USC Football: Former Trojans WR Receives Shocking Snap Count in NFL Debut

Valentina Martinez | Aug 11, 2024

Nov 18, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Brenden Rice (2) catches a touchdown against UCLA Bruins defensive back Jaylin Davies (24) during the second quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports / Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

USC product Brenden Rice had the most snap counts out of any receiver in the Los Angeles Chargers preseason opener versus the Seattle Seahawks.

#Chargers snap counts from yesterday pic.twitter.com/LQJX3HZJKP

— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) August 11, 2024

Although the Chargers fell short 16-3 to Seattle, the high snap count for Rice pointed to a secure spot on the roster for the former Trojan.

Rice was open several times throughout the matchup with the Seahawks, but the Chargers quarterbacks never connected with him. Despite getting no big plays on Saturday, the high snap counts are good news for the rookie.

There is an ongoing competition for the No. 4 spot of the wide receiver group. Second-year wideout Quentin Johnston has struggled as of late with dropped passes and consistency.

Johnston's lowly performance has opened a door for Rice to earn a spot in the back end of the receiver room.

Los Angeles selected the rookie in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 225th overall. The late pickup was a surprise to many, including Rice's father 49ers Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.

"My dad was hot," Rice laughed to reporters in May. "The first words he said was, 'Time to go to work.' He said, 'I will be with you every step of the way.' He said, 'Now, I'm going to be involved within all of your workouts from now on, and we have a lot of people to prove wrong, a lot of teams that go ahead.' It's going to be one hell of a story, that's all that I'm going to say."

The legendary 49er even attended the Chargers joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams to watch his son compete.

Rice has been a solid player throughout training camp and has caught the eye of Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh. The rookie was listed as one of the players to watch ahead of the preseason game with the Seahawks.

In 2023, Rice had a standout senior campaign for the Trojans, recording 45 receptions for 791 yards. Rice led USC that season with 12 touchdowns.

Brenden Rice inked his LA Chargers deal worth $4.134 million. Congrats brother!!

NFL… keep sleeping on the man that hung 12 TDs last year. ✌🏼 pic.twitter.com/59WIuKWcS2

— Nico (@USC_Nico) June 3, 2024

Rice played in 12 games for the Trojans in 2023 and started 11 of those contests. He was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team his senior year.

Additionally, Rice was ranked as the No. 7 in the nation in receiving touchdowns in his final season for the Trojans.

Rice was the first Trojan selected by the Chargers since defensive linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu. Tuipolotu was a second-round pick in the 2023 draft, 54th overall.

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