Kansas State Wildcats land running back recruit who was formerly committed to Hawaii
It will be important for Kansas State to add depth behind DJ Giddens at running back next season.
The Wildcats took a step toward doing exactly that on Thursday when they landed a promising three-star recruit at the position of need.
De Von Rice, a 5-foot-9 and 180-pound running back who played high school football at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, has committed to K-State. He was previously committed to Hawaii but flipped to Chris Klieman and the Wildcats after they got involved in his recruitment.
Rice also once held scholarship offers from BYU, Colorado, San Diego State, Texas A&M and UNLV. He only made visits to Hawaii and K-State. The Wildcats secured his services shortly before early signing day arrives next week.
He comes from a football family. His brother, Quenton, currently plays wide receiver at BYU. His father, Rodney, played defensive back at BYU from 1986-88.
Rice is best known for his speed and ability to come up with long gains on the ground whenever he gets the ball in space.
K-State will look to him to compete for playing time as a freshman behind Giddens, who rushed for 1,075 yards and nine touchdowns this season. The Wildcats recently lost Treshaun Ward and Anthony Frias to the transfer portal, leaving the Wildcats in need of reserve running backs.
This story was originally published December 14, 2023 at 12:15 PM with the headline "Kansas State Wildcats land running back recruit who was formerly committed to Hawaii."