Payton Pierce

Payton Pierce
No. 26 – Ohio State Buckeyes
PositionLinebacker
ClassJunior
Personal information
Born (2004-12-12) December 12, 2004 (age 21)[1]
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight223 lb (101 kg)
Career information
High schoolLovejoy
(Lucas, Texas)
CollegeOhio State (2024–present)
Stats at ESPN

Payton Pierce (born December 12, 2004)[1] is an American college football linebacker for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Early life

Pierce is from Lucas, Texas.[2] He grew up competing in wrestling and football, starting the latter in third grade.[3] He first attended Allen High School before transferring to Lovejoy High School in Lucas.[4] He competed in both wrestling and football in high school and compiled a record of 30–1 as a wrestler, winning the 2022 5A state championship while competing in the 220 pounds (100 kg) weight class.[3]

Playing for Lovejoy's football team in 2021, Pierce posted 131 tackles, six sacks and five forced fumbles.[5] He missed much of the 2022 season due to injury.[6] In his senior year, 2023, he tallied 181 tackles, 40 tackles-for-loss (TFLs), eight sacks and four forced fumbles, being named the 7-5A Division II MVP and the 2023 All-Area Defensive Player of the Year by the Allen American.[6] Pierce was a finalist for the Butkus Award as the best high school linebacker nationally and was invited to the All-American Bowl.[2] He was ranked a four-star recruit, one of the top-15 linebackers nationally and a top-200 player overall in the 2024 recruiting class.[7] Pierce committed to play college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes.[8][9]

College career

As a true freshman in 2024, Pierce recorded four tackles in 14 games for the national champion Buckeyes.[2] He saw more significant playing time during the 2025 season, recording 43 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ a b @TowryB (December 12, 2020). "Happy 16th Birthday @payton_pierce26 !!" (Tweet). Retrieved January 18, 2026 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ a b c "Payton Pierce". Ohio State Buckeyes.
  3. ^ a b Gay, Colin (April 17, 2023). "How Ohio State 2024 LB commit Payton Pierce found himself on the wrestling mat". The Columbus Dispatch.
  4. ^ Davenport, Richard (September 24, 2021). "LB Payton Pierce set for Hogs-Aggies". WholeHogSports.com.
  5. ^ McFarland, Shawn (April 11, 2023). "Four-star Lovejoy linebacker Payton Pierce commits to Ohio State". The Dallas Morning News.
  6. ^ a b "Lovejoy linebacker Payton Pierce named Defensive Player of the Year on 2023 Star Local Media All-Area Football Team". Allen American. January 22, 2024.
  7. ^ Means, Stephen (April 12, 2023). "Payton Pierce, 4-star LB, commits to Ohio State football: Buckeyes Recruiting". Cleveland.com.
  8. ^ Teague Robinson, Cameron (April 11, 2023). "Payton Pierce picks Ohio State: How does 2024 4-star LB commitment impact Buckeyes?". The Athletic.
  9. ^ Gay, Colin (April 11, 2023). "2024 LB Payton Pierce's commitment is big for Jim Knowles, Ohio State. Here's why". The Columbus Dispatch.
  10. ^ "Payton Pierce College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". Sports Reference. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  11. ^ Helwagen, Steve (August 9, 2025). "Payton Pierce earning trust, moving into role as Ohio State's third linebacker". 247Sports.

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