UNC Football: Zach Rice named Preseason True Freshman All-American

Big things are expected out of incoming true freshman Zach Rice, as the UNC football offensive lineman earned Preseason Freshman All-American honors.

Zach Rice is certainly a name that UNC football fans will hear a lot about over the next couple of years.

Heading into his first season as a Tar Heel, expectations are very high for the five-star rated prospect, who On3 Consensus tabbed as the No. 20 overall rated player in the Class of 2022. As we’re just a few weeks away from opening kickoff, On3 has selected Rice for a notable preseason recognition.

Rice has been named to On3’s Preseason True Freshman All-American team. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound offensive lineman is the Tar Heels’ lone representative on the list.

Here’s what Charles Power, On3’s Director of Scouting and Rankings, had to say 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."

As Power noted, Rice has been battling for a spot on the team’s starting offensive line this training camp. Working at both right tackle and right guard, there’s a solid chance that Rice will be in the mix early and often this season as the program looks to fix its offensive line woes from a season ago.

There’s been a lot of hype surrounding Rice, and rightly so. Coming in as the school’s second-highest rated recruit ever (according to 247Sports), Rice will look to be a major piece to the UNC football program’s offensive attack for years to come.

Follow us @KeepingItHeel on Twitter and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of UNC football news, updates, and recruiting.