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ESPN Staff Writer- National recruiting analyst and analyst for ESPNU
- More than a decade of college and pro coaching experience.
- Graduated from Indiana and Nebraska-Omaha
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ESPN Analyst- Senior National Recruiting Analyst for ESPN.com
- Coached in four professional football leagues
- Graduated from Eastern Kentucky and Marshall
We updated the 2022 ESPN 300 for the final time with February's national signing day approaching.
This update focused on postseason all-star game performances in which college football recruits competed on a national platform against elite competition.
Ten players rose to the occasion and saw significant bumps in their ESPN 300 rankings, which also bodes well for the colleges they signed with. Here are 10 recruits whose stock rose:
OT Zach Rice
North Carolina
New ESPN 300 ranking: 7
Previous ESPN 300 ranking: 13
The talent among the top offensive linemen is outstanding in 2022, and we shuffled the order a few times. Ultimately, Rice is deserving of that top positional spot, given he has the best chance to make an impact as a true freshman. An Under Armour eighth-grade All-American who continued to improve and develop, he ended his high school career as a senior All-American, and there's no indication he won't continue to progress and excel in Chapel Hill. Aside from his physical gifts (a lean 6-foot-6, 285 pounds), he takes coaching well, is a great technician and has shown a serious workman-like approach to his craft. Those characteristics should help Rice take the field early and be an impact player for UNC on and off the field.