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Vanderbilt added its seventh commitment in the 2018 recruiting class on Friday morning as Miami (FL) Belen Jesuit Prep kicker Javan Rice announced via Twitter that he would be joining the Commodores.
Rice is pretty big for a kicker at 6’3” and 190 pounds. Kohl’s Kicking ranks Rice as the #9 kicker in the Class of 2018. Per 247 Sports, Rice also had offers from Army and Florida International.
Here is Rice’s junior year highlight video:
Current kicker Tommy Openshaw is graduating after the 2017 season, so Vanderbilt had a clear need for a kicker in the 2018 class. With Openshaw gone, Rice should be the clear favorite to be Vanderbilt’s starting kicker in 2018, though there may be some competition from current sophomore walk-on Ryley Guay.