Why did Brenden Rice leave Colorado? USC WR's collegiate career explored

USC wide receiver Brenden Rice faced his former side, the Colorado Buffaloes, last Saturday in a Week 5 matchup.

Rice has been a fundamental part of Lincoln Riley’s Trojans side since he transferred to USC in January 2022.

Given that USC faced the Buffaloes in Week 5, many have been wondering why Rice chose to leave Colorado in the first place. Did Rice’s departure from Colorado have anything to do with Deion Sanders’ arrival?

Why did Brenden Rice leave Colorado?

Brenden Rice left Colorado to join USC because he was approached by Lincoln Riley. Riley had just been appointed as the USC Trojans football head coach at the time. His reputation as a coach who can attract young talents was part of the reason USC employed him.

Months after the transfer, Rice recounted the experience during an interview with 247Sports.

He said:

“I get a couple other calls, but as soon as you heard Lincoln call, you just had to go. Especially with like USC and its big name. You gotta come. You have to. Man, it was quick. I was shocked.”

Contrary to what many may think, Brenden Rice’s transfer from Colorado had nothing to do with the arrival of Deion Sanders at Boulder. In fact, Rice’s transfer from Colorado predates Coach Prime’s arrival by almost a year. At the time, Prime was still at Jackson State as the head coach of the Tigers football team.

Rice attended Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona, where he played multiple sports. He played football and basketball and was on the track team as a sprinter. He committed to Colorado in 2019 as a three-star recruit before enrolling in 2020.

He played in six games for the Buffaloes in 2020, starting one. He had six receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns in those six games. Rice became a starter in 2021, starting in all 11 games he played for the Buffaloes. He had 21 receptions for 299 yards and three touchdowns. In addition, he had 17 kickoff returns for 469 yards and six carries for 54 yards.

Brenden Rice entered the transfer portal on New Year's Day in 2022. Before the end of the month, he completed his transfer to USC. In a little over one season at USC, he has forged a special partnership with quarterback Caleb Williams, which has driven the Trojans’ offense.