James Pearce Jr. declares for 2025 NFL Draft after 3 seasons at Tennessee
By Andrew Olson
Published:
James Pearce Jr. is going pro. Ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft deadline, Pearce made things official.
The standout Tennessee defender took to social media late Wednesday to announce that his college career was complete after 3 seasons on Rocky Top.
Pearce’s decision came as no surprise. He has long been projected as a first-round pick in the 2025 draft.
A 2024 Coaches All-SEC first-team selection, Pearce finished the regular season with an SEC-leading 52 QB pressures. He posted a total of 38 tackles, with 13 TFLs and 7.5 sacks. Pearce also collected 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery in Tennessee’s thrilling win over Florida, earning him SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week and Reese’s Senior Bowl Defensive Player of the Week.
As a sophomore, Pearce made it obvious that he would only need the required 3 seasons of college football. In 2023, Pearce earned first-team All-SEC recognition from both the AP and conference coaches. He tied for the SEC lead in sacks and ranked second in the league in tackles for loss, recording 28 tackles (18 solo), 14.5 tackles for a loss of 71 yards, 10 sacks for a loss of 59 yards, 16 QB hurries, 1 interception for a touchdown, 2 pass breakups and 2 forced fumbles. Pearce earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week twice in 2023.
In 2022, Pearce was a true freshman contributor. He logged 2 TFLs and 2 sacks, appearing in 13 games.
A Charlotte native, Pearce played for Julius L. Chambers, a 4-star prospect ranked No. 202 overall on the 247Sports Composite, Pearce signed with Tennessee over scholarship offers from 17 other programs, including Mizzou and South Carolina.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
