Four-star 2024 Texas linebacker Payton Pierce sat in his hotel room in Columbus on March 25 reflecting on his experience on campus and his time spent with Ohio State's coaching staff.
"It was really starting to dawn on me, this is where I wanted to go," Pierce told Eleven Warriors ahead of his announcement Tuesday, when he officially committed to the Buckeyes.
Pierce told his parents that day he wanted to go to Ohio State, but they requested he take a week to think about it to ensure that's what he wanted. The next week, Pierce visited Tennessee.