2022 Countdown to IUFB Kickoff: 21 Days (Noah Pierre)

Written by: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)

#21

The Hoosier Huddle countdown to kickoff is in its final three weeks! For the 100 days leading up to kickoff, we at Hoosier Huddle will feature every player from the 2022 roster in anticipation of Indiana’s first game of the season against Illinois in Bloomington. Today, we will highlight a returning member of the Hoosiers secondary: Noah Pierre.

Noah Pierre (Redshirt Senior)

Hometown: Joliet, Illinois

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 176 Pounds

Position: Defensive Back

Every team needs a guy that is willing to do whatever it takes to win games, and Noah Pierre is exactly that for Indiana. After redshirting his freshman season, Pierre has done everything it takes to see the field – in 2019 he played at safety and on special teams, before transitioning to primarily a special teams role in 2020, and then once again moving over to cornerback last season when injuries began to pile up. This year, he finds his home at husky, a position he is thrilled to play.

“I came here to play nickel as well,” Pierre excitedly earlier in fall camp. “You know like our Husky spot is basically a nickel. So I love it. I love being able to cover like a corner. I love being able to blitz and run fits and all that so I love Husky.”

He has had coaches gushing this fall over his career.

“He's special to me,” said Tom Allen. “I think he is a great testament to perseverance and grit. I know there was a point in time that he was frustrated and came to see me and came to see his position coach a couple of years ago. He had been bounced around to a lot of positions. He is just one of those tough, gritty guys that could do a lot of things.”

“When we looked at it in the spring, it was about trying to get the best 11 guys on the field,” said safeties coach Jason Jones. “We knew that Noah Pierre had really taken a step and we wanted to find a way to get him on the field.”

“I'll tell you what, man, that's one guy I'm so proud of because this journey here has been a tough journey,” cornerbacks coach Brandon Shelby said. “If anybody looks, how many times he was in different positions, and how many times he had to move around, and really, he did, it would have been hard. He could have been selfish, right? I hope that he gets everything he deserves because he's done everything I asked him to do.”

This all comes for a guy that came to Indiana as a three-star recruit, having no other Power Five offers outside of the Hoosiers. He has now compiled 43 total tackles over his 31 games, an interception, and five defended passes. He is poised to make 2022 his best season yet.

Pierre also has his own line of clothing. Fans can find it here.

Noah’s One Word for 2022 is quite fitting: Dominate.