South Dakota's Charles Pierre Jr. Returns Healthy, Ready to Lead Coyotes Backfield in 2026

Charles Pierre Jr. never got the chance to be the feature back South Dakota built its 2025 offense around. He has that chance now, and the Coyotes' postseason ambitions ride almost entirely with him.

Pierre is back to full participation in spring practices under new head coach Matt Vitzthum, working through drills 18 months after tearing his ACL in Week 2 of last season at Lamar. Returning to full-contact work in spring rather than waiting until fall camp matters for one specific reason: the mental block that follows ACL surgery, the hesitation on sharp cuts and traffic near the line of scrimmage, gets resolved on a practice field, not in a September game.

When Pierre last played a complete season, in 2024, he ran for 1,244 yards and 16 touchdowns while averaging 7.4 yards per carry and adding 19 receptions for 190 yards and two more scores. PFF graded him the No. 5 running back in the FCS that year. He earned All-MVFC First Team honors and multiple All-American mentions. Those numbers weren't just individually impressive; they came against a program backfield structure where Pierre was still sharing snaps.

With Pierre out for nearly all of 2025, L.J. Phillips Jr. stepped in and rushed for 1,921 yards on 294 carries, breaking program records and scoring 20 touchdowns before transferring to Iowa. That production is now gone. So is starter quarterback Aidan Bouman, the top two receivers, and most of the experienced offensive line. The offensive turnover around Pierre is substantial enough that his carry share in 2026 projects north of 20 touches per game, not because the depth chart is thin but because he is the one proven explosive playmaker in the unit.

That offensive profile reshapes what new coordinator Tim Morrison can actually run. Pierre's 7.4 YPC in 2024 is the profile of a back who hurts defenses in the outside zone: he finds the cutback lane before the defense resets, then accelerates through the hole. With Pierre healthy, the inside gap game becomes more threatening too, because defenses that shade outside to contain his speed leave themselves vulnerable to power and counter. The screen game is where his receiving production connects to the run scheme; 19 catches at 10 yards per reception tells you those touches were working in space, turning modest gains into chunk plays. A backfield that missed those elements for a full year can now reinsert them as genuine weapons.

For NFL evaluators, Pierre's 2026 fall answers one specific question the torn ACL left open: does the pre-injury burst survive at full speed? His receiving production in 2024 already cleared the minimum threshold scouts want to see from a back worth projecting to a camp roster. What he needs to add is volume, 30-plus receptions would materially change the conversation, and consistent pass protection film that demonstrates he can identify a blitz and anchor without getting his quarterback hit. Long speed is the final variable. A 7.4 YPC average implies the burst is there, but scouts want to see it confirmed in the open field against Power conference-caliber competition, particularly in South Dakota's non-conference slate.

The Coyotes have reached the FCS quarterfinals in each of the last three seasons, finishing 10-3, 11-3, and 10-5 over that stretch. Sustaining that standard with a rebuilt offense and a first-year head coach puts the weight of the offense squarely on Pierre. His return to full health is not just a roster note. It is the central variable in whether South Dakota extends one of the more consistent postseason runs in the Missouri Valley.