Under Josh Heupel, Tennessee football has pumped out edge rushing talent into the NFL. The first was Byron Young, who just made his first Pro Bowl, then James Pearce Jr. was a first-round selection in the most recent draft. Now, Joshua Josephs projects as a high draft pick himself.
As Pearce concludes the first season of his NFL career, he got a big-time honor for how he finished things out. The NFL named him the league’s Rookie of the Month for December and the beginning of January. Through five games in the stretch, he recorded 5.5 sacks.
Pearce finished the year with 26 tackles, 10.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. His sack mark was the most in a rookie season since superstar Micah Parsons’ rookie campaign in 2021.
5.5 sacks
5 gamesYour @NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month, @JamesPearceJr10 😤 pic.twitter.com/EgsokW04Zp
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) January 8, 2026
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Pearce played three seasons with Tennessee before declaring for the NFL draft. As a junior, he was the star of one of the best defensive lines in the entire country. He recorded 38 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hurries. He was named to the All-SEC First-Team for the season and picked by the Falcons 26th overall.
As a sophomore, Pearce was also an All-SEC First-Team member. That year, he produced 28 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 16 quarterback hurries and a pick-six against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl.
As a freshman in 2022, Pearce managed five tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks as he adjusted to college football.
Pearce was a five-star recruit out of high school, according to On3. The publication also dubbed him the No. 11 overall player in the 2022 class and the top player from the state of North Carolina. He is from Charlotte, where he played for Chambers High School.
