A Power Five offensive line prospect whose offer list has continued to grow this spring traveled to Clemson this week for his first in-person look at the program.
Lynchburg (Va.) Liberty Christian Academy tackle Zach Rice, a class of 2022 recruit, was on campus Monday for an unofficial visit.
“I got to visit dorms, got to speak to academic evaluation people, I got to eat, I got to meet all the coaches, just got a big tour of everything, tried on uniforms,” he said.
Rice (6-5, 300) came away from the visit particularly impressed by the sincerity of offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell and the rest of Clemson’s staff.
“He (Caldwell) told me that I’m going to be a player, but he was just being honest, like you need work, everybody needs work, and that he doesn’t offer 10th graders off the bat and that he’s an old-school type of coach,” Rice said.
Rice is familiar with Clemson quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter because of Streeter’s relationship with Rice’s high school coach.
“The quarterbacks coach at Clemson, he coached at Liberty with my head coach now, Frank Rocco,” Rice said. “Frank Rocco’s son went to Richmond, and he also coached his son at Richmond.”
Tennessee, Florida State, Southern Cal and Kansas have all offered Rice since late February, joining Virginia, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Florida and Liberty on his offer list.
Rice said if he were to receive an offer from Clemson, it would be “the best” for a few different reasons including the program’s tradition, the fact the Tigers don’t offer many recruits in each cycle compared to other schools, and what he described as their “family oriented” culture.
“It’s not really all about football, but when they get on the football field it’s serious and they’re working harder than a lot of other people and no one’s getting special treatment,” Rice said. “Everybody has to work.”
Rice has also visited Virginia Tech, Florida and Liberty this year.
Thank You For The Awesome Visit and Hospitality🐅@ClemsonFB 🧡💜 pic.twitter.com/cG2ykjeK93
— ZACH RICE (@od_zach) March 9, 2020
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