Former Maryland star Rodney Rice commits to USC, Derik Queen reacts

The long wait is officially over. Although some within the Maryland fanbase were hoping that Rodney Rice would withdrawal his name from the portal and remain in College Park, that hope vanished on Tuesday. Instead of staying put, Rice announced his commitment to the USC Trojans.

Although USC was clearly a part of the equation as Rice was weighing all of his options, the decision to transfer out west still came as a bit of a surprise. Sharing his thoughts in the comment section of Rice's announcement, Maryland star center Derik Queen appeared to be one of those folks who were surprised.

Kevin Willard couldn’t bring either of Maryland’s top two transfers to Villanova. Instead, Rice will head out west and remain in the Big Ten.

Derik Queen reacts to the news: https://t.co/3riCEQ1Kpg pic.twitter.com/XhQqTYjK7b
— Harrison Rich (@harrisonrich_) April 22, 2025

While the loss of Rice has been expected for quite some time, it further reinforces the work that head coach Buzz Williams needs to do in the portal. After taking over for former head coach Kevin Willard, Williams is tasked with rebuilding the entire Maryland roster from the 2024-25 season. Williams hit the ground running and was able to secure several portal commitments from guys who are capable of making big contributions next season, but the work is far from over.

With all members of the 'Crab Five' now officially gone, Williams desperately needs guys who can come in and make big contributions right away - particularly at guard. As of now, Maryland's roster consists of eight transfer portal guys:

Solomon Washington, SF - Texas A&M
Pharrel Payne, C - Texas A&M
David Coit Jr, PG - Kansas
Myles Rice, CG - Indiana
Isaiah Watts, CG - Washington State
Elijah Saunders, PF - Virginia
Andre Mills, SG - Texas A&M
George Turkson Jr, PF - Texas A&M