Lynchburg (Va.) Liberty Christian class of 2022 offensive tackle Zach Rice holds 31 offers per his Rivals profile, and the massive 6-6, 305-pounder cut his list down to eight schools on Saturday afternoon.
Making the cut for the five-star prospect is Florida, LSU, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Miami, Ohio State and Virginia.
Despite not having been able to visit Notre Dame yet -- largely due to the NCAA's dead period -- the Fighting Irish are a big contender in Rice's recruitment.
Rice has built a strong relationship with Notre Dame offensive line coach Jeff Quinn. The Irish offered him May 15, and Rice speaks with Quinn on a near weekly basis.
“He’s a really honest guy, and I like his coaching style,” Rice said. “It’s definitely old school. I feel like when you look at the people he’s coached, it’s crazy. I really look up to a lot of those players.
“I love the tradition there and the movie ‘Rudy.’”
While ranked the nation’s No. 11 overall prospect and No. 3 offensive tackle in America, Rice is only going to keep working harder.
“I’ve been going against my college buddies and I feel like I’ve improved everywhere,” he said. “I’m a lot stronger too. I’m showing a lot of physicality from these camps.
“I have so much work to do, man, it’s crazy. That’s the great thing about football; you can never perfect craft.”
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