Arkansas QB commitment rates 8th on Lemming’s list

Rafe Peavey of Bolivar, Mo., looks to pass the ball July 13, 2012, at Southwest Junior High School in Springdale during the fourth annual Southwest Elite 7-on-7 Showcase.

Rafe Peavey of Bolivar, Mo., looks to pass the ball July 13, 2012, at Southwest Junior High School in Springdale during the fourth annual Southwest Elite 7-on-7 Showcase.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

With 35 years of experience on the national recruiting scene, Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network is the most widely respected analyst in his profession. He recently named Arkansas quarterback commitment Rafe Peavey the nation’s No. 8 prospect at his position.

“It’s just a great blessing to be a part of such of an elite group with such great quarterbacks,” Peavey said. “Ever since I was little, I remember looking at Lemming’s top prospects on the Internet. I had it as my goal since the sixth grade to be one and now that he actually did pick me as one, it’s really special in accomplishing one of my goals and knowing all my hard work has paid off.”

Peavey, 6-2, 210 pounds, 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of Bolivar, Mo., was the first commitment for the Hogs in the 2014 class when he pledged to the Razorbacks after attending a football camp in June of 2012.

Lemming, who travels about five months and about 50,000 miles a year evaluating approximately 1,200 athletes, rates Peavey a 4-star plus recruit.

“He seems to be more polished than just about any quarterback in he country,” said Lemming, a Chicago native. “He’s a thick kid. He’s not super tall, but he has decent height and a real strong arm and he’s a smart kid that makes good decisions. He goes through his progressions well. He doesn’t seem to throw bad passes. He always seems to throw the ball on the money. He’s a lot more mature than everybody else. Both physically and mentally.”

Peavey, who plans to enroll at Arkansas in January, has completed 66 of 87 passes for 1,001 yards, 9 touchdowns while rushing 73 times for 687 yards and 10 touchdowns this season in limited play with his team far ahead in most games by halftime.

Clemson commitment Deshaun Watson topped Lemming’s list, followed by Will Grier (Florida), Jerrod Heard (Texas), Keller Chryst (Stanford), and Kyle Allen (Texas A&M). David Cornwell (Alabama) and Caleb Henderson (North Carolina) were sixth and seventh on the list.

“We all have different traits that we’re better at, and some of them are better at things than me,” Peavey said. “It was just great getting to compete at the Elite 11 and throwing alongside them and seeing how I stack up.”

BROWN DRAWS INTEREST

Warren junior receiver Darveon Brown’s play this season is getting noticed by Arkansas and other SEC schools.

“We had high exceptions for him as a freshman and as a sophomore and really didn’t meet them, and now his junior year he’s went above and beyond,” Warren Coach Bo Hembree said. “He’s the player we thought he was going to be.”

Hembree has coached receiver Jarius Wright of the Minnesota Vikings and tight end Chris Gragg of the Buffalo Bills along with receiver Greg Childs, who’s on Minnesota’s physically unable to perform list.

Brown, 5-11, 180, 4.4, has recorded 22 receptions for 370 yards, 6 touchdowns and 11 rushes for 76 yards and 2 touchdowns this season. He also had 3 punt returns for 98 yards and a touchdown. Hembree said the talented junior has the physical ability to play at a high level.

“It’s hard for any freshman or sophomore to come up and play at this level,” Hembree said. “You look back and even the great ones here didn’t even play as a sophomore. We asked a lot of him, and he really didn’t come into his own until this year.”

Hembree said Arkansas tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr. has been calling him on a weekly basis.

“He calls every week to check and see what kind of game he [Brown] had,” Hembree said.

He said Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn called him last week.

“Just about everybody in the SEC is calling right now,” Hembree said.

Brown and several teammates, junior receiver Jaylon Marshall, junior defensive end Lafoy Smith and junior running back Kilay Cox, visited the Hogs for the Texas A&M game Sept. 28.

E-mail Richard Davenport at [email protected]

Sports, Pages 21 on 10/08/2013