Five-star freshman Jordan Ross knew Tennesee football was already loaded at his edge rusher position, but he also knew projected first-round draft pick James Pearce was treated the same as any other player.
That combination of top-flight talent and hard coaching sold him on UT, where he debuted in practice this week.
“They don’t go easy on anybody. They treat everybody the same, even James (Pearce),” Ross said. “If you do something wrong, you’re still going to get yelled at. I think it’s great. They treat everybody with the same respect. They’re not going to show favoritism to anybody.”
Ross faces an uphill climb to crack the rotation at Leo, what UT calls its weakside defensive end.
Pearce is a first-team All-SEC performer at that position after leading the conference with 10 sacks in 2023. He’s been projected as high as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Joshua Josephs is an experienced backup with 24 games and four sacks in his first two seasons.
Caleb Herring, a former Riverdale standout, was the No. 1 recruit in Tennessee in the 2023 class. As a sophomore, he’s expected to take a bigger role in the rotation.
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But don’t count out Ross, whose raw athleticism and 6-foot-5, 245-pound frame make him more game-ready than most 18-year-olds.
“I’m trying to play. I’m trying to play a lot,” Ross said. “ I’m trying to learn everything. I’m working on learning the plays from coaches. I’m here every single day, trying to get everything down.”
Vols stacking edge-rusher recruits like quarterbacks
Time will tell whether Ross gets snaps in meaningful situations as a freshman. But the trend he’s continued of UT attracting highly-touted pass rushers is a certainty.
Pearce and Josephs were four-star prospects that the Vols landed in the 2022 class after recruiting battles against most of the SEC. They got Herring, another four-star prospect, in similar fashion in the 2023 class.
Ross was rated even higher as the No. 1 edge rusher in 2024 class, according to 247Sports. He said UT’s development of edge rushers like Pearce and Byron Young, an NFL All-Rookie performer for the Los Angeles Rams, factored into his decision to sign with the Vols.
“I just know that I can learn from the best and learn how to play,” Ross said. “(Projected in the) first round, (Pearce) knows what he’s doing. He’s there for a reason.”
UT’s recruiting success at edge rusher is notable because coach Josh Heupel has a reputation of developing quarterbacks. And he’s stacked some good ones in the past few recruiting classes.
Redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava was a five-star quarterback. Jake Merklinger was a four-star prospect. George MacIntyre, a 2025 UT commitment, was a five-star prospect until his rating recently dropped to four stars while he deals with a hand injury.
And Faizon Brandon, arguably the No. 1 player in the 2026 class, will choose between UT, Alabama, LSU and North Carolina State. He plans to announce his commitment on Saturday.
Heupel believes elite teams must have a top-notch passer and pass rusher.
“In this league, but in general in football, if you want to be good, you’ve got to be good up front,” Heupel said. “And guys that can rush the passer and can effect the game on the first level are extremely important.”
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football: James Pearce treatment drew Jordan Ross to Vols
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