Bobby Merritt, a former top scout for the NFL's Houston Texans who helped as lead scout when the franchise drafted J.J. Watt No. 11 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, is departing a key personnel position on Steve Sarkisian's University of Texas staff, sources tell FootballScoop.
Per sources, Merritt has accepted the general manager position for Mike Bloomgren's Rice Owls football program.
Merritt had served two years as the assistant personnel director for Texas, where he also logged a key role in helping evaluate and scout the NCAA Transfer Portal as well as also having a role in both self-scouting and opponent evaluations.
Sarkisian's Texas-turnaround has seen the Longhorns' off-the-field staff approached for multiple positions this offseason. Just last month, Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss hired away Billy Glasscock from Texas to serve as the general manager of Ole Miss football.
In addition to his lengthy NFL run with the Texans, Merritt also served in a top personnel role in the Southeastern Conference at the University of Tennessee.
He was hired away from the Vols and into the Canadian Football League for several seasons, a period during which Merritt initially headed up scouting for the Edmonton Elks and eventually climbed to the role of the CFL franchise's No. 2 G.M.
Rice seems to have turned a corner under Bloomgren, the former Florida State player with long collegiate and NFL experience.
The Owls have made back-to-back bowl games and won six games this past season; their 11 wins in the 2022-23 campaigns match the program's entire win total from the previous four years.
Rice opens its 2024 season at home Aug. 31 against Sam Houston State.