Jerry Rice is widely regarded by most as one of the best players in NFL history. His son, USC Trojan wide receiver Brendan Rice, will be looking to pave his own path in the NFL very shortly.
Rice began his career at Colorado in 2020 where he played the first two years of his collegiate career with limited opportunities to perform. He then transferred to USC in 2022, where he quickly found a bigger role for himself, recording 39 receptions for 611 yards and five touchdowns.
This past season was the best of his collegiate career, hauling in 45 receptions for 791 yards and a team-high 12 receiving touchdowns.
On Friday, Rice officially declared for the 2024 NFL Draft.
USC WR Brenden Rice, son of NFL legend Jerry Rice, has declared for the 2024 NFL Draft
96th ranked prospect on the PFF Big Board⚔️ pic.twitter.com/nQ6M0G1zJu
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 8, 2023
He took to social media to send a message to USC fans, thanking them for their support of him throughout his time with the program.
“Trojan family. Thank you for taking me in and making me feel at home. Through the good and bad, being a Trojan means to persevere and fight the **** on!”
https://twitter.com/BrendenRice/status/1733222541378965595
It is obviously unfair to expect Rice to be even half the player that his father was during his career. But Rice will clearly have a ton of pressure on him to succeed in the NFL based on his family lineage alone.
Only time will tell whether Rice will succeed in the NFL. At the very least, his last name should alert some NFL teams into potentially drafting him come April.
