Zach Rice, North Carolina Football News: Draft Scout Player News

08/12/22 - OG Zach Rice, rSo/2027, North Carolina

Since coach Mack Brown returned to North Carolina in 2019, quarterback Sam Howell is the only freshman to start his first game as a Tar Heel. Offensive tackle Zach Rice and receiver Andre Greene will have a chance to add to that number this season. Rice leads the list of six first-year players for Carolina who could earn their way into the rotation and make an impact as freshmen. There's a common theme among those newcomers: Enrolling in January gave them a prolonged transition period and has them poised to play early. "If you just think, they've been through a semester now - three semesters of college really because you've got two in the summer and one in the spring - so they understand going to class," Brown said. "They've been through an offseason program and they've also been through a program with your strength staff, but also your nutritionist. So they've changed who they are with their bodies. And probably, most importantly, they had 15 days of spring practice with their coach. So they're so far ahead of the guys that come in and late June or early July." Rice, a 6-foot-5, 320-pound native of Lynchburg, Va., was ranked as the top offensive tackle in the Class of 2022 by 247Sports.com.

He's competing with Harvard transfer Spencer Rolland to start at right tackle. Even if he does ultimately lose that competition, he's assuredly going to be in the offensive line's rotation. Offensive line coach Jack Bicknell shaped part of his philosophy during his time in the NFL, where he usually had just seven active players so they all had to learn how to play multiple positions, and Rice has quickly taken to it. Fifth-year senior guard Ed Montilus said Rice is "naturally, pretty good." "You can move him around anywhere - guard, tackle - he just has a little bit more to learn with the technique," Montilus said. "But I think he's going to learn it pretty quick because he showed it throughout the spring that he's coming along pretty quick. I think he's doing a good job." - Raleigh News Observer

rSo/2027