Alabama Game Week Scouting Report: Cincinnati Wide Receiver Alec Pierce

BamaCentral and NFL Draft Bible team up to profile key players Alabama will face this season, who have a chance to be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Cincinnati Athletics

There may be no player who epitomizes Cincinnati football this season better than Alec Pierce.

He's not your typical wide receiver. Physically he's probably a borderline tight end, and a couple of years ago coaches nearly moved him to the defensive side to be a linebacker or safety. 

But he wanted to be a receiver, and has thrived under the direction of Mike Brown, who joined the Cincinnati staff in 2019 as the wide receivers coach.

“In the past years I think I ran a lot of deep balls and ran them down, stuff like that,” Pierce recently told reporters in Cincinnati.  “I think I’ve been able to show a little bit more physicality, defeating press and going up and getting the ball when I’ve got a guy on me.”

Although he may not be considered physically ideal for any position (more of a tweener), Piece is known for his athleticism. The son of two college athletes who played at Northwestern, his father was a football player and his mother played volleyball. His older brother, Justin, played basketball at William and Mary and North Carolina, and his younger brother, Caden, is a high school basketball player and golfer. 

Pierce set a program skill-position record with a 675-pound deadlift and he runs a 4.45 40-yard dash. He also boasts an 11-foot broad jump and 40-inch vertical. 

Moreover, he earned his degree in mechanical engineering in December and was named a CoSIDA Academic AllAmerican First Team selection — the program's first honoree since 1997.

Lorenz Leinweber, Cory Ezring and Jordan Pun profiled Pierce for NFL Draft Bible, and all three evaluations are included: 

Alec Pierce

Jersey: No. 12
Position : Wide receiver
Height: 6-3
Weight: 213
DOB: 5/2
Draft Eligible: 2022
Hometown: Glen Ellyn, Illinois
High School: Glenbard West

Background

Pierce was a standout multi-sport athlete at Glenbard West High School. While he dedicated time to volleyball, basketball and track, Pierce was a two-way star for the football team. In 2016, he was named Illinois High School Football Coaches Association First-Team All-State Class 8A. He also received DuPage County football All-Area team and All-West Suburban Silver honors. That year, he helped lead his team to the Glenbard West IHSFCA Class 8A state semifinals. The Chicago Sun-Times listed him as one of its top ten receivers entering the 2017 season. In his senior year, Pierce built upon an already impressive career. He recorded 25 receptions for 372 yards and five touchdowns; he also posted three sacks and four interceptions and returned punts. His stellar season saw him named MVP of the West Suburban Silver Conference. What’s more, Pierce was an Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Class 8A selection. Further, he was named to the DuPage County All-Area Team, the Suburban Life All-Area team and the league’s first team. Glenbard West won the West Suburban Silver Conference Championship. 

After his final season, Pierce received a three-star rating from 247Sports Composite Rankings. The same service listed him as the 1164th-overall player nationally, the 174th-best receiver in his class and the 25th-ranked recruit from Illinois in his year. As a freshman at Cincinnati, Pierce played in 11 games. Primarily a special teamer, he recorded six tackles on the season. He practiced at linebacker before the Military Bowl against Virginia Tech. 

In 2019, Pierce broke out. He played in all 14 games and recorded 13 starts. He led the team with 652 receiving yards and 17.6 yards per catch; he was second on the team with 37 receptions and two touchdowns. A true big-play threat, Pierce made 10 plays of 20 yards or more, seven plays of 30 yards or more and two plays of 50 yards or more. He made three tackles on punt coverage. The Illinois native was named to the 2019 AAC All-Academic Team. Pierce’s playing time was limited by one knee injury and one arm injury in 2020. Through six games, he recorded 17 receptions, 315 yards and three touchdowns. His 18.5 yards per reception were first among the Bearcats; he made six catches of 20 yards or more. 

Pro

Leinweber: Lining up on the outside and in the slot, Pierce finds most of his success on vertical routes. He is tall which translates to a big catch radius, making late adjustments and hauling in off-target passes. Pierce wins in the air, displaying good ball tracking and strong hands to hang on to the ball through contact. His speed is very good, getting behind zone coverage and threatening man defenders. He attacks blindspots on vertical routes. Pierce is a sharp route runner, paying attention to detail and possessing sufficient hip sink to get into breaks at his size. Varying his speed manipulates defenders and he has good ankle flexion to make 45-degree cuts instantly, winning on corners and posts. Against zone, he manipulates space downfield. Finishes runs instead of going out of bounds.

Ezring: The 2020 Cincinnati Bearcats’ were one of the best teams in college football. Alec Pierce was arguably the program’s top pass-catcher last season. The big-framed receiver boasts notable explosiveness, lateral burst and straight-line speed. He stacks defensive backs early and forces them into a low-shoulder position on vertical patterns. In his releases, Pierce uses jab steps, head movement, body fakes and hands to keep his frame clear of contact and lull defenders into false steps. Against off coverage, Pierce closes distance before sinking his hips and making cuts off his opponents’ toes. The Cincinnati standout maintains separation after gaining a step or winning leverage. He regularly dips his shoulder to avoid physicality up his stem and before his break. At the catch point, Pierce plays to his size and is an incredibly reliable hands catcher when open or through contact. He tracks the ball seamlessly; similarly, he has the body control and outstanding catch radius to high point or adjust to errant passes. Pierce uses his large frame to shield the ball at the catch point. His overall athletic profile enables him to make big plays after the catch. The talented receiver has special teams experience in high school and college. The Illinois native can be a vertical threat as a rookie thanks to his size, speed and hands; he may develop into a well-rounded starter.

Pun: Pierce provides great straight-line speed, size and length at the receiver position. He displays good route salesmanship at the line of scrimmage, where his jab steps and head fakes give him an advantageous release. Pierce has deceptive speed with long strides and that allows him to stack defenders in man coverage and beat depth versus zones too. Pierce has sufficient ankle flexion for his size which allows him to make solid breaks on corner routes. Furthermore, he’s best versus off coverage, where he threatens cornerbacks vertically by stepping on their toes, then getting into their chest and coming back to the ball to separate without extending his arm on a push-off. At the catch point, Pierce wins due to a large catch radius and being a reliable hands catcher. He regularly extends his arms out towards the ball to ensure defenders cannot make a play.

Cons

Leinweber: Does not always play to his size which is especially apparent as a blocker where he lacks urgency, being too passive. Pierce lets defenders get their hands on him off the line and is not proactive with his own hands, failing to create separation with physicality. He does not adapt to defenders in his way over the middle, having route timing thrown off severely by it. Limitations due to his size hurt his explosiveness out of breaks. Has to make an effort to get both hands on the ball consistently.

Ezring: Although Cincinnati’s top pass-catcher has a clear projection to the next level, certain areas of his game are unproven. Pierce’s limited film against hard press coverage leaves an unknown looming over his profile. When he does go against physicality, he hesitates before contact and leaves his routes underdeveloped. As a route runner, Pierce does not play to his size. His timing is regularly disrupted by contact; likewise, physicality to his chest allows defenders the chance to recover and stay in phase. At the top of his route stem, Pierce loses speed through sharp cuts as he fails to consistently sink his hips; similarly, his balance and fluidity on hard-breaking routes are unreliable. His deceleration is slow on curl routes. What’s more, most of Pierce’s salesmanship takes place at the line of scrimmage. Moreover, the Cincinnati standout’s tendency to run into his teammates indicates he has an improper understanding of spacing in route combinations. Pierce is generally too late to employ his hands as a route runner. Additionally, the Illinois native is a disappointing blocker who plays with underwhelming effort. He takes poor angles to contact and lacks notable play strength. Pierce allows defenders to walk him back; conversely, he lacks the power and grip strength to displace his opponents. Finally, the talented receiver missed time in 2020 with knee and arm injuries.

Pun: While Pierce possesses many intriguing physical traits, he lacks nuance which has led to lackluster production so far. Pierce could have much more effective releases if he paired his hands with his effective feet and fakes. Versus press-jam, Pierce allows cornerbacks to get into his chest which delays his route and throws him off his stem. He struggles to consistently separate at the break because he is adequate at sinking his hips to explode into a horizontal cut. Furthermore, Pierce occasionally runs into teammates while running routes, displaying a lack of understanding of spacing and timing necessary for certain concepts. Lastly, Pierce’s play strength is adequate for his size as his skinny frame and below-average physical toughness lead him to be a negative blocker, especially for his size.

Summary

Leinweber: Wideout who brings prototypical size and very good speed at the position. Pierce finds success downfield, winning in the air and manipulating space to get open. He needs to play more aggressively and up to his size in all phases of the game. Pierce projects as a backup Z receiver to start his NFL career as he gets stronger. He will have to contribute on special teams. He has the traits to be a starting wideout in a vertical passing attack by his second NFL season. 

Ezring: One of the nation’s top senior wide receivers, Alec Pierce is a true vertical threat with impressive burst, speed, size and hands. Although he lacks the desired play strength to impact the game as a blocker and work through physical coverage, the Cincinnati standout can find an NFL field early in his career thanks to his athleticism and reliable skillset. In the league, Pierce projects as an immediate role player; he has high-level WR2 potential.

Pun: Pierce’s intriguing athletic traits — size, speed and catch radius will intrigue many teams and if he can improve his hand usage throughout the route, he could become a starting level receiver who is constantly a vertical threat to be aware of. For now, he is a solid backup as a fifth receiver who can have a positive impact stretching the field for others.

Grades

Current value/Potential value

Leinweber: 7.3 / 8.3

Ezring: 7.4 / 8.6

Pun: 7.4 / 8.1

BamaCentral Analysis 

Pierce leads the Bearcats with 50 receptions for 867 yards and eight touchdowns. He ranks fifth in the AAC in yards per catch (17.34) and sixth in yards per game (66.7). He was limited to just six games and 17 catches in 2020 after totaling 37 catches for 652 yards and two scores as a sophomore in 2019. Not afraid to go up and make catches, Pierce often has his biggest games when the stakes are highest. He had six catches for 144 yards against Notre Dame. He recorded 113 yards and a touchdown on five catches versus Tulsa. The first catch of his career was a 52-yard reception against UCLA in 2019 where he leaped for a deep ball over the middle of the field. Pierce has scored four touchdowns in the last three games of the year. He had a season-high eight catches for 136 yards and another touchdown against ECU, and a key 44-yard catch and a touchdown to help the Bearcats win their second-straight AAC Championship in the 35- 20 win over Houston. With Alabama potentially missing two cornerbacks, the guess here is that Cincinnati will try and go to him a lot. 

As part of the buildup to the College Football Playoff semifinal, BamaCentral will profile numerous Cincinnati players as the Crimson Tide returns to the Cotton Bowl. Also check out NFL Draft Bible for more evaluations.

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