Tarleton State University Athletics

Rice transfers to Tarleton State from Hutchinson Community College, where he just helped the Blue Dragons win the 2024 NJCAA Credit Union 1 Division I Football National Championship. Rice played in 11 games in Hutchinson CC’s 11-1 campaign, recording 39 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a sack, 2.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups. In the national championship game against Iowa Western Community College, a 28-23 win for the Blue Dragons, Rice had eight tackles, second-most on the team, to go with a pass breakup. One of his best games on the year came at Independence Community College, where he logged a forced fumble, a sack and four solo stops.
 
“Avian Rice is a very productive guy, and he won a national championship this past year,” Whitten said.
 
Rice started his collegiate career at Alabama A&M, where he played two years (2022-23). In his true freshman campaign, Rice totaled an interception, 27 tackles and two pass breakups in seven games. He redshirted in 2023.
 
Rice is a Fort Myers, Florida, native. He graduated from Dunbar High School in 2022, where he was an All-District student-athlete. Rice will major in sports management at Tarleton State University.