There probably isn’t another James Pearce Jr. on Tennessee’s roster. After all, the former Vol who is off to the pros was once projected as the top overall pick in the NFL Draft. While the odds of that happening again are slim, that was a testament to Pearce’s athletic ability that just isn’t on the roster this year.
Pearce’s production last year was a bit suspect, but his talent never was. Perhaps he dropped into coverage a bit too much and even had character flaws, as has been reported by NFL media, but he was always a factor in opposing offensive game plans. Pearce, no matter where he was, had to be accounted for. Now, Joshua Josephs is set to step into that all-important “Leo” role, which is a defensive end/linebacker hybrid position.
Josephs’ development will depend largely on Levorn “Chop” Harbin, who was elevated from analyst to outside linebacker coach during the offseason. The Leo position falls under his watch, which means he’ll keep his eye on Josephs, who is likely his No. 1 priority during this offseason. The Vols may not have another Pearce, but they need a consistent pass-rushing threat.
“A guy like him, he has to understand the leverage of the quarterback,” Harbin said of Josephs, who will be a senior this season. “He has to understand pass sets of the offensive line. That’s the key for him. He didn’t do as good of a job as he should have last year and something that me and the coaches have stressed and also work on during my individual periods during practice.”
Josephs had just 1 1/2 sacks last season. For comparison’s sake, Pearce had nine sacks last season in what was considered a disappointing campaign by most, given his preseason publicity. Despite the lowly sack numbers, Harbin said Josephs did, indeed, improve last season.
“It showed up with his hand placement,” Harbin said. “He got better from year one to year two with his hand placements into year three. Really, with Josh, year two, he kind of had the sophomore blues, but he got better in year three. We challenge him with pad level because people consider him undersized, but he’s really not because he does a great job with pad level.
“He’s a 240-pound kid. He’s strong, really long arms, so he’s just progressed throughout the year and just has to progress on.”
Sticking with the plan, Tennessee is trying to develop a consistent pass rusher during this offseason to replace Pearce. They’re also trying to replace leadership amongst a group that lost some serious leaders, led by former defensive tackles Omar Norman-Lott and Omari Thomas. That role is quickly being filled by Caleb Herring, who is also expected to man the Leo role.
“Next steps for Caleb is to consistently be physical,” Harbin said of the junior. “Been happy with his leadership thus far, but him continuing to be physical and take his pass rush game to another level, but he has to continue to be consistent with his physicality.”
Josephs and Herring seem to be the go-to guys at Leo, which makes one wonder where Jordan Ross is in the rotation. Ross was considered a five-star prospect and the No. 1 EDGE rusher in the nation according to On 3 and 247Sports. However, he seems to have quite a bit of ground to make up before he gets on the field for the Vols.
“Jordan Ross has to work on being physical and also pass rush,” Harbin said of the sophomore. “He didn’t get many reps last year. He has to stay healthy. He didn’t stay healthy last year. He has to do a great job of maintenance throughout the year on his body.
“He’s still a freshman in my eyes, so he’s got a lot of work with working on his get off, playing the run, being physical and just being able to also rush the passer, read the sets like I talk about all the time with the guys.”
That’s not a ringing endorsement for Ross, which is a bit troubling. Ross, more than any of his teammates, has the physical ability to become a Pearce-type player, which means he can dictate offensive schemes. Ross seems far, far away from that. For now, Ross isn’t trying to be a first-round draft pick. He’s just tying to be as good as his teammates.
“With Jordan, I’m looking for him to follow a guy like Joshua and Caleb and continue to grow with his mental aspect,” Harbin said. “That’s what I’m looking for (with) Jordan. That’s exactly what I’m looking for from him.”
It’s worth noting that Ross, unlike most of his teammates, showed up on campus last summer instead of during midterm, as most signees do nowadays. Ross hasn’t had as much time to develop as many of his fellow 2024 signees. However, that excuse doesn’t hold up any longer. The clock is ticking.
