South Carolina WR Sidney Rice to enter the NFL Draft

[Nick]

South Carolina sophomore Rice leaving school for NFL
Associated Press
Updated: Jan. 7, 2007, 4:43 PM ET

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Sophomore Sidney Rice, South Carolina's career leader in touchdown receptions, is giving up his final two seasons to enter the NFL draft.

Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier confirmed through a spokesman Sunday that Rice would go pro.

Spurrier was "disappointed and wished [Rice] would've stayed around another year," spokesman Steve Fink said.

In two seasons, Rice caught 23 TDs to set the school's career mark. With 1,090 yards receiving this year, Rice became the first South Carolina wideout to break the 1,000-yard mark twice in his career. The only other 1,000-yard season in Gamecock history was by former Green Bay Packers star Sterling Sharpe.

Rice had 11 100-yard games, also a school career record.

He caught 72 passes this year and leaves sixth all-time on the school list with 142 receptions.

Underclassmen had until Jan. 15 to declare for the draft. Rice has until Jan. 20 to withdraw his name from consideration and return to school.

The more I think about this wide receiver class as juniors continue to declare, the more I'm starting to think I was wrong about this and posters like MikeB and RF16 who have advocated for first day receivers are right. This class seems to have so much talent at receiver that it may simply be too good to pass on, especially depending on what we do in free agency.

[Varg6]

Sophomores can leave for the draft now?

[rams_fan81]

He was a red shirt sophmore so he was in school for 3 years

[Drew]

im all for drafting a WR on day one this draft get a MLB in round one fill the other needs on D through FA and get a good young WR who can learn his trade off Bruce,Holt& Ellard it makes a lot of sense to me especially when you think of the likes of the eagles who let Chris Carter be traded away and have drafted high picks after high picks trying to replace him and all to no avail!

its too risky to presume we dont need to draft anyone until they hang up their helmets!

[general counsel]

if we go receiver in round one i for one will be irate. it would be very nice to have a talent like a ted ginn, but if our defense doesnt improve dramatically we are going nowhere. running a team is a balance between the present and the future. I dont see why anyone thinks that we are very far away from being a top competitive team next year. But it isnt going to happen without major help on defense. A receiver is a pick that is primarily for the future, even if we lose curtis.

I am not saying we cant look offense or even receiver somewhere in the draft, but not in round one and probably not on day one, depending on what transpires in free agency.

We are not going to live or die off our return game or the third wide receiver. we can sign mcdonald on the cheap or find a vet fill in if we lose curtis. In the cap era, you cant be strong everywhere, its a matter of allocation of resources and at this time, the defense needs to get the resources in a BIG way if we are to become contenders.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[Nick]

I am not saying we cant look offense or even receiver somewhere in the draft, but not in round one and probably not on day one, depending on what transpires in free agency.

I would definitely like to have other positions addressed before looking at WR, and if we have other spots left to fill that are important, I'd prefer to go that route as well. That being said, there's going to be a lot of talent in this class. If we can get some of these positions addressed in free agency and find that a talented receiver prospect falls on draft day simply because there's so much talent available, I'm open to looking at that as an option. It's a departure from where I was previously, because I was with you in that I didn't want to even look at receiver on Day One. But when you start to look at all the talent that could be in this class at receiver, at this point I simply wouldn't rule it out.

[Bar-bq]

We are not going to live or die off our return game...
general counsel

The bears offense does.:P

But that said, they have a great defense.