Prior to App State: Pearson comes to The High Country following a pair of two-year stints at Division I institutions UAB and Western Illinois. Before entering the collegiate ranks, Pearson was a three-star recruit out of Morgan Park High School where he led his team to back-to-back state championships in 2017 and 2018. He was named a two-time Chicago All Star MVP and chosen as a consensus top-10 player in the state of Illinois. He also participated in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League as well as the Pangos All-American Camp. After graduating from high school, he attended UAB for two years. Pearson finished his sophomore season as a Blazer with season bests of 115 points and 114 rebounds after playing just under 500 minutes. The big man then transferred to Western Illinois for his junior and senior seasons where he was a vital contributor to the Leathernecks' success. His first year in Macomb, Ill. saw him post a team-high 151 rebounds and 20 blocks while finishing second on the team with 228 points. Pearson started all 22 games of his junior season as he finished that campaign with a team-high five double doubles and recorded a career-high 16 rebounds against Mt. St. Joseph. He also started all 31 games he appeared in during his senior season. The near seven-footer was on the floor over 26 minutes per game while averaging over ten points and nearly six rebounds each time he took the floor. In two years as a Leatherneck, he altered the Summit League record books en route to posting 542 points, 335 rebounds and 28 blocks.