2021 Football Roster
Roster
Pierre, Jesiah

Jersey Number 16
Jesiah Pierre
- Position:
- Linebacker
- Height:
- 6-2
- Weight:
- 230
- Class:
- Sophomore
- Hometown:
- Mount Dora, Fla.
- High School:
- Mount Dora Christian Academy
Bio
2022 SEASON (JUNIOR)
Emerged as one of Texas Tech’s top defensive standouts as a junior … appeared in all 13 games with 10 starts at outside linebacker … recorded 40 tackles (24 solo), including 7.0 for a loss and 4.5 sacks … had one pass breakup, a forced fumble and three quarterback hurries … his entire tackle for loss and sack totals came during Big 12 play … notched at least one tackle in 11 of 13 games and had multiple stops in 10 of those contests … was eighth on the team in total tackles and second in the outside linebackers room, trailing only Tyree Wilson … was fourth overall for tackles for loss and third for sacks on the team … credited with appearing in 622 defensive snaps by Pro Football Focus, which led the outside linebackers room … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: limited to five tackles over the first four games of the season, all in non-conference play with three against Murray State (9/3) and two at N.C. State (9/17) … made his first tackle in league play with one stop at Kansas State (10/1) … notched his first sack of the season at Oklahoma State (10/8) as part of five tackles … sack came on a 3rd-and-6 pass attempt midway through the third quarter that forced an Oklahoma State punt … followed with two tackles and a pass breakup in the win over West Virginia (10/22) and then five stops in back-to-back games against Baylor (10/29) and at TCU (11/5) … the TCU performance might have been his best of the season, featuring a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss as well as 1.5 sacks … shared a sack with Tyree Wilson that led to a punt in the second quarter and then had one of his own just before halftime … credited with an assisted tackle for loss on two running plays in the second half as well … set a new career high with seven tackles in the win over Kansas, which included another career mark with 2.0 sacks … final of his two sacks helped the Red Raiders seal the victory over the Jayhawks as he had a strip sack of Kansas quarterback that was recovered by Jaylon Hutchings and returned inside the 10 yard line … strip sack was followed by a Tahj Brooks touchdown run three plays later to give the Red Raiders a 15-point lead with just over three minutes to play … was the first forced fumble of his career and the most timely sack to that point in his Red Raider tenure … came close to matching his career high total for tackles at Iowa State (11/19), finishing one shy with six … had 1.5 tackles for a loss and a quarterback hurry in the win over the Cyclones, all at crucial times … first TFL of the game as well as the quarterback hurry came in the first quarter, leading to punts on both drives … quarterback hurry came on a 3rd-and-6 play from the Red Raiders’ side of the field … again came up with key second-half play on Iowa State’s second drive of the third quarter, stopping the Cyclones for no yards on third down before delivering a key three-yard loss on a 4th-and-1 play from the Red Raiders’ own two yard line … closed the season with two tackles in both the regular-season finale against Oklahoma (11/26) and in the TaxAct Texas Bowl win over Ole Miss (12/28) … forced a key punt on 3rd-and-18 against the Rebels with his quarterback hurry midway through the third quarter … AWARDS AND HONORS: first team Academic All-Big 12 honoree for his work in the classroom.
2021 SEASON (SOPHOMORE)
Showed his potential as a top linebacker in his debut season as a Red Raider … appeared in 11 games overall with three starts, all of which came during Big 12 play … finished with 27 tackles overall (15 solo), easily the most in his young career … combined for 1.0 tackle for a loss after two assisted stops behind the line of scrimmage … bulk of tackles came over the front half of the season after recording 21 in the first six games … missed two games late in the season due to injury … credited with appearing in 239 snaps defensively and 93 on special teams … member of the kickoff return unit and also saw time as part of the kickoff coverage and field goal block units … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: opened his Red Raider career by making five tackles, including one assisted stop that went for a loss, in the come-from-behind victory over Houston (9/4) … combined for six stops over the two remaining non-conference games with two against Stephen F. Austin (9/11) and four versus Florida International (9/18) … opened Big 12 play with two tackles at Texas (9/25) and three at West Virginia (10/2) … put together his best performance of the season against TCU, setting a career high with six tackles, included an assisted tackle for loss … the TCU game was the second of three-consecutive starts at linebacker, which covered the West Virginia and Kansas wins (10/16) as well … notched two tackles at Oklahoma (10/30) and then his final three of the year versus Oklahoma State (11/20) … injury forced him out of Texas Tech’s final two wins of the year against Iowa State (11/13) and then Mississippi State (12/28) in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
PRIOR TO TEXAS TECH
Joined the Red Raiders following two seasons at the University of Florida … will have four years of eligibility remaining with the Red Raiders … appeared in 13 games over his time in Gainesville, totaling eight tackles during that span … all his tackles came during his 2020 redshirt freshman season. 2020 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN): made a career-high four tackles in the win at Vanderbilt, which included a shared takedown for a four-yard loss … also had tackles at Missouri and Tennessee and two against Kentucky. 2019 SEASON (FRESHMAN): redshirted the 2019 season after playing in two games as a true freshman … made appearances against both UT-Martin and Towson … tabbed to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Mount Dora Christian Academy in Mount Dora, Fla. … played on both sides of the ball during prep career … named Defensive Player of the Year by the Leesburg Daily Commercial following both his junior and senior seasons … compiled 131 tackles and 4.5 sacks in his freshman and sophomore seasons alone … helped lead school to the 2018 Sunshine State Athletic Conference semifinal game and the quarterfinal round in 2017 … also a member of the school’s track and field program where he was a two-time state champion in the discus as a sophomore and junior … consensus three-star prospect by the likes of ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … was the No. 40 outside linebacker in his class according to Rivals … listed as the No. 64 outside linebacker in the country and the No. 94 player in Florida by 247Sports coming out of high school … ranked as the No. 2 player in the Orlando Sentinel’s Super60 of Central Florida athletes … chose to attend Florida over offers from Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Ole Miss and others.
PERSONAL
Jesiah Pierre ... son of Jean-Richard Pierre and Marie Piard ... father attended Oakwood University and is now a pastor and works in auto sales ... mother graduated from Florida International and works in health care ... one of seven siblings in his family ... older brothers, Jeremiah and Jasper, both played football collegiately at the junior college and NAIA levels ... earned bachelor's degree in university studies from Texas Tech, December 2022 ... currently seeking an essentials of business certificate.
Emerged as one of Texas Tech’s top defensive standouts as a junior … appeared in all 13 games with 10 starts at outside linebacker … recorded 40 tackles (24 solo), including 7.0 for a loss and 4.5 sacks … had one pass breakup, a forced fumble and three quarterback hurries … his entire tackle for loss and sack totals came during Big 12 play … notched at least one tackle in 11 of 13 games and had multiple stops in 10 of those contests … was eighth on the team in total tackles and second in the outside linebackers room, trailing only Tyree Wilson … was fourth overall for tackles for loss and third for sacks on the team … credited with appearing in 622 defensive snaps by Pro Football Focus, which led the outside linebackers room … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: limited to five tackles over the first four games of the season, all in non-conference play with three against Murray State (9/3) and two at N.C. State (9/17) … made his first tackle in league play with one stop at Kansas State (10/1) … notched his first sack of the season at Oklahoma State (10/8) as part of five tackles … sack came on a 3rd-and-6 pass attempt midway through the third quarter that forced an Oklahoma State punt … followed with two tackles and a pass breakup in the win over West Virginia (10/22) and then five stops in back-to-back games against Baylor (10/29) and at TCU (11/5) … the TCU performance might have been his best of the season, featuring a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss as well as 1.5 sacks … shared a sack with Tyree Wilson that led to a punt in the second quarter and then had one of his own just before halftime … credited with an assisted tackle for loss on two running plays in the second half as well … set a new career high with seven tackles in the win over Kansas, which included another career mark with 2.0 sacks … final of his two sacks helped the Red Raiders seal the victory over the Jayhawks as he had a strip sack of Kansas quarterback that was recovered by Jaylon Hutchings and returned inside the 10 yard line … strip sack was followed by a Tahj Brooks touchdown run three plays later to give the Red Raiders a 15-point lead with just over three minutes to play … was the first forced fumble of his career and the most timely sack to that point in his Red Raider tenure … came close to matching his career high total for tackles at Iowa State (11/19), finishing one shy with six … had 1.5 tackles for a loss and a quarterback hurry in the win over the Cyclones, all at crucial times … first TFL of the game as well as the quarterback hurry came in the first quarter, leading to punts on both drives … quarterback hurry came on a 3rd-and-6 play from the Red Raiders’ side of the field … again came up with key second-half play on Iowa State’s second drive of the third quarter, stopping the Cyclones for no yards on third down before delivering a key three-yard loss on a 4th-and-1 play from the Red Raiders’ own two yard line … closed the season with two tackles in both the regular-season finale against Oklahoma (11/26) and in the TaxAct Texas Bowl win over Ole Miss (12/28) … forced a key punt on 3rd-and-18 against the Rebels with his quarterback hurry midway through the third quarter … AWARDS AND HONORS: first team Academic All-Big 12 honoree for his work in the classroom.
2021 SEASON (SOPHOMORE)
Showed his potential as a top linebacker in his debut season as a Red Raider … appeared in 11 games overall with three starts, all of which came during Big 12 play … finished with 27 tackles overall (15 solo), easily the most in his young career … combined for 1.0 tackle for a loss after two assisted stops behind the line of scrimmage … bulk of tackles came over the front half of the season after recording 21 in the first six games … missed two games late in the season due to injury … credited with appearing in 239 snaps defensively and 93 on special teams … member of the kickoff return unit and also saw time as part of the kickoff coverage and field goal block units … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: opened his Red Raider career by making five tackles, including one assisted stop that went for a loss, in the come-from-behind victory over Houston (9/4) … combined for six stops over the two remaining non-conference games with two against Stephen F. Austin (9/11) and four versus Florida International (9/18) … opened Big 12 play with two tackles at Texas (9/25) and three at West Virginia (10/2) … put together his best performance of the season against TCU, setting a career high with six tackles, included an assisted tackle for loss … the TCU game was the second of three-consecutive starts at linebacker, which covered the West Virginia and Kansas wins (10/16) as well … notched two tackles at Oklahoma (10/30) and then his final three of the year versus Oklahoma State (11/20) … injury forced him out of Texas Tech’s final two wins of the year against Iowa State (11/13) and then Mississippi State (12/28) in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
PRIOR TO TEXAS TECH
Joined the Red Raiders following two seasons at the University of Florida … will have four years of eligibility remaining with the Red Raiders … appeared in 13 games over his time in Gainesville, totaling eight tackles during that span … all his tackles came during his 2020 redshirt freshman season. 2020 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN): made a career-high four tackles in the win at Vanderbilt, which included a shared takedown for a four-yard loss … also had tackles at Missouri and Tennessee and two against Kentucky. 2019 SEASON (FRESHMAN): redshirted the 2019 season after playing in two games as a true freshman … made appearances against both UT-Martin and Towson … tabbed to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Mount Dora Christian Academy in Mount Dora, Fla. … played on both sides of the ball during prep career … named Defensive Player of the Year by the Leesburg Daily Commercial following both his junior and senior seasons … compiled 131 tackles and 4.5 sacks in his freshman and sophomore seasons alone … helped lead school to the 2018 Sunshine State Athletic Conference semifinal game and the quarterfinal round in 2017 … also a member of the school’s track and field program where he was a two-time state champion in the discus as a sophomore and junior … consensus three-star prospect by the likes of ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … was the No. 40 outside linebacker in his class according to Rivals … listed as the No. 64 outside linebacker in the country and the No. 94 player in Florida by 247Sports coming out of high school … ranked as the No. 2 player in the Orlando Sentinel’s Super60 of Central Florida athletes … chose to attend Florida over offers from Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Ole Miss and others.
PERSONAL
Jesiah Pierre ... son of Jean-Richard Pierre and Marie Piard ... father attended Oakwood University and is now a pastor and works in auto sales ... mother graduated from Florida International and works in health care ... one of seven siblings in his family ... older brothers, Jeremiah and Jasper, both played football collegiately at the junior college and NAIA levels ... earned bachelor's degree in university studies from Texas Tech, December 2022 ... currently seeking an essentials of business certificate.
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Tuesday, September 02
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