Signed: Payton Pierce Had One of the Best Seasons in the Country from Any High School Linebacker and Could Be an Impact Player for Ohio State

Four-star Texas prospect Payton Pierce had a monster senior season at Lovejoy High School (Lucas, Texas) and was named a Butkus Award finalist for his efforts. 

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Pierce registered 181 tackles, 40 tackles for loss, eight sacks, four forced fumbles, four pass breakups and two blocked kicks while also scoring 11 total touchdowns on offense in 14 games for Lovejoy, though Clemson commit Sammy Brown eventually won the award.

“It was awesome,” Pierce told Eleven Warriors of being a finalist for the award. “You dream about being a Butkus finalist and award winner. I grew up paying attention to it every year to see who gets it because the guy who gets it always becomes a great NFL player. It’s an honor and it shows that working hard can get you far. I’m super grateful for it and now the goal is to get it in college now.”

Definition of football player!! Always around the ball!! https://t.co/f7qPcUFKZH

— Mark Pantoni (@markpantoni) December 20, 2023  

But Ohio State saw the potential in Pierce long before he tacked on an impressive senior season to his resume and signed his National Letter of Intent Wednesday. 

Pierce was offered by OSU defensive coordinator Jim Knowles in January after a standout junior season, which was a game-changer in his recruitment. 

“I was pretty excited,” Pierce said of picking up the offer. “I've always kind of wanted an offer from Ohio State. They hadn't offered me yet in coach Knowles’ first year and then a couple of weeks before James Laurinaitis got there, coach Knowles offered me and came down to my school and watched me wrestle. I was all super excited to get the offer. It's pretty exciting because they're the biggest brand in college football and everyone knows who Ohio State is and what they're known for.”

Two months later, Pierce arrived on campus for an unofficial visit to Ohio State to watch a spring practice. Shortly after the trip, Pierce knew where he wanted to play his college ball. Plus, it didn't hurt that the scarlet and gray uniforms OSU dons are very similar to his threads at Lovejoy High School. 

While he made up his mind in March, he publicly committed to the Buckeyes on April 11.

"I think just the type of players that they have on the team and just how competitive the environment is, it just really fits me the way that they're coached, the way they practice and the way their defense is ran," Pierce said of why he committed to the Buckeyes. "I just really think it fits me better than all the other schools I've been recruited to. The environment is one I want to be in, you're with a bunch of guys that want to be the best, have the standard of being the best and are going to college to be the best. I want to be a part of it and lead those guys in my class. I also have great relationships with the coaches, I feel like they not only can make me the best player I can be but also the best person." 

Per 247Sports' composite rankings, Pierce is the 203rd-ranked player and the 16th-rated linebacker in the 2024 class. 

Pierce was the second defensive commitment in OSU's 2024 class, joining fellow linebacker Garrett Stover. Unfortunately for Pierce, he suffered a significant ankle injury in his final prep game, which could cause him to be out for the entire spring. But Pierce is determined to soak up everything he can from his experience of enrolling early in Columbus, rehab his ankle and dive into learning Ohio State's defensive scheme so he's ready when his first on-field test comes.

“I’m going to go in there and go compete right when I get back,” Pierce said. “Cody (Simon) is a great guy to learn from. I hit it off with him on my official visit, I really like him a lot. He’ll be good to learn from and having all these guys in the room makes me a better linebacker. When I get back, I’ll be ready to compete with them.”