During Pierce's first three seasons from 2020 to 2022, he played in 26 games with 24 starts for the Scarlet Knights, becoming a full-time starter in 2021. He was also a Burlsworth Trophy nominee in 2022.[3][4][5][6] During the 2023 season, Pierce switched to left tackle, where he started all 13 games at left tackle for the Scarlet Knights, where for his performance, Pierce was named honorable mention all-Big Ten Conference.[7] Heading into the 2024 season, Pierce was named the 98th best college football player by On3.[8] Pierce was once again nominated for the Burlsworth Award in 2024.[9]