Behind enemy lines: Rice

Here’s this week’s installment of behind enemy lines with Rice beat writer Jeffrey Martin of the Houston Chronicle.

Brandon Chatmon: Who is the top player on the team?

Jeffrey Martin: Because I haven’t seen too much of this team, all I can base my evaluation on is what I’ve witnessed. I’d go with sophomore safety Travis Bradshaw, who isn’t anything flashy but he’s a sure tackler and he’s solid every Saturday. Right now, that’s a victory.

BC: Who do you expect to win this quarterback competition?

JM: I thought sophomore Nick Fanuzzi was the odds-on favorite, but there’s something about how the team responds to senior J.T. Shepherd. I’ll go with J.T. although Nick is the better thrower.

BC: How are the Oklahoma natives on the Rice team progressing for example Turner Petersen, Kevin Gaddis, Tanner Shuck, etc??

JM: Petersen looks like a redshirt candidate. Gaddis returned a punt against Texas Tech. Shuck started against Tech and recorded five tackles.

BC: What is the strongest unit on the team?

JM: I’d go with the wide receivers, who are talented but with the offense out of synch – the quarterback situation and the offensive line is young and inexperienced – they haven’t been able to show what they can do.