Duke Offers 2022 Tackle Zach Rice

Blue Devils join crowded chase for Virginia lineman

Duke continues to compete for offensive linemen early in the 2022 recruiting cycle. The Blue Devils extended a scholarship offer to Zach Rice, a 6-foot-6, 282-pound right tackle for Lynchburg, Virginia’s Liberty Chrisitan Academy. Rice is rated as a three or four-star by the recruiting services and has already put together an impressive list of more than two dozen offers.

Among the Power Five schools to reach out to Rice so far are Alabama, Florida State, Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, Arizona State, LSU, Michigan, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon and North Carolina.

Beyond Blessed to receive an offer from Duke University! 💙🤍#dukedevils pic.twitter.com/L9nrWHpV4t

— ZACH RICE (@od_zach) May 18, 2020

Duke fans might cringe at the memory, but Rice told the website Inside the U that he’s a Miami fan, because of the (alleged) eight-lateral game that beat Duke in 2015.

Rice has said that he prioritizes a stable coaching staff and the opportunity to develop for the next level as he chooses a school. He’s also looking closely at strength coaches. Location isn’t a factor, except he’d like to have his mother come to his games, which should work in Duke’s favor.

His plan is to choose a school before the start of his senior year, although the coronavirus shutdown has kept him from visiting schools so far this spring and summer.

Duke has offered a half dozen 2022 tackles already. Coach David Cutcliffe, who is still smarting over that Miami loss from five years ago, would like nothing better than to get some revenge on the Hurricanes by pulling away a top prospect who is a Canes fan because of that game.