Pierce Petersohn

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-5, 195 lbs. Taller than 53% and heavier than 2% of 2026 Tight End prospects in the SEC Scouts database (116 with a listed size).

Play Style

On high school film he is a big, fluid dual-threat quarterback who beats small-school defenses with his long stride and size in the open field. He also played defense, with three interceptions as a junior. What carries over to tight end is how easily he runs, how late he tracks the ball in the air, how he adjusts his body to the throw, and a feel for spacing that comes from making reads himself. For now, expect a flexed or detached pass-catcher running seams, benders and red-zone fades, not an attached blocker.

Strengths

• Elite long speed for the position: a 48.16 400m and 22.18 200m project to a tight end who can stretch the seam and outrun linebackers, not just get past them with a clever release.
• Wins at the catch point like a basketball player: a 12.1-rebound, 6-4 high-jump athlete with a big frame and body control to high-point contested balls in the red zone.
• Understands offense from behind center: as a junior he threw for 1,470 yards with 17 TDs and 4 INTs and ran for 398 yards and 9 TDs; as a senior he threw for 1,307 yards and 13 TDs. That background should speed up how he reads coverage, sits in zone windows and adjusts routes.
• Proven competitor with upside left: the first athlete in Triton history to be conference Player of the Year in football, basketball and track. He led Triton to the Section 2-2A title as a junior, and a 4.0 GPA suggests he'll pick up a Power 4 playbook quickly.

Areas to Improve

• Blocking is almost entirely projection. As a high school QB he had essentially no in-line reps, so hand placement, pad level, and blocking at the point of attack or on the move are skills he'll learn from scratch in a college weight room.
• Adding functional mass without losing speed: he needs to get to about 240–245 pounds to hold up as a Y tight end against Power 4 edge defenders. His film also came against Class 2A Minnesota competition, so route detail against press and complex coverage still has to be proven.

College Projection

He is a developmental tight end at Virginia Tech. Franklin's Penn State offenses leaned heavily on multiple tight ends, which is a big part of why Petersohn followed him. He's in the rotation as a true freshman: he played in the opener against VMI and has 2 catches for 6 yards so far in 2026. Realistically he's a redshirt-type year-one contributor or special-teams player. If he reaches about 240 pounds he could be the No. 2 or move tight end by 2027 and a starter-caliber receiving tight end by 2028. His ceiling depends on whether blocking becomes serviceable.

NFL Outlook

He's a Day 3 prospect with Day 2 upside if the frame fills out. Size, a 48-second 400m and basketball ball skills are the testing profile NFL teams look for in move tight ends. His draft stock will depend almost entirely on adding mass and becoming at least an adequate blocker. If he stays a pure detached receiver without that growth, he projects as a priority free agent or a late-round flier.

Best Fit

A multiple-tight-end, pro-style or RPO offense that uses a flexed 'F' or move tight end and has a strong strength and development staff. Virginia Tech under Franklin fits that description, since his Penn State staffs turned under-recruited athletes into NFL tight ends. He'd be misused in a spread system with only one attached tight end that needs an in-line blocker right away.