Holy Angels has produced some major D1 talent in the past, will Pierce follow this path?
Brett Pierce, a 6-foot-5, 255-pound lineman from Academy of Holy Angels, is one of the state’s top frontline players. He helped lead the Stars to an 8-2 mark this season, losing to South St. Paul 50-20 in the section 3AAAA second round playoffs. GopherHole.com caught up with Pierce for an update on his recruitment.
Pierce attended the Minnesota Golden Gopher Junior Day, but unfortunately, was not able to attend many camps this summer, due to an injury. He attended the Gopher game versus North Dakota State in September.
“I got hurt in the summer at the Wisconsin camp with my shoulder, so I wasn’t able to go to many camps this summer. I did attend the Iowa State camp towards the end of the summer, which was no pads.”
GopherHole.com caught up with Pierce for an update on his recruitment.
GH: How pleased were you with your team’s play this year?
Pierce: I am very impressed with how the season went. A lot of improvement from both the defense and offense.
GH: You have offers from Wyoming, South Dakota and North Dakota. What other schools are you hearing from?
Pierce: Michigan, Michigan State, Western Michigan, West Point, NDSU, all the Dakotas, Ball State and Syracuse.
GH: What are you hearing from the Gophers?
Pierce: I sent them my game films, so they are in process of evaluating that. We’ll see what happens after that. Hopefully, I’ll get an offer. I just sent them my transcripts. They have only one defensive line spot left.
GH: Have they talked to you about a preferred walk-on spot, if there is not a scholarship available? Is that something that would interest you?
Pierce: No, probably not. Wyoming wants me to play early. I’ve done some research on the coach and I have a good relationship with the coaches.
GH: You have played goalie in the past, which is unusual for a player your size. Does that surprise most people?
Pierce: A lot of people think that because I am so big, there is not a lot of net to shoot at. I have been playing hockey my whole life. It is another passion.
How about this year?
Pierce: I decided last week that I am not going to play. I’m going to lift and get big for football. We got new coaches and we lost a lot of players from last year.
GH: Do you play any spring sports?
Pierce: I used to play baseball, but I just recently quit to get ready for football season.
GH: What things did you work on this summer to improve yourself as a player?
Pierce: This summer, I worked out with Mike Morris down in Burnsville at Milo’s workout center. I started out at 230 pounds and by the time the summer was over, I was 255 pounds, so I gained a lot in the weight room. I worked on a lot of agility on the field with my team this summer. Get-offs and hands. A lot of improvement overall.
GH: What positions are most schools looking at you playing in college?
Pierce: Defensive end, D-line. Some schools like my on O-line, tackle. I played tight end this year.