USC lands Colorado WR transfer Brenden Rice, son of Jerry Rice

USC continues to remake its wide receiver corps through the transfer portal, landing Colorado transfer Brenden Rice on Tuesday.

Rice, who is the son of NFL legend Jerry Rice, had 27 catches for 419 yards and 5 touchdowns over two seasons with the Buffaloes, including 21 for 299 yards and 3 TDs this past season.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound receiver was a four-star top-200 prospect in the 2020 class out of Chandler, Ariz.

Rice, who visited USC two weekends ago, joins a group of USC receivers that also includes Washington transfer Terrell Bynum and Oklahoma transfer Mario Williams, along with four-star Rivals100 signee CJ Williams as newcomers.

Star wideout Drake London is leaving for the NFL, former five-star Bru McCoy transferred out after a lost 2021 season in which he was suspended and his future with the program uncertain, and Joseph Manjack transferred to Houston after one season with the program.

USC's top returning wide receivers are Tahj Washington (54 catches for 602 yards and 1 TD), Gary Bryant Jr. (44-579-7) and Kyle Ford (19-252-2). Beyond them, USC also returns 2021 freshman Michael Jackson III (12 catches for 116 yards), veteran John Jackson III (3-16), 2021 freshman Kyron Ware-Hudson (2-4) and speedy Texas transfer Jake Smith, who missed his first season at USC with a foot injury, at wide receiver, and tight ends Malcolm Epps (10-173-1 TD), Lake McRee (7-91) and Jude Wolfe (8-56).

With a new offense and new coaching staff coming in, the depth chart should get a fresh reevaluation with plenty of opportunity to be earned.

Rice had two 100-yard receiving games this season, with 3 catches for 111 yards and 1 TD vs. Arizona, and 5 catches for 102 yards and 1 TD vs. Oregon, while playing for a Colorado team that ranked 126th out of 130 FBS teams in passing offense due to limitations at the quarterback position.

Rice will now get a fresh chance in wide-open passing offense to show what he can do.