Auburn football rumors: Tigers extend offer to No. 1 OL in class of ’22

The Auburn football program is the latest of many to extend an offer to Zach Rice, the number one offensive tackle in the country.

Rice tweeted out news of his offer on January 28, adding a photo of former Auburn Tiger Cam Newton holding the 2010 National Championship trophy:

The potential 2022 recruit is out of Lynchburg, VA and played high school football at Liberty Christian Academy. The top two schools listed on his recruiting page on 247Sports are the University of Alabama and the University of North Carolina.

Charles Power, national writer for 247sports, evaluated Rice in July of 2020 and noted that although his high school does not compete against the toughest of teams, Rice still fit in with the top prospects in camps:

"Works at right tackle for his high school and is well ahead of the curve as a player, often dominating the competition. Shows heavy hands and a strong punch on contact in addition to his ability to redirect and anchor within his pass set. Plays with a high level of physicality and works to finish blocks."

The Prototyp shared a prospect spotlight on Zach Rice via Twitter:

Auburn football has been in the mix for top recruits, such as Gunner Stockton, but the recruiting luck has not changed so far in 2021. With Darren Uscher now in tow, perhaps things can change.

Bryan Harsin has a chance to change the reputation of the Tigers as a mid-level SEC program in 2021. If AU can pick up a win over Texas A&M, Georgia or Alabama this year, perhaps top recruits will once again see the Plains as a viable option to catapult their careers to NFL heights.