USC Football: Brenden Rice is Carving His Own Path in 2023
With a loaded arsenal of offensive weapons, it can be hard to hog targets as a part of the Trojan receiving corps.
Nine or more receivers have been targeted in each of the Trojans' four games so far this season, and only four USC receivers (Zachariah Branch, Mario Williams, Tahj Washington, and Brenden Rice) have acquired ten or more receptions.
When one of the many talented receivers does get a chance to show off what they can do with the ball, it's essential to make the most of that opportunity.
Brenden Rice knows this. The son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice has turned 12 receptions into 257 yards and five touchdowns, an example of how efficient the Trojan offense can be.
Seven of his 12 receptions came in the Trojans' 42-28 win over Arizona State. The Trojans had their toughest battle, and despite winning comfortably, their offense looked shaky — if you can call a five-touchdown performance shaky.
Rice was a solid option last season, with 39 receptions for 611 yards and four touchdowns, but lacked the explosiveness he seems to have adopted this season. In the Trojans' 46-45 loss to Tulane in the Cotton Bowl, Rice finally had the dominant performance fans had been waiting for, putting up 174 yards and two touchdowns on just six catches.
Rice said he has been locked in on his craft as he continues his senior season.
“I’ve been practicing consistently,” Rice said. “I’ve been making sure everything that’s going on outside aligns with the goals inside. If you have a lot of stuff going on outside of the game of football, it’s going to show up in the game.”
(Via Antonio Morales, The Athletic)
Rice will continue to be a mainstay of the Trojan offense as Williams looks to lead another Heisman campaign. Given the scoring abilities of Washington and Oregon, USC will need multiple receivers to step up in big moments to have a chance at their first Pac-12 title since 2017.
