Rice finds a mobile QB to lead its option attack, by way of Miami (FL) and UCF.
In 2025 under first-year head coach Scott Abell, the Rice Owls installed a new shotgun-based option offense, dubbed as the “Rice gun choice.”
The Rice gun choice may have found its conductor for 2026 season, as the Owls landed UCF quarterback Jacurri Brown in the transfer portal — a mobile quarterback willing to operate Rice’s unique offensive scheme.
Brown spent two seasons at UCF, staying in Orlando during the transition between Gus Malzahn and Scott Frost. After impressing as a backup in the 2024 Cincinnati game with 207 passing yards and 84 rushing yards, Brown earned two subsequent starts, taking on a 9th-ranked Iowa State and 11th-ranked BYU in back-to-back weeks. Against Iowa State, the quarterback nearly guided a road upset with his mobility, posting 154 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the Cyclones, despite an 8-of-20, 62-yard showing as a passer.
Brown, one of seven different UCF quarterbacks to start in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, did not earn any first-string reps this past season. He briefly participated in three September contests, making his last appearance in Week 5 vs. Kansas State.
Prior to his 2-year stint in Orlando, the former 4-star quarterback played at Miami (FL) where he earned three starts. In 2022, he tested his mettle as QB1 against Georgia Tech and Clemson, leading the Hurricanes to a 35-14 victory over the Yellow Jackets behind a 136-yard, 3-touchdown passing explosion complemented with 87 rushing yards. Brown earned his third and final start with The U in the 2023 Pinstripe Bowl vs. Rutgers, where he finished 20-of-31 with 181 yards as a passer, while posting 57 yards and two touchdowns as a runner.
Overall, Brown enters Rice with 906 passing yards on a 57.4 completion rate, delivering six touchdowns and nine interceptions. His rushing stats include 821 yards and eight touchdowns on a 6.0 average. Brown’s ground-oriented style fits accordingly with a Rice offense which ranked fourth in fewest passing attempts and third in rushing attempts in the FBS this season. He will replace the Owls’ portal-bound quarterbacks Chase Jenkins and Drew Devillier as the new potential starter on South Main, looking to capitalize in his final year of eligibility.
Category: General Sports
