2023 Season Countdown: #98 Roderick Pierce

 

Roderick Pierce III (image via Dean Reid for Shaw Media)

Name: Roderick Pierce
Height: 6’3"
Weight: 290 lbs.
High school: Oak Lawn (IL) Brother Rice
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Pierce was a senior in high school (LINK).
TTB Rating: 79

Pierce is a good prospect who happens to play a position that is very difficult to play as a true freshman. There are occasionally players like Mason Graham who fit in just fine as true freshmen, but more often, even upper tier prospects end up like Kenneth Grant. Grant was a 6'4", 335 lb. monster coming out of high school and he played very little in 2022.

Pierce is starting off smaller - which should help with adjusting to the conditioning aspect of college football - but he will probably need to add weight and strength in order to get on the field. Michigan also has a solid group of returning players, including Graham, Grant, Kris Jenkins, and Rayshaun Benny, not to mention some unproven young guys Pierce will have to battle in order to even be third- or fourth-string.

Prediction: Redshirt