Mack Brown and his staff are welcoming in their best recruiting class over the past four years as the roster continues to be turned over from the previous regime.
One of the prized recruits from this class is five-star offensive tackle [autotag]Zach Rice[/autotag], a Virginia native that picked the Tar Heels over fellow Atlantic Coast Conference foe Virginia. Rice was a monster pickup for UNC in this class and he could be an anchor on their offensive line for years to come.
Ahead of this season, Rice is earning some praise as he landed on On3’s Preseason True Freshman All-American Team for 2022. Here is what the site said about Rice:
Zach Rice was one of the more highly-touted offensive line prospects to sign with North Carolina in recent memory. The Lynchburg (Va.) Liberty Christian Academy product has been working at both right tackle and right guard and is competing at both spots. Rice could earn a starting spot early on or could prove to be more of a rotation player. The 6-foot-5, 320-pounder was a dominant run-blocker at the high school level. He may need some time to continue refining his technique but has the ability to project as a multi-year starter, perhaps as soon as this season. Rice was a five-star and ranked as the No. 20 overall prospect in the 2022 On3 Consensus.
Rice was the lone UNC freshman to make the preseason team but he likely won’t be the only one to have an immediate impact.
With so many questions and position battles on the roster, there will be playing time for freshmen to win. And as the year goes on, they could see an increase in their playing time as well.
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