Brenden Rice shares what stands out about San Jose State defensive backs
The USC Trojans get their season started in Week 0 against the San Jose State Spartans. That’s a game where the Trojans’ high-flying offense is going to try and quickly attack the Spartans.
Ahead of that game, USC wide receiver Brenden Rice shared what has stood out to him about the San Jose State secondary.
“Most definitely,” Brenden Rice said. “Just the way they rally to the ball. They’re a good group of collective guys and I can’t wait to play them.”
Rice came to USC as a transfer from Colorado. According to the On3 Industry Ranking, he was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2020. This will be his second season with the Trojans after he had a career year in 2022. Last season, Rice had 39 receptions for 611 yards and four touchdowns.
Part of that success is due to his relationship with quarterback Caleb Williams. It’s a relationship that Rice compared to Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.
“Just trying to battle through adversity. Make sure I don’t get too high, not too low. Stay constant. I honestly believe me and Caleb finally got on the right page. It finally stuck. Our chemistry just got better. We started hanging out more. We started talking to each other, what we wanted from each other. We’re trying to get that Ja’Marr Chase-Joe Burrow type of chemistry,” Rice said.
“It’s going to be exciting to see. … I’m loving it. I’m loving what I’ve seen. We can definitely rise, but it’s only the beginning.”
With that connection, it’s no surprise that Brenden Rice is confident. He’s so confident, in fact, that he already predicted USC to win the Pac-12 title.
Lincoln Riley on how Brenden Rice seized his opportunity this Spring
This spring, head coach Lincoln Riley praised Brenden Rice. He explained that he has seized his opportunity this offseason and said that Rice is a really good player when he’s consistent.
“Brenden’s had a good offseason,” Riley said. “A game like that can be a confidence builder but you still got to go back to work. Spring is a chance to kind of reset and really try to build on some of that momentum. I think some of the trust with our quarterbacks in him is certainly — guy goes and makes some of the plays the way that he did is a really good thing. He’s always had the ability. He’s getting more polished as a player. When he’s really consistent, he’s a really good player.”