Vols’ James Pearce making name for himself as an elite defender
Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr., (27) celebrates with teammates Bryson Easton (20) and Jaylen McCollough after a fumble recovery in the third quarter of the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against Iowa Monday January 1, 2024 at Camping World Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
ORLANDO, Fla. — After Tennessee’s victory over Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, there was no doubt about who was the top defender on the field.
The Hawkeyes’ Jay Higgins tallied a game-high, 16 tackles, and his teammate Joe Evans generated a jaw-dropping, four sacks, but the Volunteers’ James Pearce Jr., made key plays all over the field. After all, the edge rusher was explosive, disruptive and wreaked havoc on Iowa’s offensive line.
Once the smoke cleared, Pearce ended up with three tackles, including one for loss, a sack and forced a fumble. However, Pearce made the biggest play of the game when he intercepted Deacon Hill’s pass at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown.
The Charlotte native gave Tennessee (9-4) a 28-0 lead at that point, and basically put the game out of reach. Iowa (10-4) had no answers for his tenacity, and non-stop motor. Pearce clearly set the tone up front, and the Volunteers’ defensive line dictated the flow of the game.
The sophomore clearly made life hard for Hill in the pocket and was able to maneuver around the line of scrimmage with ease. His skills shouldn’t come as a surprise though, considering Pearce faced elite quarterbacks this season in Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Georgia’s Carson Beck and Missouri’s Brady Cook. Hill was just another signal-caller he had to make eat grass.
“It is always a lot of fun to get to the quarterback, but he (Hill) back there, I got a job to do, got to beat the man up front and get to the quarterback somehow,” Pearce said. “We always want to come out and dominate at a really high level no matter who we are playing, and knowing we are playing a tough defense, I guess the best defense won.”
Pearce is no stranger to penetrating backfields either. The former four-star prospect registered two sacks apiece in victories over Virginia and South Carolina. Pearce also put the quarterback to turf against Austin Peay, Texas A&M, Alabama and Missouri.
His instincts, flexibility, and low center of gravity allows him to shed blocks and make plays. That’s what Coach Josh Heupel noticed when Pearce scored the first touchdown of his career.
“Great job understanding the formation, where the bodies are at, what type of release he is getting, his ability to take his eyes, undercut the route, and athletic enough to go make a play,” Heupel said. “You might have asked why at one point in your career, but it is for that moment, and nothing looks better than seeing a big man like him run down the sidelines.”
Pearce’s stellar outing was the cherry on top to a breakout season. For his heroics he earned first-team, All-SEC honors. Coming off a campaign in which he generated 14.5 tackles for loss, and finished second in the Almighty SEC in sacks, means Pearce is going to be one of the top returning defenders in the country for 2024.
For now he’s going to enjoy sending the seniors out on top in their final game, and glad to be part of back-to-back bowl wins. Pearce is going to be the big man on campus, and feels the best is yet to come the Volunteers. So the six-foot-five, 242-pounder is looking forward to a hard-working off-season.
“Winning is always important to the future, and like it was here now today.”
