Weirdly enough, it’s been a minute since we found ourselves in this situation, discussing the commitment of a future Tiger. Eli Drinkwitz went on such a heater in the first two months of the COVID-19 pandemic that it felt like a week without the bat signal was an eternity.

But here we are once again in this familiar space. In truth, it’s familiar in more ways than one. On Thursday, Drinkwitz sent up the bat signal once again before Garden City CC defensive end Shemar Pearl announced his (second) commitment to the Tigers.

Pearl was a part of the 2019 Mizzou recruiting class before he had to take the JUCO route. His time at Garden City allowed him to pick up offers from Big XII schools like Baylor and Texas Tech, while South Carolina joined Mizzou with SEC interest. And while it seemed like Pearl was flirting with a career in Lubbock at one point, he ended up coming back to the place where his college journey started... figuratively, that is.

Get to know: Shemar Pearl

Hometown: Plano, TX

College: Garden City Community College

Position: Weakside Defensive End

Ht/Wt: 6’5”, 235 pounds

Rivals Ranking: n/a

247Composite Ranking: n/a

Total announced offers: 4

Offers to note: Baylor, South Carolina, Texas Tech

One of the main things that jumps out about Pearl — other than his imposing size — is his ability to read the play as it develops in front of him. You won’t see a bunch of pure sacks in this video, but Pearl’s tape displays an outstanding awareness of where the ball is and where it could potentially go. His reactions are generally very good, allowing him to eat up space with his tall frame and long arms. This should make him a disruptive force in the backfield, something the Tigers have been lacking from the defensive line over the past few years.

What they’re saying: