'If he's falling to the third round somebody's gonna look like a fool' – Vols insider dishes on James Pearce's character concerns
Over the last few weeks, various media outlets have reported that there are some "character concerns" for Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. Pearce, who declared for the 2025 NFL Draft following his junior season, is expected to be a first round selection later this spring, though that's now […]
Over the last few weeks, various media outlets have reported that there are some "character concerns" for Tennessee Vols edge rusher James Pearce ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Pearce, who declared for the 2025 NFL Draft following his junior season, is expected to be a first round selection later this spring, though that's now in question thanks to the "character concerns" that suddenly popped up.
The Charlotte, NC native was not included in the first round of the latest mock draft from The Athletic's Dane Brugler despite an impressive performance at the NFL scouting combine this past weekend in Indianapolis.
VolQuest's Austin Price, a longtime Tennessee insider, joined 104.5 The Zone's Ramon, Kayla, and Will on Tuesday morning and he was asked about Pearce's rumored character concerns.
Price aptly pointed out that former Vols wide receiver Jauan Jennings was a "handful" at times during his time in Knoxville. Jennings is a key player for the San Francisco 49ers and received a contract extension from the franchise last offseason.
"I think a lot of this is posturing," said Price of the rumors surrounding Pearce. "I think some teams want James Pearce to fall (in the draft). If he's falling to the third round, somebody is gonna look like a fool. James Pearce has got limitless talent. Now, was James Pearce a chore sometimes? Sure, I mean, but they all are…none of these kids are perfect.
"I thought James grew a lot. He matured a lot. James is much smarter than people realize. And again, when you go back, Jauan Jennings was a handful when he was here and he's doing just fine. Same thing with Shaun Ellis back in the 90s, or Raynoch Thompson. James Pearce, whoever drafts him, is going to get a steal — especially if they get him late in round one [or] early in round two. If he falls to the third round, that would be a travesty. Whoever's going to get him is going to get an angry, motivated kid. James Pearce is a really good football player…..he's still maturing, but James Pearce, again, I think grew a lot during his time [at Tennessee].
When these rumors about Pearce started circulating, I immediately thought about his NIL deal at Tennessee.
Despite all the hype surrounding Pearce following his breakout 2023 season, there were no cryptic tweets hinting at a transfer so he could get more money. There were no public threats. The kid just wanted to play ball. I think that says a lot about Pearce's priorities — especially in this current era of college football.
If Pearce has some maturing to do, then he's not alone. As Price mentioned during his appearance on 104.5 The Zone, that's true of a lot of college athletes. It seems that draft analysts and "experts" seem to forget that players between the ages of 18 and 22 are still in the developmental phase of their football careers.
Pearce is an elite talent who proved he can impact big games during his time at Tennessee. He'll be a huge addition to whatever team selects him in the 2025 NFL Draft.