After turning in a standout final season at USC, wide receiver Brenden Rice, son of football icon Jerry Rice, will look to join the pros this spring after declaring for the 2024 NFL draft on Friday.
Rice, who spent the past two seasons with the Trojans, announced his decision in a farewell message to USC on X (formerly Twitter). The wideout joins the ’24 draft ranks on the heels of a senior season where he logged a career-high 45 catches, 791 yards and 12 touchdowns.
“Trojan Family. Thank you for taking me in and making me feel at home,” Rice wrote. “Through the good and bad, being a Trojan means to persevere and fight the f--- on!”
Rice’s announcement comes just days after he was invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Alabama, though it’s unclear if he’ll take the field on Feb. 3. It’s also unclear if Rice will play for USC in its Holiday Bowl showdown with Louisville on Dec. 27.
Standing at 6’4” and 210 pounds, Rice will now look to follow in his father’s footsteps at the next level following a strong end to his collegiate career. His solid 2023 season marked his the best of his four years, which began with two subpar campaigns at Colorado in 2020 and ’21.
After transferring from Colorado, Rice tallied 39 receptions, 611 yards and four touchdowns in his debut USC campaign last year. In 2023, he become a go-to target for quarterback Caleb Williams in place of the departing Jordan Addison, earning a second-team All-Pac-12 nod for the 7–5 Trojans.
