The 2024 college football season presents an entirely new landscape. Texas is in the SEC. SMU is back in a power conference as ACC members. The College Football Playoff now includes 12 teams and an automatic bid for the best G5 team in the land. For most, the start of the season is in Week 1 on August 30, though SMU starts in Week 0 and TCU plays its first game on Aug. 29. 

To celebrate us making it through another off-season, we’re counting down the 50 most important players in Texas as we inch closer to kickoffs. This list isn’t necessarily about which players are the best in terms of NFL draft stock. It ranks players in order of importance to their team's success. 

NO. 49: Rice EDGE Josh Pearcy

The History: Pearcy's resume competes with his peers' at the prestigious Rice University. The sixth-year senior is a two-time team captain working on his second degree. The brains, combined with a 6-foot-2, 245-pound physique, made him a candidate for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), as senior writer Mike Craven detailed in the 2024 DCTF Magazine.

Pearcy broke out in 2020 in his first start at North Texas. In the last three seasons as an edge defender, he's finished in the team's top three for tackles for loss.

The Skillset: Pearcy's athleticism allows Rice to get creative with his responsibilities. One snap he can line up on the line of scrimmage and rush the passer, the next he can be on the second level and drop into coverage. In Rice's practices, he'll work with the linebackers during individual period and then repeat all the drills he missed on the defensive line after the workout.

The Impact: Pearcy was already an important piece to Rice's front seven, but now he's essential after defensive tackle De'Braylon Carroll transferred to Texas Tech and defensive end Coleman Coco exhausted eligibility. The pair led the team with nine tackles for loss each, while the defense as a whole lagged to 92nd in the FBS with 23 sacks. Pearcy played more off-ball in the spring period, but he'll need to wreak havoc when called upon to rush the passer. 

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