Tennessee star defensive end James Pearce Jr. is declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft, he announced late on Wednesday just before the declaration deadline for underclassmen. Pearce emerged as one of the top edge rushers in college football over the past two seasons while helping the Volunteers take significant defensive strides.
The former four-star prospect is regarded as a projected first-round pick after earning first-team All-SEC honors in 2023 and 2024. Pearce burst onto the scene as a sophomore in 2023, beginning with a two-sack performance in the Volunteers’ season-opening win over Virginia.
He ended the 2023 campaign with 10 sacks and added 7.5 more in 2024 while regularly drawing double teams from opposing offensive lines. The Volunteers ended the 2024 season ranked No. 6 nationally in total defense. They ranked 32nd in 2023 amid Pearce’s breakout campaign after ranking 90th in 2022 when he played primarily as a freshman reserve.
One of his top highlights came as the Volunteers capped their 2023 season with a defensively dominant 35-0 Citrus Bowl victory over Iowa. Pearce dropped into coverage, intercepted a pass and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to put Tennessee ahead 28-0.
The play showcased Pearce’s versatility and boosted the hype around his talent entering the 2024 season.
Pearce’s NFL Draft stock
Pearce is the No. 5 player in the 2025 CBS Sports NFL Draft Prospect Rankings and the No. 1 EDGE ahead of Penn State’s Abdul Carter and Georgia’s Mykel Williams. He landed between Nos. 11 and 15 in the most recent series of mocks from four CBS Sports draft analysts.
“James Pearce Jr. is a juiced-up, twitchy edge rusher who can win with the bull rush or speed around the edge,” wrote analyst Ryan Wilson. “He plays with a non-stop motor and with the type of freakish athleticism that can match the Jalen Milroe-type QBs in the pocket.”
A CBS Sports summary of Pearce’s NFL bona fides highlighted that he “boasts a long, relatively sleek frame with clear potential to add serious bulk, a necessary step for his development.”
Ultimately, fending off Penn State’s Carter to become the first EDGE selected may prove difficult after Carter closed the season as the nation’s leader in tackles for loss with 21. However, Pearce figures to be the first Vols defender taken in the first round since defensive end Derek Barnett was selected No. 14 overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017.
Impact on Tennessee
Replacing Pearce’s impact will be a challenge for Tennessee; he was the best player on a defense that spurred the Volunteers into the College Football Playoff. Though he was less productive in 2024 than in 2023, his mere presence on the field drew significant attention from opponents helped clear space for teammates.
The Volunteers are expected to return defensive end Joshua Josephs, who will be a senior in 2025 after ranking second on the team in tackles for loss with nine in 2024. Josephs has 5.5 career sacks and could be in line for a greater pass-rushing role during his final season. But, more than likely, replacing Pearce will be a committee effort for Tennessee in 2025.
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