Charles Pierre Jr. reached 2,000 career rushing yards Saturday as South Dakota defeated Eastern Washington 41-23, giving the Coyotes a 3-0 start. Pierre ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns, and South Dakota athletics identified him as the 15th player in program history to reach the milestone.
A productive return
Pierre has produced 261 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 35 carries through three games, averaging 7.5 yards per attempt, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The performance comes after his 2025 season ended with an injury and surgery, the newspaper reported. South Dakota is scheduled to play at Boise State on Saturday.
The milestone gives Pierre a place in the Coyotes' established rushing history while also marking a strong early-season return. The available reporting confirms his 2,000-yard total and his current production; it does not establish where he will finish among South Dakota's all-time rushing leaders or what his next football decision will be.
Eligibility context
Pierre has one season of eligibility remaining, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The broader rules governing that kind of decision are changing: the NCAA says Division I and Division II will move in the 2026-27 academic year to a single age- and enrollment-based five-year eligibility period, replacing the previous system of seasons-of-competition tracking and multiple waiver options.
The NCAA also says the new model eliminates athletics redshirt rules, seasons-of-competition tracking and medical hardship waivers, while preserving limited exceptions including military service, religious missions and pregnancy. Those changes provide policy context for players returning from injuries, but they do not by themselves determine Pierre's eligibility or whether he will remain at South Dakota.
For now, the clearest development is on the field: Pierre has joined a select group of South Dakota runners at 2,000 career yards and has helped the Coyotes open the season unbeaten.
