In the fourth round, former Florida Gator running back Dameon Pierce was selected with the 107th overall pick by the Houston Texans. His selection marks the third Gator to be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Pierce, a native of Bainbridge, Georgia, arrived in Gainesville as a four-star prospect from Bainbridge High School. Standing 5-feet-11-inches, Pierce made a name for himself with his powerful running style, trucking over defenders in his path to the endzone.
His first two seasons at Florida were hindered by a lack of touches; he failed to reach 70 carries in either of those seasons. In his junior year, though, he began to find his wings.
Reaching 500 rushing yards for the first time in his career, Pierce added on 156 receiving yards and five total touchdowns in his third season at The Swamp. His junior campaign was highlighted by a 69-yard outing under the bright lights of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium against Arkansas.
Although former head coach Dan Mullen opted to work the running back group as a committee, not giving any rusher a significantly higher usage rate than the others, Pierce’s efficiency still stood out. He averaged over five yards per carry in six of Florida’s 14 games in the 2020-21 season.
In his senior year, Pierce made his presence known early on.
He recorded five touchdowns through the first three games of the season including two against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Gainesville. Pierce averaged over five yards per carry in eight of the Gators’ 13 games, including two games where he romped for over 10 yards per rush.
His final year in the orange and blue was also his most prolific, recording 574 rushing yards and 216 receiving yards. Pierce scored16 total TDs, 13 rushing and 3 receiving, in his final year, a number greater than his entire first three seasons combined.
At the NFL Combine, Pierce bench pressed for 21 reps and ran a 4.59 40-yard dash. Those numbers, combined with his resume from UF, were enough for BLANK to pull the trigger and draft him.
Pierce is the seventh running back selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. He will join Texans quarterback Davis Mills in the Houston backfield, as Pierce’s new team looks to rebuild and improve upon a 4-13 record from last season.
Contact Carson Cashion at ccashion@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @CarsonCashion
Carson Cashion is a third-year sports journalism major at UF, and the sports editor at The Alligator for the 2022 summer semester. A native of Altamonte Springs, Carson spends his free time walking his dog, Baxter, and listening to good music. He is an avid Tennessee sports fan, and eagerly awaits watching one of his teams win a championship for the first time.
