Hollin Pierce, OT, Rutgers
Size:
Height: 6083
Weight: 341
Arm: 36”
Hand: 9 ⅞”
Accomplishments:
All-Big-Ten Second Team (2024) • All-Big-Ten Honorable Mention (2023)
“Hollin Pierce is a tantalizing prospect—a rare blend of relentless improvement and untapped potential that feels limitless.”
Strengths:
Size and length
Good demeanor and physicality
Protection upside
Promising baseline of run-blocking ability
High effort and character
Concerns:
Lumbering mover at times
Ducks head into blocks
First-step quickness
Doesn’t redirect in protection well
Hand landmarks in protection
Film Analysis:
Hollin Pearce initially signed with Rutgers as a walk-on in 2020, weighing over 400 pounds as a developmental lineman. He quickly transformed his body and became a full-time starter. During his career, Pierce started 51 games for Rutgers. I love Pierce's story; once overweight, out of shape, and just plain raw, he worked diligently at Rutgers to turn himself into one of the program's most accomplished linemen. Only playing football since his junior year of high school, the track of Hollin Pierce’s career in only the last six years is incredibly promising. Just in his last season alone, Pierce’s play improved ten-fold by the end of the season.
Pearce is a mountain of a man. At 6-foot-8, his size is both an asset and a challenge. In pass protection, his length and size are key factors in winning reps. It doesn’t take much for him to reach the chest of defenders, and once he makes contact, he can consistently run them past the pocket. However, Pearce struggles to beat defenders to their spot. He lacks the twitch or explosiveness out of his stance to contend with elite speed rushers unless he plays them on a short edge, forcing them to run by. His size often bails him out of adverse situations.
Being more diligent about throwing his hands early could go a long way in addressing some of his protection issues. While Pearce won’t be able to fully overcome his athletic limitations—his frame is still a work in progress—becoming someone who can consistently get to his spot and shoot his hands will be crucial in proving his protection abilities at the next level.
Pierce has tons of upside to his game. While he lacks some of the fluidity of most NFL tackles, his size, mass, and length are undeniable. He’s overwhelming for defenders, naturally taking away power rushes, but also finding ways to defeat shiftier rushers with his long arms and wide frame. Pierce needs to improve his recoverability and flexibility at the top of rushes, where he struggled to stay in reps when his weight distribution would become imbalanced.
In the run game, Pierce shows urgency and physicality when attacking defenders at the first level. He has a good understanding of hat placement and landmarks, relying on his angles to take him to the right place. His footwork is effective, and surprisingly refined in condensed spaces. He’s got a dominant drive phase and really tries to climb opponents with his hips to displace them. Pierce seemed to trust his mass and power more as the season went on. He still has a habit of ducking into blocks, but his contact courage with defenders is exciting.
Pierce is a phenomenally intriguing player with loads of experience but still has his best football ahead of him. Pierce will thrive in the NFL. His story in getting to this point is an indicator of how he’ll handle the pro game. If I were a team with the flexibility to redshirt him and develop his skill set, I’d take him in a heartbeat.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Winning Starter
Exposures: Akron (2024), Virginia Tech (2024), Washington (2024), Wisconsin (2024) Minnesota (2024), Maryland (2024), Illinois (2024), Michigan State (2024), Kansas State (2024)
