James Pearce Jr.

Overview

Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. from Tennessee is regarded as the top edge rusher in the SEC heading into the 2024 season. He is also projected as the top edge rusher for the 2025 draft, with many viewing him as the No. 1 overall pick.

Teams and scouts are excited about Pearce’s tremendous height and length — 6-4, 242 pounds — with long arms to create space against opponents on a pass rush and in run support. Despite playing in all 13 games as a 2022 true freshman, Pearce was unable to stand out, recording only five total tackles, two TFL, and two sacks. But in 2023, he put his name on the map with 28 total tackles, 14.5 TFL, 10 sacks, one PD, one INT, one TD, and two forced fumbles in 13 games.

Although Pearce logged only three starts in 26 career games, his campaign last season was so dominant it earned him a 2023 First-Team All-SEC honor from the coaches and the Associated Press. He twice earned SEC defensive lineman of the week, against Texas A&M and South Carolina. 

Analysis

Strengths

Pearce possesses the length scouts covet at the next level. His long arms give him an edge in both phases on defense, whether long-arming an initial punch in pass pro or stacking in run support at POA to make it easier to find the ball and shed that initial block at LOS. He is an extremely twitchy athlete, has a plus first step off the ball to get the opponent on his heels, and great lower body bend/flexibility to the corner and finish around the edge at a high level. Pearce’s ability to win with speed around the edge is exceptional, and with his get-off and rip move, he makes it hard for opposing tackles to get a proper angle on him and contain the corner with their kick steps, especially tackles with muddy foot speed.

Pearce has great get-off transitions in run support and is good at getting upfield vs. both zone and gap concepts. This gets him into the backfield to disrupt a runner's initial path and makes it difficult for pullers to get down the line fast enough to cut off his angle. He also displays a positive motor and overall effort, does a good job following the play when it’s flowing away from him and consistently plays to the whistle.

With his lean frame and superior athletic ability, Pearce has versatility in coverage. He is fluid in his movements in space, turns and runs and can change direction effortlessly. Because of that, he will be able to drop in zone coverage and provide production when asked. Do not sleep on his ball skills, as he has shown he can make plays on the ball. After nabbing a pick-and-pass deflection last year, he took it to the house. Those types of plays indicate he is a special, spectacular overall athlete.

Weaknesses

Pearce’s athletic traits definitely give him a high ceiling, but he is not yet a finished product. Although he overcomes it with quickness and finesse, Pearce appears to have a lack of raw physical strength as a pass rusher. He lacks a bull rush and the ability to covert speed-power to work straight through his opponent, so he can easily get stalled out vs. stronger tackles, sometimes getting taken to the ground on stunts/twists when confronted by double teams. Overall, his technique and timing on double/counter moves are adequate, but his hands are a bit sloppy on the inside, and the timing on double moves is sometimes off a tick to really sell that first move in those situations.

In run support, Pearce sometimes struggles because of his inadequate strength and marginal ability to generate a push at POA. With his great length, he does have potential to learn how to convert leverage into improved production at LOS. Still, he could use more muscle to overcome struggles against stronger tackles and to disengage quickly when bigger opponents square him up, which is when he can get lost and taken out of play. That lack of great strength makes it difficult for him to secure tackles against bigger, more physical backs who can break his tackles, both around LOS and in space.

At about 242 pounds, Pearce possesses a thin frame for an edge rusher and will likely be a rotational player at the next level unless or until he bulks up. His difficulties holding ground in run support play a big role in why he is often subbed out on running and short-yardage/goal-line situations. To see more playing time this season and find a consistent role at the next level, adding muscle will be key to Pearce’s success going forward.

Summary

James Pearce’s impressive 2023 campaign and his natural abilities put the national spotlight directly on him. He is viewed as possibly the best edge player in the country and is projected as a top-10 pick in the 2025 draft. Pearce is an impressive athlete and overall talent, and possesses the ceiling to be a cornerstone for an NFL franchise. But this upcoming season, Pearce must show improvement in key areas to solidify himself as a true blue-chip prospect and put to rest some concerns teams may have. If he shows growth and development, Pearce may just put up even better numbers this season and make a bid to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft.

HISTORY - From College Profile

CAREER HONORS

2023 All-SEC First Team (AP, Coaches)
SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week (vs. Texas A&M, 10/14/23; vs. South Carolina, 10/2/23)

CAREER

The top returning edge rusher in the SEC and one of the best defenders in the nation who enters his third season with the program … Long, athletic with freakish explosiveness and instincts … Considered the No. 1 player in the country entering the 2024 season by On3 … Projected as a future top 10 NFL Draft pick … Coming off a sophomore season in which he got stronger as the season went on and dominated in the 2024 Citrus Bowl … Has two seasons of remaining eligibility, including 2024 … Played in 26 career games with three starts ... Owns 33 tackles (21 solo), 16.5 tackles for a loss of 87 yards, 12 sacks for a loss of 75 yards, 17 QB hurries, one interception for a touchdown, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles … According to PFF, has generated 58 QB pressures in his two previous seasons … Is the SEC’s returning statistical leader in both tackles for loss and sacks.

2023 - SOPHOMORE

Proved to be the top edge rusher in the SEC in just his second season at the college level … Earned first-team All-SEC recognition from both the Associated Press and Coaches … Played in all 13 games with three starts … Starts came vs. Iowa in the Citrus Bowl (1/1), at Mizzou (11/11) and vs. Vanderbilt (11/25) … Registered 28 tackles (18 solo), 14.5 tackles for a loss of 71 yards, 10 sacks for a loss of 59 yards, 16 QB hurries, one interception for a touchdown, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles … Tied for the SEC lead in sacks and ranked second in the league in tackles for loss … According to PFF, was the SEC’s highest graded defensive end at 90.9, which also ranked fourth in the FBS ... Owned a 21.3 percent pressure rate and 92.4 pass-rush grade, which both ranked third in the nation … Posted more than one TFL in seven games, including a combined 4.5 in the final four games of the year ... Dominated the Citrus Bowl win over No. 17 Iowa (1/1) in just his third career start … Tallied four tackles, 1.5 sacks for a loss of eight yards, one QB hurry and returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter that put the finishing touches on the victory over the Hawkeyes … Logged three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, half a sack and two QB hurries in a start in the regular season finale vs. Vanderbilt (11/25) ... Logged three tackles vs. No. 1 Georgia (11/18) ... Made his first career start (LEO) at No. 14 Missouri (11/11) and finished the game with one sack and 1.5 TFLs ... Posted one tackle, a pass breakup and a pair of QB hurries in road win at Kentucky (10/28) ... Notched his first career forced fumble with a strip sack at No. 11/8 Alabama (10/21) and finished the game with two tackles ... Extremely disruptive in Tennessee’s win over Texas A&M (10/14), finishing with three tackles, two TFLs, one sack and a career-best five QB hurries ... Earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors after a dominant performance vs. South Carolina (9/30), registering three tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks and two QB hurries ... Posted one quarterback hurry in victory over UTSA (9/23) ... Played 37 defensive snaps at Florida (9/16) and led the Vols with 2.0 tackles for loss ... Logged a 7-yard sack and a quarterback hurry in home opener vs. Austin Peay (9/9) ... Made his presence felt in the season opener vs. Virginia (9/2) with a pair of sacks in the first half, both coming on third down and forcing UVA punts ... Also added a pair of QB hurries and finished with three total tackles in win over the Cavaliers.

2022 - FRESHMAN

Played in all 13 games during his true freshman season, accumulating five tackles, two tackles for loss and a pair of sacks … Posted a sack in the 2022 home finale against Missouri (11/12) … Logged a tackle and a QB hurry on Homecoming against UT Martin (10/22) … Recorded his first career-multi-tackle game against Akron (9/17) and had a sack early in the fourth quarter … Picked up his first career tackle at No. 17 Pitt (9/10) … Made his collegiate debut against Ball State (9/1) in the 2022 season opener.

HIGH SCHOOL

A five-star defensive line prospect out of Charlotte, North Carolina … Enrolled at Tennessee in June 2022 … Rated a five-star prospect, the No. 11 player in the 2022 class and the top player from North Carolina by On3.com ... Also rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports.com and Rivals.com … The top player in the state of North Carolina and sixth-best edge rusher according to On3.com … Selected to the 2021 Carolina Bowl All-Star Game … Second-team All-State selection by HighSchoolOT.com as a junior in 2020 … Helped lead Chambers High School to four consecutive North Carolina Class 4A State Championship games, including back-to-back state titles in 2019 and 2020 … Turned heads as a senior with 14.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, nine pass breakups, three forced fumbles, two safeties and two interceptions … Chose Tennessee over 18 other offers, 13 from Power 5 schools … Coached by Glenwood Ferebee, a former player at Liberty and offensive coordinator at Howard.

PERSONAL

Full name is James Cecil Pearce Jr. … Born on Oct. 12, 2003 … Majoring in sociology … Twitter handle is @JamesPearceJr10 … Instagram handle is @tenn.jamess

2022

defensive
TFL	QB HUR	TOT	TD	PD	SACKS	SOLO
2.0	1.0	5.0	0.0	0.0	2.0	3.0