Interview: 2018 California 3-Star TE Jake Peters to make Season Debut on Friday

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Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

If any segment of the human population is ever so presently aware of time it is the modern day athlete. The clock is always rolling forward for every athlete at all levels of competition seemingly too fast. Time can often be taken for granted, but athletes only have so much time to make things happen making each second spent precious. A professional athlete may have years within their given sport, but at the end, all athletes look back wondering where the time went. For high school athletes, the clock to make things happen is much shorter. Some are gifted with four years of play at the varsity level while others are put into a senior year crunch forced to make up for lost time.

When Santa Margarita High School takes the field on Friday night against JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano), the on-the-field clock for Class of 2018 tight end Jake Peters will start up again after missing time over seven games this season.

Peters’ path towards high school gridiron glory has been a sharp rise with growing expectations. The 6-5, 235 pound, talent has proven his ability to play at a high level earning a starting spot with the Eagles going into his sophomore season. Without context, starting for the Rancho Santa Margarita squad as a sophomore may not sound like much, but it means a lot. Santa Margarita is in southern California’s Trinity League, arguably the toughest high school football conference in the nation. It seems as if 20 to 30 seniors, if not more, leave the Trinity League each year to play Division-I football. Earning a starting spot as a sophomore in the Trinity League is telling.

Peters had a very promising sophomore season drawing interest from Pac-12, Big Sky, and Mountain West Conference schools earning his first college scholarship offer from Washington. With Peters showing out for another Pac-12 school, he tore his Achilles on the last play of a camp going up against another top talent. That play has cost him most of his junior season and who knows how many scholarship offers.

The good news for Santa Margarita and Peters, their every down tight end is back bringing another weapon to the field in the passing game. No one expects Peters to perform at an All-American level or at his three-star ranking off the first snap, but all eyes will be on him cheering on his return. The eyes includes a long list of college recruiters eager to see how he responds to the injury and performs going forward.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I sat down with Peters the week of his return to get the background story on his injury, his recovery, and his recruitment through the long arduous process.

Interview

Jake, tough question first. How did the injury occur?

“I was at a University of Colorado satellite camp in Redlands this summer. It was the last play of the camp. The coaches wanted to see how I would fare against a top recruit. It was a corner route. I went up for the ball and came down, the kid cleated my calf down to my Achilles. It was gruesome. The skin did not tear, but my foot was twitching and then stopped moving. I tore it vertically in half instead of horizontal. The operation was a few stitches and they sowed it all back up. Because it tore vertically instead of horizontally, I was not out nine months but just four months. Now I am back playing competitively again.”

You are healthy now?

“Yes. I’m probably as good as I will get this season. I won’t be 100 percent for a full year. I’m good moving, catching balls, and blocking – all of that is fine. I don’t have the same speed yet. I’ll have to build that back up over the off-season. I was not walking for about a month. I had to reteach myself how to walk and run. I’m running routes now and blocking 250 pound lineman. I should fare well against JSerra, I know all of those guys.”

What has been the reaction of the college coaches that were recruiting you?

“They all know about it. All the schools I have been talking to, a few coaches have been to campus and games to see me. They want to see me when I get back, then they will start talking offers.”

When you are healthy, what are the strengths of your game as a tight end?

“I really believe I have really good hands. When I was healthy, I had 45 targets and caught 44. The one I did not catch was picked off. My route running and hands for sure are strengths. My blocking is getting better as I get bigger. It is a lot easier blocking different guys with more size and weight on me.”

Obviously when you were injured you were limited on doing lower body workouts but were you able to workout your upper body during that time?

“Yes. My upper body is a lot more built up since the injury. My chest has gotten bigger doing bench press, curls, and those types of exercises.”

When did you get back on the field after teaching yourself how to walk and run again?

“I was cleared five weeks ago. It took two weeks to get back onto the practice field. I worked on pushing off the ball of my foot, I had to rebuild my calf muscle. After that, I had three weeks of full contact practices.”

There are three games left in the regular season, do you have any personal goals over the final three contests?

“Since I have not played in a while, I’m not sure what Coach Fisher has in store for me. I could be a blocking tight end or I could be a red zone guy. We have another really good tight end. In a week from now I’m not sure what my role will be. I just want to help my team anyway possible… and not get hurt.”

You have an offer from Washington and a bunch of schools that were showing interest. What interest are you drawing right now?

“I have built a good relationship with the UDUB (Washington) coaches. I have been talking to Utah’s tight end coach, Coach (Freddie) Whittingham. At Arizona State, I have been talking to Coach (Chip) Lindsey (quarterbacks coach) and at UCLA I’ve been talking to Coach Rip (Rip Scherer – tight ends coach). A few other schools that have been reaching out via Twitter, most of the people reaching out are player personnel guys.”

Due to your injury, I’m assuming you have done a lot of resting trying to keep off your leg, but have you made any unofficial visits this season?

“I have. I went up to UDUB for the Stanford game a few weeks back. I went to UCLA for their game against Stanford. I’m planning on taking a visit to Utah for the Oregon game. I’m trying to make it up to USC sometime this month. Brett Neilon (2016 OL) is committed there. He is trying to get me leaning there a little bit.”

How did your trip to Washington go?

“I really liked it. That stadium was sold out. That was my first game there. We were right next to the student section, that place was loud.”

How about your UCLA visit?

“I really liked it. The Rose Bowl is the Rose Bowl. One thing I like about UCLA, it is home. The weather does not get much better than this.”

How is everything going in the classroom?

“Great. I have a 3.3 GPA.”

Have you made plans to take the ACT or SAT yet?

“I’m taking the ACT this spring.”

When you watch games on Saturday or Sunday, are there any players you enjoy watching to learn more about the game?

“I watch Jake Butt from the University of Michigan. In the NFL, I watch Greg Olsen with the Carolina Panthers. I watch how they use their size to their advantage. I like to see how they play and model my game off that.”

Jake, thanks for your time today and a healthy good luck to the final three games of the season.

“Thank you.”

Photo credit: oregonlive.com; Jake Peters at Oregon State.

Photo credit: 247sports.com; Jake Peters at Washington.

Photo credit: rivals.com; Jake Peters on the field at Washington.