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Ranking Tennessee football’s 2022 summer enrollees by potential impact

By Caleb Calhoun

The Tennessee Volunteer waves a Power T flag during the Vol Walk ahead of a game against Pittsburgh at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021.Kns Tennessee Pittsburgh Football
The Tennessee Volunteer waves a Power T flag during the Vol Walk ahead of a game against Pittsburgh at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021.Kns Tennessee Pittsburgh Football /
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Sep 22, 2018; Knoxville, TN, USA; Checkerboard end zone at Neyland Stadium before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Florida Gators. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 22, 2018; Knoxville, TN, USA; Checkerboard end zone at Neyland Stadium before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Florida Gators. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /

Freshman. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Edge rusher. 839. James Pearce. 7

Another edge rusher, James Pearce comes with a bit more size, so he could provide depth there for Tennessee football this year.

Another edge rusher in the system, all the fundamentals for Tennessee football at the position that applied to Joshua Josephs applied to James Pearce. Even when it comes to ratings, Pearce, who hails from Charlotte, N.C., is almost exactly the same, as he was a four-star on Rivals and On3 and a three-star on 247Sports and ESPN.

What puts Pearce so much higher on the list, then? Well, it’s his size. Pearce stands in the range of 6’4″ and 6’5″ and weighs 220 pounds, so he’s perfectly positioned to make an impact in the rotation earlier, and that has to count for something.

In fact, Pearce’s existence meant more competition for Josephs, which helped to push Josephs down the list. Given his frame, he would have been a perfect fit as a weakside edge rusher in Jeremy Pruitt’s system, but he should still work out for the Vols early on.

The graduate of Julius L. Chambers High School in North Carolina’s Mecklenburg County isn’t going to beat out Byron Young, Tyler Baron or Roman Harrison this year. However, an injury could put him in that rotation, and it’s a safe bet he’ll get in there before Josephs, so he’s in the middle of the pack in terms of who will make an immediate impact.

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