Gaining admittance into Rice University as an undergrad is so hard that head coach Mike Bloomgren jokingly said, “To get into Rice as an undergrad you need to have cured cancer or written three children’s books by the age of 12,” when recalling his first interaction with running back Ari Broussard in 2018.
Broussard sent his film from Lusher High School in New Orleans to the Rice coaching staff ahead of a college visit. He was already admitted into Rice, and countless other universities, but he wanted to find a possible home as a walk-on football player. Broussard was an honorable mention all-state selection as a senior. He also sported a 4.2 GPA and a 33 on his ACT.