Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. is one of the top five players in college football entering the 2024 college football season.
That’s according to EA Sports, which has released its top 100 player rankings for its highly anticipated Video game “College Football 25” scheduled to be released on July 19th.
Here’s what you should know about Tennessee’s ranking among the top 100 players in the soon-to-be-released video game:
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Tennessee’s highest-rated player on ‘College Football 25’
Pearce was the only Tennessee player to make the cut, earning an overall rating of 95 (out of 100). There were only three players with a higher rating: Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, LSU left tackle Will Campbell and Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II, all with 96 ratings.
The Charlotte native was a first-team SEC selection as a sophomore in 2023, finishing with 10 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. The former five-star prospect has already appeared on several American preseason lists.
Pearce is one of seven players to receive a 95 rating on the “College Football 25,” but that designates him as the fourth-best player in the game this year. He had a speed rating of 88 and an acceleration rating of 95. His strength received a rating of 88 and he received a rating of 91 in awareness. EA Sports gave him an 85 rating in jumping.
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Is Nico Iamaleava among the top 100 players?
New Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava wasn’t among the ‘College Football ’25’ top 100 players, but there was a familiar name to Volunteers fans included.
Kaidon Salter, who transferred to Liberty from Tennessee after spring practice in 2021, was considered the eighth-best quarterback in the country by EA Sports, and the best signal-caller in a Group of Five conference. Salter received a rating of 90 and was ranked 90th overall.
Georgia and Alabama led the SEC with six players ranked in the top 100 by EA Sports.
This article originally appeared in the Knoxville News Sentinel: Where Tennessee Ranks Among ‘College Football 25’ Top 100 Players
