
Dec 30, 2022
DENTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 03: SMU Mustangs wide receiver Rashee Rice (#11) runs up field after a catch during the college football game between the SMU Mustangs and North Texas Mean Green on September 03, 2022, at Apogee Stadium, in Denton, TX. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
HEIGHT: 6'1"
WEIGHT: 204
HAND: 9 1/2"
ARM: 32 3/4"
WINGSPAN: TBD
40-YARD DASH: 4.51
3-CONE: TBD
SHUTTLE: TBD
VERTICAL: 41"
BROAD: 10'8"
POSITIVES
— Alignment flexibility. Can line up anywhere, and SMU often moved him around the formation.
— Very good play strength. Does not get bullied versus press and knows how to muscle his way to advantageous positions at the catch point.
— Excellent hands and catch radius. Rare knack for finding the ball outside his frame and bringing it in safely. True ball-winner.
— Good bully-ball style YAC-earner. Plays with good strength and balance, with just enough speed.
NEGATIVES
— Average or slightly below-average burst and acceleration. Not going to threaten CBs at the line of scrimmage.
— Not a clean, agile route-runner. Wins more with size and strength.
— Average elusiveness in space. More of a ball-carrier who runs past or through defenders than around them.
Rashee Rice is a ball-winner. Though he isn't quite a giant at 6'2" and 203 pounds, he plays with great strength and fascinating coordination both in his upper and lower body.
Rice is nimble enough to stop on a dime and turn to leap for the ball, but he also has the length, hand-eye coordination and soft hands to bring in any pass, no matter how far he has to reach or contort his body. He's always at an advantage when the ball is in the air.
Rice is effective with the ball in his hands, too. He may not have true home run speed or explosiveness, but he has enough of it for a player his size.
Rice mostly wins with strength and balance as a runner, showing the ability to fight off tacklers and trudge forward for extra yards to move the sticks and occasionally spring himself free for a chunk gain. SMU even found use for Rice on jet motion plays and screens because of his ability with the ball.
The concerns with Rice are all about play speed. He will never get bullied off his route stem at the line of scrimmage, but he doesn't typically burst off the line and torch the cornerback straight away. Rice isn't the cleanest route-runner, either. He isn't clunky or uncoordinated, but he doesn't have the bend and burst to be one of the better separators in the NFL.
Rice is a high-end No. 2 or a low-end No. 1 akin to San Francisco's Brandon Aiyuk. His ability as a ball-winner on the outside would be welcome on any team. For more creative teams, Rice's bully-ball YAC skills and alignment flexibility will make him a nifty weapon to move around the formation.
Former 5-Star Alabama RB Camar Wheaton Transfers to SMU
Apr 12, 2022
COLUMBIA, SC - SEPTEMBER 01: Wilson footballs are lined up on the field prior to the game between the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Columbia, South Carolina. SC won 49-15. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
Former Alabama running back Camar Wheaton has found a new home.
Wheaton announced that he is transferring to SMU after one season with the Crimson Tide. According to Michael Casagrande of Al.com, Wheaton was one of seven 5-star recruits in Alabama's 2021 class, which 247Sports ranked No. 1 all-time.
Per Casagrande, Wheaton is one of 16 Alabama players from last year's team to have entered the transfer portal.
Wheaton didn't see any game action last season after picking up a knee injury in preseason camp. Alabama had also lost Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams to ACL injuries. Both of them will be back for the Crimson Tide along with redshirt junior Trey Sanders and junior Georgia Tech transfer Jahmyr Gibbs.
Wheaton was ranked as the No. 3 running back and No. 34 player overall in the class of 2021 by 247Sports' composite rankings. 247Sports national analyst Gabe Brooks described Wheaton as a "big-play threat on every touch" and "among the nation's top 2021 running back prospects with long-term early-round NFL draft ceiling."
Wheaton earned a selection to the All-American Bowl after rushing for 3,731 yards and 48 touchdowns in his career for Lakeview Centennial High School in Garland, Texas.
SMU has now landed nine transfers in the 2022 recruiting cycle. Wheaton is the highest-rated player in a group that also includes former Georgia offensive tackle Owen Condon and former Texas wide receiver Joshua Moore.
UVA vs. SMU Fenway Bowl and BC vs. East Carolina Military Bowl Canceled amid COVID
Dec 26, 2021
BOSTON - SEPTEMBER 17: Fenway Sports Management President Mark Lev, left, and ESPN Events VP Clint Overby preside over the unveiling of the logo on the Green Monster during an event held at Fenway Park in Boston by the Fenway Sports Group and the Red Sox to announce the creation of a college football game called the Fenway Bowl on Sep. 17, 2019. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
The Fenway Bowl will has been canceled amid a COVID-19 outbreak within the Virginia football program, the event announced Sunday:
According to ESPN, Boston College had been dealing with COVID-19 issues leading up to the game scheduled to take place in Annapolis, Maryland.
This marks three bowl games canceled this season after the Hawai'i Bowl was canceled Friday. Hawai'i was supposed to take on Memphis in that game, but the Rainbow Warriors reportedly had about 30 players and staff test positive for COVID.
Virginia had been dealing with excessive positive tests and pushed back its scheduled flight to Boston earlier Sunday, per Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The team was awaiting another round of results before leaving, but the outbreak was too much to move forward.
The game was supposed to be the final one for head coach Bronco Mendenhall, who announced he was stepping down earlier this month.
The 55-year-old went 36-38 across six years in Virginia, including a 6-6 record in 2021. The squad started 6-2 this year before fading down the stretch with four straight losses.
SMU was 8-4 under head coach Sonny Dykes, who left the program to take the same job at TCU. Defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt was scheduled to be the interim coach for the Mustangs at the Fenway Bowl.
Boston College will end its season at 6-6, while ECU finished with a 7-5 record.
Eric Dickerson Among SMU Alumni Group Pledging More than $1M Annually to NIL Program
Dec 14, 2021
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 11: Eric Dickerson is seen on May 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Hollywood To You/Star Max/GC Images)
A group of SMU alumni has come together on an NIL program that will provide more than $1 million annually to football players.
The group is led by businessman Paul Loyd and former NFL running back Eric Dickerson. Luke Crossland, Dick Anderson, Kelvin Beachum and Richie Butler, all former football players, have also joined the cause.
Loyd said in a statement:
“One of SMU’s biggest assets is the success and connectivity of SMU alums, of Dallas, and in combination the support for SMU student athletes. SMU is Dallas’s team and has made huge progress in every aspect of the program, so businesses stepping up for SMU NIL’s is yet another signal that SMU football is continuing the momentum and ready to take another huge step.”
SMU was once one of the preeminent college football programs in the country before receiving the so-called "death penalty" in 1987 for repeated violations of NCAA rules—most notably paying players.
While SMU football hasn't recovered to its former heights in the decades since, the school still boasts powerful and rich boosters—ones who seem eager to spark the program. The press release announcing the Pony Up program says it hopes to "expand quickly."
The NCAA began allowing players to make money off their name, image and likeness earlier this year.
SMU's Sonny Dykes Reportedly Emerges as Frontrunner to Become Next TCU HC
Nov 22, 2021
CINCINNATI, OHIO - NOVEMBER 20: Head coach Sonny Dykes of the SMU Mustangs looks on in the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Nippert Stadium on November 20, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
SMU head football coach Sonny Dykes is reportedly the "frontrunner" to become TCU's next head coach, according to Blake Brockermeyer, Jeremy Clark, Billy Embody and Chris Hummer of 247Sports.com.
Per that report, "Dykes has contract offers in front of him from both TCU and SMU with each deal valued at over $4 million a year, per sources."
TCU is reportedly looking to make a hire by Sunday to replace Gary Patterson, who was fired on Oct. 31 after 20 years leading the program. Jerry Kill has been serving as interim head coach.
Patterson was 181-79 during his time at the school and was an impressive 7-3 against Texas, helping put TCU's football program back on the map.
"The story of Gary Patterson and the rise in the fortunes of the TCU football program over the last 20 years is clearly one of the most remarkable in the history of college football," athletic director Jeremiah Donati said in a statement at the time. "We are grateful to Gary and Kelsey Patterson and appreciate everything they have meant to TCU and the Fort Worth community. Under his leadership, TCU has become a nationally recognized brand name in football and in collegiate athletics."
But the Horned Frogs are a disappointing 5-6 on the season, which included a 42-34 loss against SMU in September. That ushered in the end of Patterson's time at the helm, though replacing him will require filling some pretty big shoes.
Dykes would bring a solid resume to Fort Worth. He's gone 71-62 in his career, with head coaching stints at Louisiana Tech (2010-12), California (2013-16) and SMU (2017-present). Under his watch, the Mustangs have gone 30-17, including an 8-3 mark this year, and played in two bowl games.
It's unclear if Dykes would continue coaching SMU, which is bowl eligible, through the rest of the season or join TCU immediately if he chooses the Horned Frogs' offer.
TCU's Gary Patterson Slams SMU for Scuffle, Claims It Led to Jerry Kill's Concussion
Sep 28, 2021
TCU head coach Gary Patterson instructs his team in the second half of an NCAA college football game against California in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
To say TCU head coach Gary Patterson was upset about how the aftermath of Saturday's 42-34 loss to SMU unfolded would be quite the understatement.
As Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram reported, Patterson unleashed on the Mustangs' program, criticized counterpart Sonny Dykes and connected the dots from SMU's decision to plant its flag on TCU's field to assistant coach Jerry Kill's concussion.
"I cannot substantiate that it was a SMU or TCU person, but it did happen," Patterson said when discussing Kill's concussion he suffered when he was knocked over multiple times during the scuffle that happened when the Mustangs wanted to plant their flag. "If we wouldn't have had the flags, it wouldn't have happened. OK?"
Davison noted video showed Kill was knocked over by TCU players at one point.
Kill, who retired from head coaching in 2015 and was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2005, has returned to work since suffering the injury.
Patterson also suggested SMU planned the entire stunt with the flags because it had someone ready to film it:
You don't think it was planned? They had a media person from their office that was out filming the flag getting set in the middle of the field. It's OK. But don't tell me there wasn't a plan somewhere there.
A guy [Kill] got hurt. Why I'm upset about it, a guy got hurt that things like that usually cause seizures. A guy got hurt. He got pushed down by our kids once on film in the middle of it and he got hit because I've got the proof to show it.
At the end of the day, whether it's SMU, TCU, I can't substantiate it. But at the end of the day it wouldn't have happened if we didn't have the flag situation.
SMU athletic director Rick Hard said there was "unequivocally" no plan and any suggestion to the contrary is "a complete fabrication."
Patterson also took aim at Dykes and suggested the SMU head coach should have contacted him to discuss the entire incident instead of reaching out to TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati:
Sonny has been a good friend of mine. I was disappointed that the AD got a call, I never got a call about Jerry getting hit. When we couldn't play in COVID, I made the phone call to Sonny Dykes, not him (Donati). I made the phone call saying, 'All of our quarterbacks are out. We can't play.' That's what the head coach of programs do. Not have one of their assistants text me in the middle of the night, or call my AD.
I still consider him a friend. I'm going to go forward with it.
Dykes was an assistant coach with the Horned Frogs in 2017.
As for the actual game, the Mustangs seized the lead in the second quarter and never looked back. They extended it to as many as 15 in the fourth quarter behind a dominant rushing attack that featured two backs who went over 100 yards.
TCU had no answer for Ulysses Bentley IV (153 rushing yards) or Tre Siggers (110 rushing yards), while wide receiver Danny Gray took advantage of the additional space the rushing attack created with 130 receiving yards and a touchdown catch.
Quarterback Tanner Mordecai overcame three interceptions with four touchdown passes, and SMU improved to 4-0 on the season.
The Horned Frogs are 2-1 and now start Big 12 play against the rival Texas Longhorns on Saturday.
4-star WR, Oklahoma Decommit Jordan Hudson Commits to SMU over Alabama, Texas
Jul 4, 2021
4-star wide receiver Jordan Hudson announced his commitment to SMU over Alabama and Texas on Sunday.
Hudson is listed as the No. 113 overall player and 14th-ranked receiver by 247Sports. He previously committed to Oklahoma but announced he was reopening his recruitment in June.
Listed at 6'1" and 180 pounds, Hudson has ascended to stardom at Garland (Texas) High School, which is about 30 minutes outside Dallas.
This is the second time in as many years that SMU has pulled off a surprising recruiting coup over more notable schools. Preston Stone, one of the top quarterbacks in the 2021 class, accepted a scholarship to SMU over offers from Alabama, Auburn and several other Power Five programs.
SMU coach Sonny Dykes likely sees Stone and Hudson as the type of one-two punch that can help the program rise to national prominence. The Mustangs are 17-6 over the last two seasons and have become a threat near the top of the American Athletic Conference.
SMU's 2022 recruiting class is currently ranked 64th.
SMU Assistant Football Coach Jamal Powell Dies at Age 39
Apr 7, 2021
An SMU football helmet sits on the sideline before an NCAA football game against Tulsa, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jim Cowsert)
SMU assistant football coach Jamal Powell died Tuesday after being diagnosed with incurable cancer and Guillen-Barre Syndrome, per Frank Heinz of NBC DFW.
Powell died four days before his 40th birthday.
The school confirmed the news Wednesday:
We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jamal Powell.
"It’s hard to put into words how heartbroken our family is, but we are so thankful such a remarkable and unique man came into our life," head coach Sonny Dykes said in a statement. "He made everyone he met want to be better. God bless the Powell Family."
Powell spent the past three years at SMU, beginning as an offensive line coach in 2018 before becoming an offensive quality control analyst.
He had also spent time on the coaching staffs at Lamar, James Madison, West Virginia State, Centre College and Southwest Baptist University after starting as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M.
As a player, Powell was a first-team All-Conference USA selection at TCU and spent limited time in the NFL before playing in the Canadian Football League.
Powell first announced his diagnosis of Stage 4 cancer in August 2020.
SMU's Student Section Cleared Out for Not Following COVID-19 Protocols
Oct 3, 2020
Gerald J Ford Stadium is shown before the NCAA First Responder Bowl college football game between Western Michigan and Western Kentucky in Dallas, Monday, Dec. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Roger Steinman)
SMU upset No. 25 Memphis on Saturday with a dramatic 30-27 victory, but students were not able to enjoy it from the confines of the student section.
According to Sam Blum of the Dallas Morning News, police cleared the entire student section in the first half of Saturday's game after they did not follow COVID-19 protocols.
SMU guidelines require all students to be wearing masks while social distancing on the hill beyond the end zone, which allows a maximum of 1,000 students. However, Blum reported the crowd "had become very large" and the "vast majority" of students were not wearing masks.
This week's game was the fourth of the season for SMU, with last week's win against Stephen F. Austin representing the first home game at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
Director of athletics Rick Hart sent a letter indicating that security would be "significantly increased" for Saturday's game against Memphis after some spectators failed to follow protocols last week:
"Whether you attended in person or watched online, you could see that the majority of fans in the stadium behaved responsibly and were socially-distanced and masked. That said, we will be working to adjust the behavior of a small subsection of fans who did not follow our pledge to protect, which was sent to all ticketholders."
SMU squandered a 24-3 first-half lead Saturday as Memphis eventually evened the game at 27-27 heading into the fourth quarter. The Mustangs eventually pulled out the win on a Chris Naggar field goal with nine seconds left in the game.
The 4-0 squad has a week off before facing Tulane on the road on Oct. 16. SMU won't return home until the homecoming game against Cincinnati on Oct. 24.
