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ACC Program Lands Former Five-Star Recruit in Major Transfer Portal Win

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By J.C. Shelton | Last updated Apr 30, 2025 5:18 PM ET

Former five-star recruit and North Carolina offensive lineman Zach Rice is off the board after signing with another ACC program.

Rice (6-foot-6, 320 pounds) was ranked as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the country and a top-20 recruit (247Sports) when coming out of Liberty Christian Academy in the class of 2022.

The Lynchburg, Virginia, native appeared in two games at North Carolina as a true freshman before ultimately taking a redshirt in 2022.

Rice played in 12 games the following season, primarily as a special teams contributor, before playing the first six games of the 2024 season.

Rice entered the transfer portal on April 16 after the Tar Heels ushered in a new era under head coach Bill Belichick, who replaced College Football Hall of Famer Mack Brown.

Syracuse extended a scholarship offer to Rice on April 22 and he went on to visit head coach Fran Brown and the Orange from Sunday through Tuesday.

And it appears that Rice and the Syracuse staff have reached an agreement, according to a report from 247Sports on Wednesday.

That marks another win for Brown and Co. in the 2025 transfer cycle after landing South Carolina transfer offensive lineman Kam Pringle on Tuesday.

Syracuse lost multiple offensive linemen to transfer, including starting center J'Onre Reed (USC), after putting together an impressive 10-3 season in Brown's first year at the helm.

Additions like Rice, who is talented although unproven, and Pringle should help protect Notre Dame transfer quarterback Steve Angeli.

The Orange will open the 2025 season against Tennessee at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Aug. 30.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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