National Signing Day Profile: Lonnie Rice

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Player: Lonnie Rice
Position: Linebacker
Height/Weight: 6-0, 220 lbs
School: Lackawanna Community College
Notable Offers: Charlotte, Florida International, Georgia State, Kent State
Quote: "It's been a long time coming," Rice said of the Syracuse offer. "So when it finally happened, I already knew what I was going to do."
Evaluation: Lonnie Rice wanted to come to Syracuse since he was a high school prospect and the Orange started recruiting him. However, Syracuse did not extend an offer and he ended up at Buffalo before headed to the junior college ranks. That time out of high school has been good to Rice, who has bulked up significantly. He may only be six feet tall, but he has long arms which will be a benefit against ACC caliber competition.
On top of that, Rice played safety in high school so he brings those instincts with him to the linebacker position. He is also faster than most linebackers, which helps in coverage as well as blitzing situations. Rice is extremely athletic, reads plays well and is not afraid to play a physical style of ball.
The key for Rice to see the field in year one is learning the defense, working on block shedding and footwork. Do not be surprised if you see him on special teams.
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Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting. EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans. After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years. Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports. Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College.
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