Former Tennessee EDGE rusher James Pearce Jr. is heading to the NFL. Who can blame him?
Pearce, who announced his decision to forgo the remainder of his college eligibility on his Instagram account late Wednesday evening, was about as misused as one could possibly imagine. The Vols decided to drop him into pass coverage far too often, not line him on up on the edge of the tackle box enough to take advantage of his explosiveness and thought he should line up in a four-point stance most of the time. Why? You got me.
Pearce entered the 2024 season projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. That sounded pretty good for Tennessee at the time. Then, Tennessee’s coaches decided to overthink things and turn Pearce into a mid-first round draft pick – at best. That took some work and a serious lack of forethought.
It’s not as if Tennessee needed Pearce to be so multiple, which seemingly included dropping into coverage almost as much as a defensive back. The Vols were solid on defense in the secondary. They didn’t need Pearce to play another position out of need, as the Vols mistakenly did with former Vol Leonard Little, who played middle linebacker instead of defensive end during his senior season in 1997. That turned out to be one of the worst coaching mistakes in Tennessee history. Now, this one ranks right up there.
The 6-foot-5, 243-pound player had just 7.5 sacks last season. That’s shameful despite Tennessee’s coaches’ positive, public reviews of his play, which included some key pressures here and there. While there have been persistent rumors that Pearce didn’t have the best attitude last season due to a personal issue in the preseason, it’s up to Tennessee’s coaches to manage players’ mental mindset, not just their play on the field. With Pearce, Tennessee’s coaches failed all around.
One can’t blame Pearce for bolting to the NFL. It’s natural to wonder if Tennessee’s coaches balked at offering him more NIL money, which he surely asked for. Maybe Pearce was overrated? Maybe he had a terrible attitude? Or maybe – and most likely – the way he was utilized last season made his decision to leave UT a very easy one.
Pearce’s loss certainly won’t help the Vols recruit in North Carolina, which is one of the most important recruiting areas for Tennessee. In fact, it could be a devastating negative.
Think former New England Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick, who is now the head coach of the Tar Heels, will be quick to point out how Pearce was misused when he recruits in-state defensive linemen? No doubt. Every coach will point to how Pearce was wasted as a reason not to go to Tennessee. The Vols have certainly stoked the negative recruiting fire.
Pearce’s decision highlights a horrible beginning to the offseason for the Vols. Tennessee has arguably lost its two most talented defensive players with Pearce gone and cornerback Jermod McCoy suffering a knee injury.
Injuries happen, but losing a player just because he’s been misused is a surefire way for a team to fall apart. That should now be the main concern with Heupel’s coaching, not recruiting. The question is whether or not Heupel can hold his team together.
One Response
A true hatchet job. James Pierce Jr. goes from being the ranked 137th by On3 coming out of high school to a top 40, or higher NFL, draft pick. The team made the playoffs. The team had a 10-2 regular season record. The defense was very above average. I’ve been reading your articles for decades and this is without a doubt the worst written and most mean spirited one I’ve read.