After a summer filled with preseason accolades, Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. had a quiet start to his junior year.
The 6-foot-5, 243-pounder from Charlotte, North Carolina, played fewer than 25 combined snaps in lopsided wins over the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Kent State, but his talents have been needed and on display since Southeastern Conference play began. Against Arkansas and Florida the past two weekends, Pearce has amassed 16 of his 19 tackles for the season, as well as three of his four tackles for loss.
“The games that we play, we play as a team, no matter how many snaps I’m playing,” Pearce said following the Volunteers’ 23-17 overtime topping of the Gators last Saturday night inside Neyland Stadium. “Down the backstretch, the team is going to need me, and I’m going to have a time to show up.
“As long as I keep playing in the scheme of the defense, until it’s my time, I’ll be OK.”
Tennessee fans are hoping Pearce’s time is now and that he can follow up his top performance of the season last weekend with an even better showing when the No. 11 Vols (5-1, 2-1 SEC) host No. 7 Alabama (5-1, 2-1) on Saturday afternoon (3:30 on ABC).