Rice made plays in all 3 phases of the game on Friday and showed how versatile and smart of a player he is. It’s not often guys can return kicks, stretch the field offensively, and then play DB on defense. He seemingly never came off the field. He also had a big kickoff return where he broke a few tackles, bounced it outside, and gave the offense great field position. He then got reps on the defensive side and added a PBU to his total for the week. Rice is just a good ball player who can do a little bit of everything and seems comfortable doing whatever’s asked of him.

Rice made an impact as a freshman on both sides of the ball and looked comfortable wherever he lined up. Offensively, he’s quick, has good hands, and shows good balance with the ball in his hands. He’s even returned kicks and already housed 1. Defensively, he stays light on his feet, gains depth well in coverage, and shows the awareness to make plays on the football. He finished with 38 tackles and 9 PBUs, impressive production for a freshman.

Zavier Rice Zavier Rice 5'11" | 150 lbs | WR/DB Bowling Green | 2029 State KY is another player from Bowling Green who stood out to me as a freshman. He played on mainly the JV/freshman teams but put together some very impressive film. Rice is a skilled receiver who uses his smooth breaks and speed in his routes to create separation. He is also dangerous after the catch, using his speed and elusiveness in the open field to turn short passes into big gains. Rice has also shown the ability to make an impact on defense as a safety and special teams as a returner. I’m excited to see how Rice’s career progresses as he earns more varsity opportunities.

Rice is the fourth and final Bowling Green Purples 2029 Wide Receiver to make my Top-15. Like his teammate Jett Reynolds Jett Reynolds 5'11" | 190 lbs | ATH/DB Bowling Green | 2029 State KY (listed above) Rice was a member of the BGJH State Championship 4x200m relay team a year ago. However, adding to that, he was also a member of the 4x100m relay team that also won a Kentucky State Championship. He’s a speedy that should provide stability to a big play group.