2022 OT Zach Rice Commits to UNC

On300 offensive tackle Zach Rice of Lynchburg, VA committed to the University of North Carolina on Thursday.

The 6-foot-6 285 pounder chose the Tar Heels over Alabama, Notre Dame, Virginia, and Ohio State.

Ultimately, UNC checked every box for the 2022 offensive tackle.

“First, playing under a Hall of Fame coach, in Coach (Mack) Brown is huge for me,” Rice said. “Also, North Carolina was a place that I felt like I could be comfortable.”

The Virginia to North Carolina Connection is Strong

“There is a Virginia pride there,” Rice said. “Coach (Dre) Bly and then having George Pettaway there is going to be awesome. Man, I’m so happy I’m going to be able to block for him and Omarion Hampton. They’re so good.”

“There are just so many Virginia people,” Rice said. “Also, I grew up with Travis (Shaw) so I knew that it felt like family. Coach (Stacy) Searels, the offensive line coach, has a lot of experience so that played a role in my decision as well.”

Going Against the Best in Practice

“There’s a lot of people that I am going to line up with on the opposite side of the ball at practice,” Rice said. “Having guys like Travis Shaw, Keeshawn Silver, Jahvaree Ritzie, and others to go against in practice is going to make me so much better. I am very confident about that. Iron sharpening iron was another part of my decision too.”

Rice Plans to Enroll this Spring and Has Big Goals

“I know that their first plan is to get me there this spring and coach me up,” Rice said. “They want to prepare me to see the field pretty fast.”

“Coach has had a lot of Freshman All-Americans,” Rice said. “That is what I want to see from myself my freshman year, and I know I will be coached up to where I can achieve that.”

With the addition of Rice, who ranks as one of the top offensive linemen in the 2022 class, North Carolina now holds a Top 10 class nationally.