On Monday, the Army Black Knights pulled in a top tier running back or more specifically, an outstanding fullback prospect in Rivals 3-star performer, Hunter Rice.
Rice, who has logged in 6,000 career yards, is out of Daleville (VA) Lord Botetourt High School and he is ranked as the No. 29 top player in the state of Virginia.
GoBlackKnights.com had the opportunity to chat with the 5’11” 1/2 , 230 pounder’s head football coach, Jamie Harless for more insight on who Rice is as a student-athlete.
GBK: Was there an ultimate recruiting battle between Army and some other school(s) and what do you think led Hunter to say yes to Army West Point?
Harless: I think when he stepped on campus, it really opened his eyes and he spoke volumes of the young man that took him around on the tour. He was able to answer all of his questions and really give him insight as to what it’s like as a player at West Point.
Being on campus this weekend ... that’s what sealed it. To be honest with you, it wouldn’t have shocked me if he had visited earlier, it may have been over with months ago.
He visited with his dad and they were impressed with the organization, the facilities, the daily operations of the way everything was ... the entire set-up. It was a real eye-opener for both of them.
GBK: Attending West Point is unlike any other college or university ... what characteristics do you see in Hunter that you feel will make him successful not only as a ballplayer but a cadet?
Harless: I’m obviously an outsider and I don’t know what the inner workings of what West Point is like. But from what I see, I think that someone that attends there would have to be a gritty/tough person. Also to have a lot of mental toughness, the ability to not be impulsive and Hunter is very much mentally tough, a very gritty kid and he doesn’t need a lot of stimulation and I think that he has a spartan attitude. I think that he is going to do really well there. I think that it will be a good marriage with him and the institution and his future.
GBK: Speaking of ballplayer, can you talk about the type of player that the Black Knights are getting, especially offensively because he is being brought in as a B-Back (fullback) in Army’s triple-option offense.
Harless: You know you are talking about a 5’11” 1/2 , 230 pound kid that can just fly. Everybody was recruiting him as a tailback.
He has tremendous balance. He can do things that a tailback can do but has the body and strength of a fullback. I think versatility will be one of the big things. Army likes to run the dive and zone dive and I think that he will be a guy that they’ll use to get on the perimeter. He’s a speed option, load option type of player as well. He’ll be a guy that you’ll be able to pitch to, or use him on the dive, and actually if they get into some of those spreads they could use him as a tailback read-option type deal in the gun-set.
GBK: What were his offensive stats in 2019?
Harless: 1,751 yards and he only played tailback seven (7) games. Hunter broke his ankle the first game of the season. Actually, if he would have played the entire season, he definitely would have had over 3,000 yards this season.
We played in the state finals, which helped him. Five of the games that he played tailback were in the playoffs.
GBK: Do you feel that because of Hunter’s injury in 2019, that he was under-recruited and do you feel that his commitment to the Army Black Knights’ is solid?
Harless: To be honest with you, I think Army got a steal. But I also believe this ... and that Army was very much a frontrunner anyway, so whether they got a steal or not, it was a place that he was extremely interested in regardless.
We are having a season this year here in Virginia and even if Hunter blows up more, I absolutely believe his commitment to Army is solid.
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