Payton Pierce: 2027 NFL Draft Prospect Profile & College Stats
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Payton Pierce is a freshman LB at Ohio State from Lucas, TX. He is listed at 6'1", 232 pounds. Gridiron AI's prospect model ranks Payton Pierce No. 295 on its 2027 board (No. 40 among linebackers): a 42% chance to be drafted, 13% to go in the top 100 picks and 2% to go in the first round. His grade is driven by program & competition and production & role. At Ohio State (2024–26) he made 91 tackles (2 for loss), recorded 0.5 sacks and had 1 interception and 3 passes defended.
Team details
- School: Ohio State
- Position: LB
- Class: Freshman
- Height: 6'1"
- Weight: 232 lbs
- Hometown: Lucas, TX
- Jersey: #26
- Big board: No. 295 of 2027 (No. 40 LB)
- Projection: Draft bubble
- Chance to be drafted: 42%
- Recruiting: 4-star
What drives his prospect grade
| Factor | Effect on his grade |
|---|---|
| Program & competition | Strong plus |
| Production & role | Strong plus |
| Age & experience | Plus |
| Recruiting pedigree | Plus |
| Efficiency | Neutral |
| Size | Neutral |
College career stats
| Season | School | G | Tackles | Solo | TFL | Sacks | INT | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Ohio State | 8 | 43 | 16 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | Ohio State | 13 | 44 | 24 | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Ohio State | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2026 game log
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball State | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2 | at Texas | L | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Kent State | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Illinois | W | 6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | |
| 5 | at Iowa | W | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | Maryland | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | at Indiana | W | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 9 | at USC | L | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com