Arkansas quarterback commitment Rafe Peavey had to wait until the third quarter of the Under Armour All American game before seeing action and his play was among the best of all the signal callers in the three major All Star contests.
Peavey, 6-2, 208, 4.5 seconds in the 40 yard dash, of Bolivar, Missouri completed 7 of 11 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown for the Nitro team that was held scoreless in the first half.
“I felt like it was a good opportunity for me to go to showcase my leadership skills,” said Peavey, who reports to Arkansas on Friday. “I should’ve lead my team on three scoring drives, but we missed the field goal. We had two scoring drives out of my three. I felt pretty good about my performance for the most part I missed Malachi Dupre on the slant. I wished I had that back, but other than that I felt pretty good.”
Peavey, who’s rated a 4-star plus prospect and the No. 8 quarterback in the nation by national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network, had 343 rushes for 2,718 yards and 53 touchdowns for his career.
He also completed 317 of 473 passes for 5,990 yards and 54 touchdowns while throwing 12 interceptions.
He stay focused during the first half and prepared himself for when he did get on the field.
“I was just kind of taking mental reps, listening to what the coaches were telling the quarterbacks,” Peavey said. “Observing what the defense was giving the offense so I would know what to expect when I got in. I was just praying the whole time. I was just looking forward to when I got my shot.”
This past season, Peavey completed 127 of 185 passes for 2,294 yards and 16 touchdowns while also having 187 carries for 1,557 yards and 27 touchdowns.
All Star games make it difficult for quarterbacks to be successful because of the limited practice time, something Peavey took in stride.
“You’re splitting reps with three guys so that’s probably the most difficult,” Peavey said. “So you really have to learn how to take mental reps. When you have a bad play you just have to have the next play mindset. That’s something I really learned how to do that week. I can carry that on to Arkansas, next play mindset.”
Two days after the Under Armour game, Peavey was overjoyed after watching highly recruited offensive lineman Brian Wallace Jr. pledge to the Hogs during the U.S. Army All American game in San Antonio.
“I put both fists up in the air and yelled,” Peavey said. “I’m excited because that guy is a beast. We have a bright future ahead of us, specially with guys like that paving the way that’s for sure. Everything starts upfront. I love linemen, those are the guys protecting me. So getting guys like a Brian Wallace really excites me.”