Football | April 27, 2024
LOS ANGELES – USC wide receiver Brenden Rice was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers as the fifth pick of the seventh round (225th overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Rice is USC’s 528 all-time NFL draftee. USC is second behind Notre Dame’s 532 for most NFL Draft picks all-time.
Rice is the 20th Trojan wide receiver drafted since 2000.
He is the first Trojan picked by the Los Angeles Chargers since DL Tuli Tuipulotu was selected in the second round with the No. 54 overall pick in 2023.
As a senior in 2023, Rice had a breakout season recording 45 receptions for 791 yards (17.6 avg.) with a team-leading 12 TDs while playing in 12 games with 11 starts. He earned placement on the All-Pac-12 Second Team and finished the regular season ranked No. 7 in the nation in receiving TDs.
In his first season with the Trojans as a junior in 2022, he competed in all 14 games with 12 starts. He recorded 39 catches (fourth on the team) for 611 yards (15.7 avg) with in 4 TDs. Rice also recorded 3 kick returns for 49 yards (16.3 avg) with a long of 18 yards.
He was one of the Pac-12’s top wideouts and kick returners as a sophomore in 2021 at Colorado. Overall while starting all 11 games that he played in 2021, he had 21 receptions for 299 yards (14.2 avg), both second on the team, with 3 TDs, along with 17 kickoff returns for 469 yards (27.6 avg), both team highs, and 6 carries for 54 yards (9.0 avg). He ranked 14th nationally in kickoff returns (27.6 avg, third in Pac-12).
As a first-year freshman in 2020 while appearing in all 6 games with 1 start, he had 6 receptions for 120 yards (20.0 avg) with 2 TDs, 2 kickoff returns for 37 yards (18.5 avg) and an 81-yard punt return for a TD. He won Colorado’s Lee Willard Award on offense as the team’s top freshman. He also made the 2020 National Football Foundation Academic All-Colorado first team.
On Thursday (April 25), USC Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Caleb Williams was selected No. 1 overall by the Chicago Bears in the first round. With Williams’ No. 1 overall selection, USC now holds the record for most players (6) selected as the top pick of the NFL Draft.
On Friday (April 27), USC First Team All-American safety Calen Bullock was selected by the Houston Texans as the 14th pick of the third round (78th overall) and running back MarShawn Lloyd was selected by the Green Bay Packers as the 25thpick of the third round (88th overall).
Earlier today, offensive lineman Jarrett Kingston was selected by the San Francisco 49ers as the 39thpick of the sixth round (215th overall).