Head coach Fran Brown and the Syracuse Orange are reportedly hosting a former five-star recruit on a transfer visit.
Under Brown’s leadership as a first-year head coach, the Orange put together a surprisingly successful campaign in 2024. The ACC program hadn’t won more than seven games since 2018 before finishing at 10-3 with a bowl win last season.
Advertisement
Syracuse’ efforts on the recruiting trail have seen an uptick since Brown’s arrival, especially via the transfer portal, where the Orange landed star quarterback Kyle McCord last year.
Brown and Co. have pulled off another promising transfer move this year in signing former Notre Dame quarterback Steve Angeli to replace NFL-bound McCord.
And Syracuse is in the hunt for another commitment to shore up the offensive line.
Syracuse Orange head coach Fran BrownRich Barnes-Imagn Images
Syracuse is hosting North Carolina transfer offensive tackle Zach Rice from Sunday through Tuesday, according to On3.
Rice (6-foot-6, 320 pounds) was ranked as five-star recruit and the No. 1 player at the position when coming out of Liberty Christian Academy in the class of 2022 (On3).
Advertisement
The Lynchburg, Virginia, native entered the portal on April 16 after three seasons as a Tar Heel. Rice’s visit to Syracuse is believed to be his first step in that respect.
Rice rarely saw the field under former UNC head coach Mack Brown. He appeared in two games as a true freshman before ultimately taking a redshirt. Rice went on to make 12 appearances, primarily on special teams, as a redshirt freshman before playing in the first six games of last season.
Syracuse lost multiple offensive linemen to the 2025 transfer cycle, including starting center J’Onre Reed (USC). An addition like Rice, although not proven, would add some depth moving forward.
Advertisement
The Orange will open the 2025 season against Tennessee at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Aug. 30.
Related: James Franklin’s Behavior Toward Fan During Penn State’s Spring Game is Turning Heads
