Local state champion receiver to walk on at South Carolina
Eriq Rice had a breakout season in helping AC Flora to its first football state championship.
Now Rice will be staying home to play college football, as the receiver accepted a preferred walk-on offer to play at South Carolina. The Gamecocks offered him back in December.
Rice also had offers from Stetson, Newberry, Benedict, Presbyterian and The Citadel.
“The biggest factor is the coaches feeling like I can make a difference in the program even as a walk on,” Rice said. “I am an athletic receiver that has speed with good hands.”
Being a preferred walk-on guarantees a recruit a spot on the roster but no financial assistance to start his college career. He can also enroll and participate in preseason workouts at the same time as scholarship athletes.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound receiver earned all-state honors after catching 27 passes for 672 yards and nine touchdowns this season for the Falcons. In the 4A championship game against North Myrtle Beach, Rice hauled in seven passes for 117 yards and two touchdown passes.
Rice also is a standout for the AC Flora basketball team and is averaging nine points, four rebounds and three steals a game for the Falcons, the top ranked team in Class 4A.
This story was originally published January 31, 2021 at 8:17 PM.
