Lincoln Riley explains how Brenden Rice is seizing opportunity in spring

USC wide receiver Brenden Rice started 12 of the team’s 14 games last season. But with the Trojans wealth of talent at wide receiver, Rice’s contributions could sometimes get lost in the mix.

That’s what happens when the other starting wideouts are the 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison and All-Pac 12 wideout Mario Williams.

But Rice had a breakout game in the Cotton Bowl loss to Tulane. Rice snagged six catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns, all season highs.

Head coach Lincoln Riley said he has done a good job using that game as a springboard into spring practices.

“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.”

Rice finished the 2022 season with 39 catches for 611 yards and four touchdowns. He came to USC after two years at Colorado, where he had 27 receptions for 419 yards.

Brenden Rice, other wideouts understand opportunity, Lincoln Riley says

Brenden Rice could have an even bigger role in the USC offense this year with some of the top wideouts from last season no longer on the team. Addison and Terrell Bynum declared for the NFL Draft. Gary Bryant Jr. entered the transfer portal. Kyle Ford transferred to UCLA.

With all these openings in the receiver room, there are going to be plenty of opportunities for other wide receivers to step up.

“He and a lot of our receivers sense the opportunity,” Riley said. “We lost a little bit of production obviously with Jordan and Bynum leaving and Kyle leaving, there’s obviously been some changes in that room. I think they sense the opportunity at hand and it’s still going to be very, very competitive.”