Photo by: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics
McCaffrey Repeats as MVP
1/12/2024 9:00:00 AM | Football
Joins Billy Howton and David Houser as only wide receivers to repeat
Wide receiver Luke McCaffrey was named the winner of the George Martin Award as the MVP of the Rice Football team for the second consecutive year in voting by his teammates which was released on Friday.
McCaffrey was joined by running back Dean Connors and offensive tackle Ethan Onianwa as winners of the George R. Brown Offense Awards while Myron Morrison and high school teammates De'Braylon Carroll and Tre'shone Devones were named the winners of the Jess Neely Defense Awards. Wide receiver Landon Ransom-Goelz was named the winner of the Joe F. Lipscomb Award as the Owls' top freshman, Jonathan Jean was selected as the winner of the "Bloody" Joe Davis Award for his perseverance through injury while Christian Francisco received the James W. Glanville Award for excellence in academics, athletics and integrity.
All the winners will be recognized at halftime of the Owls annual Blue-Gray Spring Game later this year and the winner of the OJ Brigance Award will be announced at that time.
A consensus All-American Athletic Conference selection in 2023, McCaffrey led the conference and was sixth nationally with 13 touchdown receptions, and was third in the ACC in all-purpose yards per play (12.8), fourth in receptions (71) and sixth in receiving yards (993). His 13 touchdowns tied James Casey for the fourth-most in a season at Rice while his yardage total ranks fifth and his 71 receptions are seventh. In two seasons as a wide receiver, McCaffrey closed his career ranked third in touchdown receptions (19), eighth in receptions (129), and ninth in yards (1,672).
He is the ninth Owl to win the Martin Award in consecutive seasons and the third wide receiver to be honored twice. Billy Howton was the first to do so in 1950 and 1951 and David Houser matched him in 1977 and 1978.
Ransom-Goelz became the first true freshman to start for Rice in the opening game of a season when he made his debut at Texas and he led the Owls by averaging 14.6 yards per catch, second best among AAC freshmen. He finished his first season with 26 receptions for 380 yards and three touchdowns.
Connors enjoyed a breakout season, leading the Owls in rushing (771 yards), rushing touchdowns (7), and all-purpose yards (1,189) while also catching 43 passes for 403 yards and three scores. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry, the highest for a Rice running back with at least 100 carries since Quinton Smith averaged 6.4 on 140 carries for 904 yards in 2005. Onianwa started all 13 games in 2023 and was second on the team with 836 snaps.
Morrison, who along with McCaffrey were among the Owls' seven team captains this past year, earned Honorable Mention All-AAC honors while finishing second with 80 tackles and playing in a career-best 682 defensive snaps. Carroll was the Owls' highest-graded defender by PFF (80.7) while posting career-best numbers in tackles (46), TFL (9-46), sacks (3.5/26), total pressures (31), hurries (20), and quarterback hits (5). Devones put together a career year, setting career highs in games (13), starts (12), tackles (45), PBU (11), interceptions (2), and snaps (864).
Jean played in 11 games and made nine starts at safety and finished with 41 tackles, three pass breakups, three tackles for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble while playing his final six games with a cast on his left hand after coming back from surgery. His breakup of a Houston pass on a two-point conversion gave the Owls their first Bayou Bucket victory since 2010.
Francisco saw action in six games and scored a touchdown vs. Texas Southern on his first career carry while also needing only three years to graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering with a 3.96 GPA. He was named a Military Bowl STEM Scholar-Athlete for his efforts in the classroom.
McCaffrey was joined by running back Dean Connors and offensive tackle Ethan Onianwa as winners of the George R. Brown Offense Awards while Myron Morrison and high school teammates De'Braylon Carroll and Tre'shone Devones were named the winners of the Jess Neely Defense Awards. Wide receiver Landon Ransom-Goelz was named the winner of the Joe F. Lipscomb Award as the Owls' top freshman, Jonathan Jean was selected as the winner of the "Bloody" Joe Davis Award for his perseverance through injury while Christian Francisco received the James W. Glanville Award for excellence in academics, athletics and integrity.
All the winners will be recognized at halftime of the Owls annual Blue-Gray Spring Game later this year and the winner of the OJ Brigance Award will be announced at that time.
A consensus All-American Athletic Conference selection in 2023, McCaffrey led the conference and was sixth nationally with 13 touchdown receptions, and was third in the ACC in all-purpose yards per play (12.8), fourth in receptions (71) and sixth in receiving yards (993). His 13 touchdowns tied James Casey for the fourth-most in a season at Rice while his yardage total ranks fifth and his 71 receptions are seventh. In two seasons as a wide receiver, McCaffrey closed his career ranked third in touchdown receptions (19), eighth in receptions (129), and ninth in yards (1,672).
He is the ninth Owl to win the Martin Award in consecutive seasons and the third wide receiver to be honored twice. Billy Howton was the first to do so in 1950 and 1951 and David Houser matched him in 1977 and 1978.
Ransom-Goelz became the first true freshman to start for Rice in the opening game of a season when he made his debut at Texas and he led the Owls by averaging 14.6 yards per catch, second best among AAC freshmen. He finished his first season with 26 receptions for 380 yards and three touchdowns.
Connors enjoyed a breakout season, leading the Owls in rushing (771 yards), rushing touchdowns (7), and all-purpose yards (1,189) while also catching 43 passes for 403 yards and three scores. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry, the highest for a Rice running back with at least 100 carries since Quinton Smith averaged 6.4 on 140 carries for 904 yards in 2005. Onianwa started all 13 games in 2023 and was second on the team with 836 snaps.
Morrison, who along with McCaffrey were among the Owls' seven team captains this past year, earned Honorable Mention All-AAC honors while finishing second with 80 tackles and playing in a career-best 682 defensive snaps. Carroll was the Owls' highest-graded defender by PFF (80.7) while posting career-best numbers in tackles (46), TFL (9-46), sacks (3.5/26), total pressures (31), hurries (20), and quarterback hits (5). Devones put together a career year, setting career highs in games (13), starts (12), tackles (45), PBU (11), interceptions (2), and snaps (864).
Jean played in 11 games and made nine starts at safety and finished with 41 tackles, three pass breakups, three tackles for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble while playing his final six games with a cast on his left hand after coming back from surgery. His breakup of a Houston pass on a two-point conversion gave the Owls their first Bayou Bucket victory since 2010.
Francisco saw action in six games and scored a touchdown vs. Texas Southern on his first career carry while also needing only three years to graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering with a 3.96 GPA. He was named a Military Bowl STEM Scholar-Athlete for his efforts in the classroom.
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