Following in the footsteps of arguably the best football player the NFL has ever seen isn’t exactly an easy thing to do. Yet, wide receiver Brenden Rice out of USC is at the doorstep of entering the league his father dominated for two decades.
If you haven’t quite gathered that Brenden’s father is San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice by now, then you need to take a quick second to learn a lot more about the talented USC WR and the rest of his evaluation as a prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft.
How Tall Is Brenden Rice?
Rice is a 6’2” receiver prospect, who falls into the 67th percentile at his position. In addition, his 33” arms (71st percentile) and 9 5/8” hands (61st percentile) all profile out as an outside X-receiver at the next level.
How Much Does Rice Weigh?
Rice once again falls into the 67th percentile among his peers at the position, weighing in at 208 pounds. He is very physical at the catch point in contested catch situations but doesn’t exactly boast elite size or strength at the position — 13 bench press reps at the NFL Combine.
How Old Is Rice?
When Brenden was born just over 22 years ago in 2002, his dad, Jerry, was still a 1,200-yard receiver for the Oakland Raiders at the age of 40. Despite playing four years in college, Rice is still the 12th youngest receiver prospect entering the 2024 NFL Draft.
What School Did Rice Go To?
Rice spent his first two years playing college football with the Colorado Buffaloes. Shortly after Lincoln Riley was named the new head coach of the Trojans, Rice entered the transfer portal and officially enrolled at USC to play his final two years of college ball.
Revisiting Rice’s College Career
Rice’s impact during his true freshman year was severely hampered by the shortened 2020 college football season due to COVID-19, but he still managed to catch six passes for 120 yards and two scores over his first six games.
Rice improved across the board the next season, doubling his receptions (21) and yards (299) while still finding the end zone three times during his final season as a member of the Buffaloes.
Rice’s production saw another jump during his first year at USC in 2022. Despite competing for targets with future first-round pick Jordan Addison, Rice still set career highs across the board with 39 receptions for 611 yards and four scores.
After Addison left for the NFL, Rice quickly became one of Caleb Williams‘ top targets in the passing game in 2023. He again set new career highs across the board with 45 receptions, 791 yards, and 12 TDs during his final collegiate season.
Rice’s Potential in the NFL
All comparisons to his father aside, Rice does possess the physical tools to be an effective outside receiver in the NFL. His contested-catch ability was evident during the earlier portions of his career, and he significantly cleaned up his drops during his final year in college.
He’s a physical receiver who regularly battles through contact at the breakpoint. He plays well to his length while flashing the ability to make sharp cuts in and out of his breaks and accelerate with good hip and shoulder discipline when snapping down.
His potential areas for improvement reside near the line of scrimmage against press coverage with some hip tightness and wasted movement with his feet.
Despite some noteworthy areas for improvement, Rice still has a very useful set of NFL-ready skills to contribute to 11-personnel looks early in his career. I believe a move to the inside as a big slot is also something he is capable of excelling at.
KEEP READING: Ian Cummings’ Scouting Report of Brendan Rice
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