He attended T. L. Hanna High School, where he was named South Carolina's Gatorade Football Player of the Year as a senior in 2018 after recording 87 tackles, six sacks, and a interception which he returned for a touchdown.

[1][2] A five-star recruit, Pickens was selected to play in the 2019 Under Armour All-American Game.

[3] He committed to the University of South Carolina to play college football.

[4][5] As a true freshman at South Carolina in 2019, Pickens played in all 12 games and had 16 tackles.

[7][8] Pickens was selected by the Chicago Bears in the third round (64th overall) in the 2023 NFL draft.