2022 Football Roster
2
Reggie Pearson Jr.
- Position:
- Defensive Back
- Height:
- 5-11
- Weight:
- 200
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Detroit, Mich.
- High School:
- River Rouge
Bio
2022 SEASON (SENIOR)
Appeared in 12 games with 10 starts during final season as a Red Raider … one of the Red Raiders’ top tacklers with 55 stops overall (44 solo) … ranked sixth on the team in tackles and third among defensive backs … helped create three takeaways with two interceptions and a fumble recovery … added four pass breakups from his spot in the secondary as well, ranking fourth on the team … had two or more tackles in all 12 games and had five or more stops in five different contests, including four during Big 12 play … credited with playing in 714 defensive snaps by Pro Football Focus, which ranked eighth on the team … also listed with three quarterback pressures by the website … targeted 24 times in the passing game by opposing offenses with 15 of those resulting in a completion (62.5 percent) … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: combined for five tackles over the first two games of the season with three in the win over Murray State (9/3) and two versus Houston (9/10) … broke up the first of his four passes on the year against the Racers … made his second career interception versus the Cougars, returning it 11 yards to end Houston’s first drive of the fourth quarter … marked the second-straight season to record an interception versus Houston … closed non-conference play with three tackles at N.C. State (9/17) … caused two key takeaways in the Red Raiders’ overtime win over Texas (9/24) after notching five tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery … interception ended Texas’ opening drive of the second quarter, giving the Red Raiders the ball near midfield after a 25-yard return … made the key fumble recovery in overtime after Krishon Merriweather forced the ball out on Texas’ first play … followed with five tackles the next week at Kansas State (10/1) as well … posted three tackles and a pass breakup at Oklahoma State (10/8) and then four stops in the win over West Virginia (10/22) … had another pass breakup versus Baylor (10/29) to go along with five tackles … credited with four tackles against both TCU (11/5) and Kansas (11/12) and then six stops and another pass breakup in the win at Iowa State (11/19) … matched his career high with 11 tackles in his final outing as a Red Raider in the overtime win over Oklahoma (11/26) … AWARDS AND HONORS: recognized as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 26 for his performance against Texas … tabbed to the Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list prior to the season … SENIOR DECISION: elected to enter the transfer portal following the regular season and did not travel to the TaxAct Texas Bowl.
2021 SEASON (JUNIOR)
Lived up to his hard-hitting reputation during debut season as a Red Raider … appeared in 11 games with 10 starts from his spot at safety … missed two games midway through the year due to injury … ranked fifth on the team with 54 tackles (38 solo) to go along with an interception, three pass breakups and a forced fumble … was third among the defensive backs group in tackles … credited with appearing in 741 snaps defensively at a 67.4 average per game, the highest clip on the team … had at least four tackles in seven different games with one double-digit performance … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: played a key role in Texas Tech’s come-from-behind victory over Houston (9/4), making eight stops to go along with a forced fumble and an interception … picked off a Clayton Tune pass to quickly end a Houston drive after only one play in the second quarter … marked the first interception of his career dating back to his time at Wisconsin … followed with seven tackles the next week versus Stephen F. Austin (9/11), including his lone tackle for a loss on the year … closed non-conference play with one stop in the win over Florida International (9/18) … opened Big 12 play with six stops at Texas (9/25) and two at West Virginia (10/2) … proceeded to miss the TCU contest (10/9) before returning for one stop at Kansas (10/16) … totaled four tackles against Kansas State (10/23) despite suffering another injury that caused him to miss the Oklahoma game (10/30) … returned to the field against Iowa State (11/13), posting seven tackles and a career-high two pass breakups … recorded another pass breakup the next week against Oklahoma State (11/20) to go along with four stops … closed the regular season with a career-high 11 tackles, marking the second time in his career to reach double digits … had one of the biggest hits of the season in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, stuffing a Mississippi State rusher in the hole near its own goal line … was part of three tackles in the bowl victory … AWARDS AND HONORS: named an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection by the conference coaches … tabbed the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Sept. 6 following his performance versus Houston.
PRIOR TO TEXAS TECH
Played one full season at Wisconsin prior to transferring to Texas Tech for the 2021 season … spent a total of three years with the Badgers, compiling 65 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups and three forced fumbles during that span … played in a total of 18 games with 13 starts over the 2018-19 seasons … will have three years of eligibility remaining with the Red Raiders … 2020 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): sat out the entire season … 2019 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN): developed into a starter at safety in his first full season at Wisconsin, finishing with 60 tackles, including 3.5 that went for a loss … saw action in all 14 games with 13 starts that season for a Wisconsin program that won 10 games and appeared in the Rose Bowl … closed the year as Wisconsin’s fourth-leading tackler and tied for the team high in forced fumbles … led all defensive backs in tackles on the season … earned the start coming out of fall camp for the season opener against South Florida (8/30), finishing with a tackle and a forced fumble … knocked loose another fumble at Michigan (9/21) three weeks later in the Big Ten opener, which featured three tackles, including a shared stop that went for a loss … was the second forced fumble of his career against the Wolverines dating back to his true freshman debut … notched his first career pass breakup the following week versus Northwestern (9/28) … posted at least three tackles over four-consecutive games against Kent State (10/5), Michigan State (10/12), Illinois (10/19) and Ohio State (10/26) … performance versus Illinois included five tackles overall, including a career-high two that went for a loss … contributed five tackles again the next week against Ohio State … broke up a career-high three passes against the Illini as well … posted a career-high 10 tackles in a win over Nebraska (11/16) … combined for six stops over the final two weeks of the regular season with six against Purdue (11/23) and seven versus Minnesota (11/30) … came close to reaching double digits for tackles again in the Big Ten Championship rematch versus Ohio State (12/7) before finishing with nine stops … totaled four tackles in Wisconsin’s Rose Bowl appearance against Oregon (1/1) … 2018 SEASON (FRESHMAN): redshirt season … appeared in four games on the year with one start in his Badgers debut at Michigan (10/13) … recorded five tackles, including one for a loss, and a forced fumble against the Wolverines … also saw action at Northwestern (10/27), at Purdue (11/17) and in the Pinstripe Bowl versus Miami (12/27).
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended River Rouge High School in River Rouge, Michigan, just outside of Detroit … played for one of the top high school programs in the state with three regional titles and four-consecutive district crowns … helped lead team to the Michigan Division I state championship game as a sophomore … was a first team All-State honoree by the Associated Press as both a junior and senior … logged 355 tackles, 22.0 tackles for loss and 21 interceptions over his prep career … recorded 100 tackles, including 7.0 for a loss, to go along with eight interceptions and two forced fumbles as a senior … previously recognized after totaling 120 tackles, including 4.0 for a loss, and seven interceptions, nine pass breakups and three forced fumbles as a junior … made 77 tackles, 6.0 tackles for a loss, two interceptions, nine pass breakups and four forced fumbles as a sophomore … began prep career with 58 tackles, including 5.0 for a loss, to go along with four interceptions and six pass breakups as a freshman … also a member of the school’s track and field program and National Honor Society … considered a three-star prospect by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals … tabbed the No. 32 safety in the country coming out of high school by Rivals and the 10th-best player in Michigan … listed among the top-25 recruits in Michigan by 247Sports as well … chose to attend Wisconsin over offers from Arkansas, Iowa State, Syracuse and Vanderbilt among others.
PERSONAL
Reggie Pearson Jr. … son of Reginald Pearson Sr. and Nicole Pearson … one of eight siblings ... first-generation college student in his family ... earned his undergraduate degree in university studies from Texas Tech as part of the December 2022 commencement ceremonies.
Appeared in 12 games with 10 starts during final season as a Red Raider … one of the Red Raiders’ top tacklers with 55 stops overall (44 solo) … ranked sixth on the team in tackles and third among defensive backs … helped create three takeaways with two interceptions and a fumble recovery … added four pass breakups from his spot in the secondary as well, ranking fourth on the team … had two or more tackles in all 12 games and had five or more stops in five different contests, including four during Big 12 play … credited with playing in 714 defensive snaps by Pro Football Focus, which ranked eighth on the team … also listed with three quarterback pressures by the website … targeted 24 times in the passing game by opposing offenses with 15 of those resulting in a completion (62.5 percent) … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: combined for five tackles over the first two games of the season with three in the win over Murray State (9/3) and two versus Houston (9/10) … broke up the first of his four passes on the year against the Racers … made his second career interception versus the Cougars, returning it 11 yards to end Houston’s first drive of the fourth quarter … marked the second-straight season to record an interception versus Houston … closed non-conference play with three tackles at N.C. State (9/17) … caused two key takeaways in the Red Raiders’ overtime win over Texas (9/24) after notching five tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery … interception ended Texas’ opening drive of the second quarter, giving the Red Raiders the ball near midfield after a 25-yard return … made the key fumble recovery in overtime after Krishon Merriweather forced the ball out on Texas’ first play … followed with five tackles the next week at Kansas State (10/1) as well … posted three tackles and a pass breakup at Oklahoma State (10/8) and then four stops in the win over West Virginia (10/22) … had another pass breakup versus Baylor (10/29) to go along with five tackles … credited with four tackles against both TCU (11/5) and Kansas (11/12) and then six stops and another pass breakup in the win at Iowa State (11/19) … matched his career high with 11 tackles in his final outing as a Red Raider in the overtime win over Oklahoma (11/26) … AWARDS AND HONORS: recognized as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 26 for his performance against Texas … tabbed to the Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list prior to the season … SENIOR DECISION: elected to enter the transfer portal following the regular season and did not travel to the TaxAct Texas Bowl.
2021 SEASON (JUNIOR)
Lived up to his hard-hitting reputation during debut season as a Red Raider … appeared in 11 games with 10 starts from his spot at safety … missed two games midway through the year due to injury … ranked fifth on the team with 54 tackles (38 solo) to go along with an interception, three pass breakups and a forced fumble … was third among the defensive backs group in tackles … credited with appearing in 741 snaps defensively at a 67.4 average per game, the highest clip on the team … had at least four tackles in seven different games with one double-digit performance … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: played a key role in Texas Tech’s come-from-behind victory over Houston (9/4), making eight stops to go along with a forced fumble and an interception … picked off a Clayton Tune pass to quickly end a Houston drive after only one play in the second quarter … marked the first interception of his career dating back to his time at Wisconsin … followed with seven tackles the next week versus Stephen F. Austin (9/11), including his lone tackle for a loss on the year … closed non-conference play with one stop in the win over Florida International (9/18) … opened Big 12 play with six stops at Texas (9/25) and two at West Virginia (10/2) … proceeded to miss the TCU contest (10/9) before returning for one stop at Kansas (10/16) … totaled four tackles against Kansas State (10/23) despite suffering another injury that caused him to miss the Oklahoma game (10/30) … returned to the field against Iowa State (11/13), posting seven tackles and a career-high two pass breakups … recorded another pass breakup the next week against Oklahoma State (11/20) to go along with four stops … closed the regular season with a career-high 11 tackles, marking the second time in his career to reach double digits … had one of the biggest hits of the season in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, stuffing a Mississippi State rusher in the hole near its own goal line … was part of three tackles in the bowl victory … AWARDS AND HONORS: named an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection by the conference coaches … tabbed the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Sept. 6 following his performance versus Houston.
PRIOR TO TEXAS TECH
Played one full season at Wisconsin prior to transferring to Texas Tech for the 2021 season … spent a total of three years with the Badgers, compiling 65 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups and three forced fumbles during that span … played in a total of 18 games with 13 starts over the 2018-19 seasons … will have three years of eligibility remaining with the Red Raiders … 2020 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): sat out the entire season … 2019 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN): developed into a starter at safety in his first full season at Wisconsin, finishing with 60 tackles, including 3.5 that went for a loss … saw action in all 14 games with 13 starts that season for a Wisconsin program that won 10 games and appeared in the Rose Bowl … closed the year as Wisconsin’s fourth-leading tackler and tied for the team high in forced fumbles … led all defensive backs in tackles on the season … earned the start coming out of fall camp for the season opener against South Florida (8/30), finishing with a tackle and a forced fumble … knocked loose another fumble at Michigan (9/21) three weeks later in the Big Ten opener, which featured three tackles, including a shared stop that went for a loss … was the second forced fumble of his career against the Wolverines dating back to his true freshman debut … notched his first career pass breakup the following week versus Northwestern (9/28) … posted at least three tackles over four-consecutive games against Kent State (10/5), Michigan State (10/12), Illinois (10/19) and Ohio State (10/26) … performance versus Illinois included five tackles overall, including a career-high two that went for a loss … contributed five tackles again the next week against Ohio State … broke up a career-high three passes against the Illini as well … posted a career-high 10 tackles in a win over Nebraska (11/16) … combined for six stops over the final two weeks of the regular season with six against Purdue (11/23) and seven versus Minnesota (11/30) … came close to reaching double digits for tackles again in the Big Ten Championship rematch versus Ohio State (12/7) before finishing with nine stops … totaled four tackles in Wisconsin’s Rose Bowl appearance against Oregon (1/1) … 2018 SEASON (FRESHMAN): redshirt season … appeared in four games on the year with one start in his Badgers debut at Michigan (10/13) … recorded five tackles, including one for a loss, and a forced fumble against the Wolverines … also saw action at Northwestern (10/27), at Purdue (11/17) and in the Pinstripe Bowl versus Miami (12/27).
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended River Rouge High School in River Rouge, Michigan, just outside of Detroit … played for one of the top high school programs in the state with three regional titles and four-consecutive district crowns … helped lead team to the Michigan Division I state championship game as a sophomore … was a first team All-State honoree by the Associated Press as both a junior and senior … logged 355 tackles, 22.0 tackles for loss and 21 interceptions over his prep career … recorded 100 tackles, including 7.0 for a loss, to go along with eight interceptions and two forced fumbles as a senior … previously recognized after totaling 120 tackles, including 4.0 for a loss, and seven interceptions, nine pass breakups and three forced fumbles as a junior … made 77 tackles, 6.0 tackles for a loss, two interceptions, nine pass breakups and four forced fumbles as a sophomore … began prep career with 58 tackles, including 5.0 for a loss, to go along with four interceptions and six pass breakups as a freshman … also a member of the school’s track and field program and National Honor Society … considered a three-star prospect by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals … tabbed the No. 32 safety in the country coming out of high school by Rivals and the 10th-best player in Michigan … listed among the top-25 recruits in Michigan by 247Sports as well … chose to attend Wisconsin over offers from Arkansas, Iowa State, Syracuse and Vanderbilt among others.
PERSONAL
Reggie Pearson Jr. … son of Reginald Pearson Sr. and Nicole Pearson … one of eight siblings ... first-generation college student in his family ... earned his undergraduate degree in university studies from Texas Tech as part of the December 2022 commencement ceremonies.