Can unarmed strikes benefit from the Blood Hunter's Crimson Rite feature even if they do not choose the Order of the Lycan subclass?

Question

The Order of the Lycan's Hybrid Transformation feature (for the homebrew Blood Hunter class by Matt Mercer) says:

Predatory Strikes. Your unarmed strikes are considered a single weapon in regards to your crimson rite feature.

The Crimson Rite feature says:

As a bonus action, you imbue a single weapon with the elemental energy of a known rite until your next short or long rest. While active, attacks from this weapon deal an additional 1d4 rite damage of the chosen elemental type. Rite damage is considered magical. The rite damage die changes as you gain blood hunter levels, as shown in the crimson rite damage die column of the blood hunter table. Should your weapon leave your grip, the rite fades immediately. An active rite on a weapon thrown fades directly after the attack is complete.

Can unarmed strikes benefit from the Crimson Rite feature even if the blood hunter's chosen order is not Order of the Lycan?

Answer 1

No, unarmed strikes can't normally benefit from Crimson Rites

Unarmed strikes are not weapons (see the Basic Rules and the Errata) so you can't use the Crimson Rite on them.

Instead of using a weapon to make a melee weapon attack, you can use an unarmed strike: a punch, kick, head-butt, or similar forceful blow (none of which count as weapons).

Order of the Lycan provides a specific exception to that rule, and that exception wouldn't make sense were unarmed strikes weapons to begin with.