NFL Draft Scout
Featured In/On:
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Name: Brandon Peters (+) Coming off Aug 2021 Shoulder INJ/Transfer from Michigan
College: Illinois
Number: 18
School Bio/Stats Link: HERE
Height: 6-5 Weight: 228
Position: Pos2:
Class/Draft Year: rSr/2022
40 Low: 4.65 40 Time: 4.72 40 High: 4.78
> Projected Round: Stock: 
Projected High: HPFA Low: Tryout
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Data Scout Notes: X-7-HPFA/Better ATH than expected/INJ Prone/Conussions-Non Throwing Shoulder 2021: NAC... (+) Coming off Aug 2021 Shoulder INJ...2020: NAC...PMaxwell...2019: 152-275-1884-18-8-55.3 pass, 74-213-2.9-3 rush in 11 gms in '19. Transferred from Michigan for '19. Was 230 in '18. Backup w/1-2-8-0-1-50.0 pass in 4 gms in '18. Backup w/57 -
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Combine Results |
Pro Day Results |
Combine Invite:
Height: 6044
Weight: 228
Zybek PD3X AKA "Official"
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225 Lb. Bench Reps:
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Dates: 03/11/22
Hand: 10 1/8 Arm: 31 1/8
Wingspan: 76 3/8
Height: 6044
Weight: 228
40 Yrd Dash: 4.72
20 Yrd Dash: 2.75
10 Yrd Dash: 1.57
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225 Lb. Bench Reps:
Vertical Jump: 36
Broad Jump: 10'04"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.50
3-Cone Drill: 7.53
40 Time Range: 4.69-4.75/Projected 4.83
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Brandon Peters, Illinois, Player News
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Brandon Peters threw for 242 yards and a touchdown and Illinois rolled over Big Ten rival Northwestern 47-14 on Saturday. With the resounding win to end the regular season, Illinois hopes to secure its second bowl bid in five years. Peters also threw an interception. Chase Brown rushed 14 times for 112 yards and a touchdown, Josh McCray carried 12 times for 42 yards and a score. Isaiah Williams and Daniel Barker also scored rushing touchdowns for the Illini. Williams also caught seven passes for 113 yar ds and a touchdown.Ryan Hilinski passed was 12 of 23 for 123 yards passing for Northwestern. Evan Hull rushed 32 times for 101 yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats. Malik Washington caught seven passes for 83 yards. Illinois (5-7, 4-5 Big Ten) t ook control of the game early, scoring midway through the first quarter after Isaiah Gay recovered an Evan Hull fumble on the Illinois 8-yard line. Daniel Barker punched it in for a touchdown, followed two minutes later by another score on a 39-yard Pete rs pass to Williams to put Illinois up 14-0. After Peters hit Casey Washington with a 56-yard pass, Chase Brown scampered one yard for the Illini's third touchdown of the half. Williams then ran 21 yards for yet another Illinois touchdown. Northwestern ( 3-9, 1-8) got on the board with 6:58 left in the first half on a one-yard Hilinski run capping an 11-play, 75-yard drive to make the score 28-7 Illinois. Three James McCourt field goals gave the Illini a 37-7 lead at the half. - Illinois/AP College Footb all
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022  QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: Illinois/AP College Football
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Casey Washington caught a 2-point conversion pass from Brandon Peters to end the first nine-overtime game in NCAA history and lift Illinois over No. 7 Penn State 20-18 Saturday. The teams were tied at 10 after regulation, exchanged field goals in the fir st two overtimes, then began to alternate 2-point attempts in the third OT as part of a format tweaked ahead of the 2021 season. Neither team converted until the eighth overtime, when Isaiah Williams ran one in to put Illinois up 18-16. Penn State's Noah Cain kept the game alive with a 2-point run of his own. In the ninth OT, Sean Clifford's pass to Parker Washington was broken up by linebacker Khalan Tolson. Peters then found Washington near the back of the end zone for the winning completion.Th e 2-point conversion shootout started in 2019, the season after LSU and Texas A&M played a seven overtime game that left both teams badly beaten up. The rule was tweaked this year, with the 2-point conversion possessions beginning with the third overtime instead of the fifth. Chase Brown and Josh McCray combined for 365 rushing yards and a touchdown and James McCourt kicked three field goals, including 39- and 32-yarders in overtime, to snap Illinois' three-game skid to Penn State. The two bullish backs blasted through wide-open holes and flanked Penn State's defense again and again on a soggy day at Beaver Stadium. The Illini (3-5, 2-3 Big Ten) outgained the Nittany Lions 370 yards to 207 in regulation and battled back from an early 10-0 deficit. Pete rs, normally Illinois' starter, came off the bench when Artur Sitkowski hurt his left hand in the sixth overtime period. - Illinois/AP College Football
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: Illinois/AP College Football
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Illinois quarterback Brandon Peters may not miss too much time after all, despite injuring his left shoulder in the team's season-opening win against Nebraska last Saturday. First-year coach Bret Bielema said Peters has been progressing quickly, and even threw in practice on Tuesday. "BP, it's coming along probably quicker than most people thought," Bielema said Wednesday night during his weekly radio show at Papa Del's in Champaign. "He threw the ball around (Tuesday), was able to get out there and do that. We're going to kind of evaluate and see where he's at Thursday and make a decision and move forward. It's a lot of how they recover the second day after throwing." The Illini didn't miss Peters all that much thanks to efficient play from backup qua rterback Art Sitkowski. The Rutgers transfer completed 12 of 15 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-22 victory during Bielema's first game at Illinois. - News Gazette Tribune
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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Brandon Peters has maintained a fairly low-key vibe since arriving at Illinois in the summer before the 2019 football season following three years at Michigan. Peters has never been that brash QB1. Confident in his abilities? Sure. A big, bold personalit y? Not so much. But as Peters' comfort level at Illinois has increased, so have the peeks into the subtly funny 23-year-old with a dry sense of humor. Peters has been in his element on the football field since the start of Illinois' training camp. He han dled his first round of media availability at training camp in the same way.Like when he demurred from sharing any details about how the Illinois offense has changed, following Bret Bielema's lead in making sure Nebraska knows as little as possibl e heading into the Aug. 28 season opener at Memorial Stadium. "I'm not going to spill the beans," Peters joked to one reporter. Or when he responded to some of his teammates calling the first day of training camp intense. "Intense?" Peters said with a wr y smile. "I guess not so much for me. I'm not in the trenches. I would say it was intense in the fact we were working hard out there and moving around a lot." And, finally, when he counted out the number of offensive coordinators he's had in his college career on his fingers. "Five is kind of a lot now that I think of it," he quipped. - News Gazette Tribune
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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Illinois will add a quarterback to that room (Rutgers transfer Artur Sitkowski) and lose a quarterback in that room (Isaiah Williams moving to receiver) this summer. Making it clear Brandon Peters is the guy for Illinois heading into the 2021 season. Not much different than it was prior to the 2019 or 2020 seasons, with the Michigan transfer acting as QB1 for the Illini when he's healthy. Sitkowski will likely enter training camp as the backup to Peters, but the 6-foot-5, 224-pound native of Old Bridge, N.J., should bring the same drop-back ability the 6-5, 220-pound Peters does, along with a solid arm.Both quarterbacks who started their careers elsewhere in the Big Ten before arriving in Champaign, however, will need to improve their accuracy. Sitkowski struggled mightily as a true freshman in 2018, throwing 18 interceptions (including three against the Illini in a 38-17 win by Illinois in 2018 out in New Jersey) compared to only four touchdowns for the worst team in the Big Ten that season. P eters hasn't had quite the interception problems Sitkowski has had in his career - a respectable 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions during his stints at Michigan and Illinois. But he only completed 49 percent of his passes last fall, a dip after he compl eted 55 percent of his passes in 2019. - News Gazette Tribune
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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Working with the starters in Monday night's spring game, Peters picked apart the reserves. He threw the ball long and short. To a bunch of different targets. Hard, accurate passes. The kind that put smiles on the coaches' faces. Early in the workout on a chilly night at Memorial Stadium, Peters hit Donny Navarro for 44 yards. Later, he found Khmari Thompson for a 29-yard touchdown. Peters hit 8 of 11 in the first quarter for 182 yards and finished 12 of 18 for 291 yards during the two-hour scrimmage. Mi ght want to save that yardage for the opener. This is Peters' first spring practice at Illinois. He joined the team too late to participate in 2019 and last year's workouts got scrapped because of COVID-19.The current spring session is important f or Peters, who is set to play a rare sixth year of college football. This will be his third season at Illinois, which is as much as time as he spent at Michigan. Might be time to stop referring to him as a former Wolverine. After a much-less-than-satisfy ing 2020 season, Peters has a chance to finish with a bang in Bielema's first campaign. Having Peters back is a great deal for Bielema and first-year offensive coordinator Tony Petersen. Peters is a steady hand who understands the commitment needed to pl ay at a high level in the Big Ten. Two years ago, he was part of a bowl team. - News Gazette Tribune
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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Brandon Peters' first senior season didn't go so well. He got COVID-19. Missed a big chunk of the games. Watched his team finish 2-6 and his coach get fired. In a word: Bummer. But thanks to some astute decisions by college football's higher-ups, the Ill ini quarterback has another chance to make a last impression. "I'm really blessed to have another year to play football," Peters said. "I'm really excited with what Coach B(ielema) is putting together here. It's been really fun so far. I think the sky is the limit with this staff." He is getting a mulligan. On a shanked shot that plunked in the water."That last year definitely left a bad taste in my mouth," Peters said. "Wasn't the year I was hoping for, anyone expected. Everything happens for a reason. I believe that." Peters is having fun playing football. That's the idea. "Guys are getting really good coaching," he said. "They're buying in." Entering his sixth college season in his fifth offense, Peters and the rest of the quarterbacks are sp ending the spring learning Tony Petersen's system. Peters and his main competition, third-year freshman Isaiah Williams, talked to the media Tuesday, via Zoom of course, for the first time this spring. Peters said he likes what he sees of Petersen and th e new Illini attack. "He's really an attention-to-detail-oriented kind of guy," Peters said. "He brings juice. He's going to let you know when you mess up." - News Gazette Tribune
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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Illinois football will play its Orange and Blue Spring Game next month, the team announced Monday. Bret Bielema's first on-field event as Illini coach - albeit an intrasquad exhibition - will transpire at 7 p.m. April 19 at Memorial Stadium and be broadc ast by Big Ten Network. Illinois hasn't conducted a spring game since April 13, 2019, when Lovie Smith was in charge of the program. Team Butkus defeated Team Grange 24-10, with the former group including the first-team defense and the latter outfit incl uding the first-team offense. Fans will not be permitted inside Memorial Stadium for this year's scrimmage, as they were for the most recent spring game. - News Gazette Tribune
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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Illinois quarterback Brandon Peters will return for a third season with the Illini and play for new coach Bret Bielema, the team announced Tuesday. Peters spent three years at Michigan before joining Illinois in 2019 and made a big impact that season, th rowing for 1,884 yards and 18 touchdowns while running for 213 yards and three scores. The Illini stunned then-No. 6 Wisconsin on the way to a 6-7 record and their first bowl appearance since 2014. But they took a step back this season, going 2-6. - AP C ollege Football
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: AP College Football
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Illinois fired coach Lovie Smith on Sunday with one game left in its ninth consecutive losing season. Smith became Illinois' first Black head football coach when he was hired by athletic director Josh Whitman in March 2016. The longtime NFL coach went 17 -39 in five seasons at the school. Smith's original deal was for six years and $21 million, but he received a two-year extension through 2023 after Illinois went 4-8 in his third season. The Illini made one postseason appearance under Smith, losing 35-20 to California in the Redbox Bowl in 2019.They were 6-4 last season after a thrilling comeback victory at Michigan State, but then dropped their last three games. The slide continued into this year, with Illinois losing its first three by a combin ed 117-45 score. It is 2-5 after it was pushed around in a 28-10 loss at Northwestern on Saturday, allowing 411 yards rushing in its sixth straight loss in the series against the in-state Wildcats. Whitman said Smith will not coach the team's final game of the season. - AP College Football
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: AP College Football
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Brandon Peters could not avoid the question. In fact, it was the first one asked of the Illinois senior quarterback on Monday afternoon. Does possessing an bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan make Saturday's 11 a.m. kickoff between the Illi ni (2-3) and No. 3 Ohio State (4-0) - the Wolverines' main rival - more meaningful to Peters? "For me, it's another game," said Peters, who transferred from Michigan to Illinois ahead of the 2019 season. "So being at Illinois now, it's obviously not a hu ge rivalry. But it's a huge game for Illinois this week, so we've got to treat it that way."It's a spot for the Illini's current momentum, built by way of the last two weeks' road wins against Rutgers and Nebraska, to shoot into the stratosphere. The Buckeyes have won the last nine games with Illinois, though the Illini's last victory versus Ohio State came when the Buckeyes were ranked No. 1 in the nation in 2007. Peters should play a sizeable role in any success Illinois experiences this weeken d at Memorial Stadium. His return last Saturday from a three-week absence necessitated by a positive COVID-19 test saw Peters connect on 18 of 25 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another score as the Illini put up more than 40 point s in a Big Ten game for only the second time in the last five seasons. "As far as completion percentage goes and execution," Peters said, "it was definitely, by far, my best game that I've played." - News Gazette Tribune
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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The quarterback showed little rust after missing three consecutive games following a positive COVID-19 test. Instead, the senior left no doubt that the Illini offense still runs through him by leading it to nearly 500 yards while expertly controlling the tempo. He threw for 205 of those yards and contributed two total touchdowns. - News Gazette Tribune
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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Brandon Peters threw for one touchdown and ran for another in his first game in nearly a month, Illinois had two rushers go over 100 yards, and the Illini beat turnover-plagued Nebraska 41-23 on Saturday for their second straight win. The Cornhuskers won at Illinois last year despite committing four turnovers. They couldn't survive five, though, as the Illini won in Lincoln for the first time since 1924. Luke McCaffrey, making his second start at quarterback, committed the first of his four turnovers on the first play from scrimmage. Wan'Dale Robinson coughed up the ball as the Huskers (1-3, 1-3 Big Ten) tried to come back in the second half. Illinois (2-3, 2-3) led 28-10 after two quarters, their most first-half points against a conference opponent in 10 years, and was up 41-17 early in the fourth quarter. The Illini won their second road game in as many weeks.Nebraska linebacker Collin Miller was taken off the field on a stretcher with about 12 minutes to play. He appeared to have been hurt w hile tackling Mike Epstein. Medical personnel tended to Miller for several minutes near the south end zone as players from both teams took a knee. He was strapped to a backboard and taken out of the stadium. There was no immediate announcement on the nat ure of his injury. Peters, who had been out since Oct. 24 because of a COVID-19 outbreak on the team, showed no rust in leading a balanced Illini offense that had 285 yards rushing and 205 passing. Nebraska entered the game as a 16-point favorite and ran into trouble immediately. - Illinois/AP College Football
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: Illinois/AP College Football
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Illinois is playing Purdue without starting quarterback Brandon Peters and tight end Griffin Moore. Both tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and will be sidelined 21 days per Big Ten protocol. Both would be eligible to return for the Nov. 21 game at Nebraska. Illinois also announced that contact tracing sidelined several other players for the Purdue game and next week's game against Minnesota. Sophomore Matt Robinson started at quarterback for the Ilini. He played in eight games last year and start ed two. The Illini opened the season last week at Wisconsin, whose team has had 22 players and staff test positive for COVID-19 this week. - AP College Football
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: AP College Football
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The Illinois offense was shut out Friday, with the team's only score coming on sophomore linebacker Tarique Barnes' scoop and score after a Wisconsin fumble. Even though redshirt freshman quarterback Isaiah Williams got on the field against the Badgers, the Illini aren't looking to make a change. Brandon Peters still holds the QB1 designation. "We're not making any major changes based on one game where we all didn't perform the way we will - starting with the head football coach," Lovie Smith said. Will iams' usage did end up being greater than originally expected. Rod Smith had specific packages designed for the St. Louis native - whether it be at slot receiver or quarterback - and then also used him as a change of pace as the Illinois offense sputtere d. "I said, 'I'm going to give Isaiah a shot and see if he can give us a spark," Rod Smith said. "That was kind of out of trying to get a spark. I told Brandon, 'It's not a negative on you.' We were just trying to jump start (the offense) and get going." - News Gazette
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette
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At the college home of Elroy Hirsch (ask your grandparents), Illinois quarterback Brandon Peters looked like "Crazy Legs" on a long scramble in the first half. Peters said he is in the best shape of his life. The 30-yard run was convincing. He was more e ffective with his legs than his arm, finishing with 75 yards on seven carries. He threw for just 87 yards. Going forward for the Illinois offense, Peters needs to throw more and run less. - News Gazette Tribune
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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Peters is more comfortable in his second season with the offense and was playing his best football at the end of last season, Smith said. It took time to put all the pieces together. Peters was a late entrant in the transfer portal after graduating from Michigan and didn't get to Champaign until last summer. Smith compared the information overload to Peters drinking water from a fire hose. Though that was a new phrase to Peters, it wasn't entirely off base. "I guess just to get your feet under you as fa r as getting the feeling of playing a live-action game," Peters said. "It took a while to get comfortable with the scheme and everything."Peters has things he wants to improve on after completing 55.3 percent of his passes last season for 1,884 ya rds. Smith said the buzzword around the offense is consistency, and for Peters that starts with increasing the completion percentage. "Just a little bit more consistency and completion percentage goes a long way with that, too," Peters said. "Just be a l ittle more consistent with my reads and be a little quicker with that thing. I think just being in the offense a second year will help with that as well. Completion percentage will mean a lot as far as moving the chains and keeping the offense on the fie ld." - Herald-Review Times
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: Herald-Review Times
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Brandon Peters didn't commit to Illinois until mid-June last year. His summer arrival put him behind in some ways. Like finding a place to live. "Last year I was living by myself, so I got really bored sometimes," Peters said. The Illinois quarterback is n't wanting for roommates anymore. Peters now lives with Illinois offensive lineman Doug Kramer, kicker James McCourt (a regular golfing partner this summer) and defensive back Christian Bobak. The new living arrangements simply reinforce how comfortable Peters has become in Champaign. "I feel even more part of the team," Peters said Wednesday morning in a Zoom call with media, his first time talking to reporters since the Illini's loss in the Redbox Bowl in late Decemeber. "Not that I never didn't feel a part of the team, but I feel a closer bond with everybody on the team having this year under my belt. It's all good, comfortable."Peters' comfort level extends beyond simply living in Champaign. He has a year of experience in offensive coordina tor Rod Smith's system and a year of being at the top of the quarterback depth chart for a Big Ten program. The connection Peters developed with Smith could be even more important in an anything-could-happen season in the middle of an ongoing pandemic. T hey built a rapport early, and that relationship has only strengthened. "Me and Coach Rod, I feel like we've always been on the same page and had that constant communication," Peters said. "That's what you need to be successful." - News Gazette Tribune
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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How is quarterback Brandon Peters looking? For the second consecutive year, Peters enters the season without the benefit of spring practice at Illinois. It didn't seem to bother him last year. He transferred to Champaign from Michigan in June 2019, long after the spring session ended. And there were no spring drills this year because of COVID-19. So, Peters is rusty, right? Not according to his teammates. "I think he looks great," Illinois tailback Mike Epstein said. "Better than I've seen him. He's mor e comfortable than ever, having a year under his belt in the system." Peters threw for 1,884 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2019. Offensive coordinator Rod Smith would like to see Peters improve his completion percentage (55 percent) while cutting his interc eptions (eight). "The experience here will help him a lot," Epstein said. "I'm excited to play along with him," tailback Chase Brown added.Peters was fourth on the team in rushing in 2019 with 213 yards and three scores. That makes him the team's leading returning rusher. "You saw the rushing touchdowns, you saw the dive," Brown said. "He can run the ball." Peters is low key during interview sessions. His teammates see a different side to the Avon, Ind., native. "When he's comfortable, he'll make some jokes and play around," Epstein said. "I don't think you guys see it like him in the locker room with us. But he does keep that calm, cool, collected personality." - News Gazette Tribune
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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2021 SENIOR BOWL WATCH LIST: Brandon Peters, Illinois,...2020 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list...2020 Maxwell Award watch list...152-of-275 passing for 1,884 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2019...74 carries for 213 yards and three touchdowns in 2019 ...Fifth in the Big Ten in passing touchdowns (18), eighth in yards per completion (12.4), eighth in points responsible for (126), ninth in completion percentage (55.3), ninth in passing efficiency (128.6), 10th in passing yards (1,884), and 10th in tota l offense (190.6) in 2019. - Illinois Football
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: Illinois Football
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2020 PRESEASON MAXWELL AWARD WATCH LIST: QB Brandon Peters, Illinois,...Started 11 games in 2019...152-of-275 passing for 1,884 yards and 18 touchdowns on the season...74 carries for 213 yards and three touchdowns on the season...Fifth in the Big Ten in passing touchdowns (18), eighth in yards per completion (12.4), eighth in points responsible for (126), ninth in completion percentage (55.3), ninth in passing efficiency (128.6), 10th in passing yards (1,884), and 10th in total offense (190.6). - Illino is Football
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: Illinois Football
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Peters quickly squashed the notion of a quarterback competition in last August's training camp, his first at Illinois after transferring from Michigan. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound native of Avon, Ind., asserted himself into the No. 1 spot and held onto that title for the remainder of the season. Peters missed two games last fall because of a concussion, but he still had the most productive and efficient season by an Illinois quarterback since Wes Lunt in 2015. Peters completed 152 of 275 passes for 1,884 ya rds, 18 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. Pigeon-holing Peters as a pocket passer, though, isn't quite right. His rushing totals weren't outlandish - 74 carries for 213 yards and three touchdowns - but the one-time Division I basketball recruit ma naged to break a few big runs when they mattered most.As Illinois offensive coordinator Rod Smith would say, Peters is "not an oak tree back there." The Illini quarterback has shown that off even more since the team's voluntary workouts with Herna ndez and his staff resumed. "Watching him run, he looks absolutely incredible," Hernandez said. "He's got his big, long stride, and he's taking people down with it, winning some races. There's some competitiveness. He has definitely put some work in to h elp showcase some of his athleticism. "He's definitely standing out right now as a guy who continued to lift, continued to run and continued to work on his overall performance. I think that right there shows a lot to this football team, how important it is to our quarterback to get it done. Hopefully it's going to continue to spread throughout the remainder of our guys as well." - News Gazette Tribune
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: News Gazette Tribune
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Illinois football head strength and conditioning coach Lou Hernandez gave a list of players who looked impressive early on as the team returns for voluntary workouts. Hernandez mentioned linebackers Jake Hansen and Khalan Tolson, wide receiver Donny Nava rro, tight end Luke Ford, punter Blake Hayes, defensive lineman Jamal Woods, offensive linemen Alex Palczewski and Vederian Lowe and Peters as players who have been particularly impressive early on voluntary workouts."Watching him run, he looks ab solutely incredible," Hernandez said of Peters. "He's got his big, long stride and he's taking people down with it and winning races. There's a competitiveness. He's definitely put the work in to help showcase some of his athleticism. "He's definitely st anding out right now as a guy who continued to lift, continued to run and continued to work on his overall performance. I think that right there shows a lot to this football team how important it is for our quarterback to get it done and hopefully it's g oing to continue to spread throughout the remainder of our guys as well." 'Helping other people is more important than ever.' Lovie Smith's Illinois staff has 8 black coaches - more than any FBS program. Can it be an example that helps close the racial d isparity in college football? Peters, who hasn't been made available to the media since the Redbox Bowl loss to California, threw for 1884 yards and 18 touchdowns to go with eight interceptions last season while rushing for 213 yards and three touchdowns . - Herald-Review Times
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: Herald-Review Times
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Brandon Peters threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Barker with five seconds left, completing an incredible Illinois comeback and giving the Illini a 37-34 victory over Michigan State on Saturday night. Illinois (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) trailed 28-3 in the second quarter and 31-10 entering the fourth. Down 34-30, they converted fourth-and-17, then drew a pass interference flag in the end zone on another fourth-down pass. It was second-and-goal when Peters patiently rolled out to his right and found Barker open in the back of the end zone. Peters threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns.The Illini are now bowl eligible for the first time since 2014. They've done it by forcing turnovers all season long, including four Saturday. "So much has gone into us being in this position," Illinois coach Lovie Smith said. "We always talk about starting fast but it's about the finish." Down 28-3, Illinois began its comeback when Peters threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Josh Imatorbhebhe on the final play of the first half. It wasn't so much a Hail Mary as it was just a long pass to a single-covered receiver deep down the field -- the first of several puzzling mistakes by Michigan State. Down 31-10, Imatorbhebhe scored on an 83-yard catch and run with 14:48 left in the fourth. Then Reggie Corbin scored on a 6-yard run to make it 31-24. - Illinois/AP College Football
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: Illinois/AP College Football
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Illinois passed its first road test on Saturday. Brandon Peters set career highs, throwing for 225 yards and four touchdowns as the Illini overcame an early 13-point deficit to beat UConn 31-23. It was the first nonconference road win for Illinois (2-0) in a dozen years. "Whenever you can eliminate a bad streak like that, it's a positive thing," said coach Lovie Smith. "We're going to be a good football team this year. Hopefully, there will be more of those." Jakari Norwood had 62 yards to lead a rushin g attack that accounted for 130 yards. Jack Zergiotis, making his first start in place of an injured Michael Beaudry, completed 21 of 31 passes for 275 yards for the Huskies (1-1). - AP College Football
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: AP College Football
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In his Illinois debut on Saturday, quarterback Brandon Peters showed more than 30,000 Illini fans that he can pass and run and do both pretty well. Peters, a graduate transfer from Michigan, went 14 of 23 for 163 yards and three touchdowns through the ai r, while running for another touchdown to lead Illinois past Akron 42-3. Peters also rushed six times for 36 yards and showed surprising mobility for a 6-foot-5, 220-pounder known more for his arm than his legs. "Still want to say Brandon isn't a running quarterback?" Illinois coach Lovie Smith joked after the game. "He had a good day for us, I'd say." Peters was decisive all afternoon despite a tendency to overthrow a few balls, and appeared to show few jitters before his first Illinois start. "He's be en through a lot, so I was glad to see him go out there, go down the field and boom, score right away," Smith said. "He's a confident guy, just what we're looking for in a quarterback." - AP College Football
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: AP College Football
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Former Michigan quarterback Brandon Peters has been named the starter for the season opener Aug. 31 at home against Akron. Peters, a graduate transfer, is a former Mr. Football in Indiana who played 10 games with four starts at Michigan, passing for 680 yards and four touchdowns. He completed 58 of 110 passes in his first two seasons, including a career-high 20 completions for 186 yards in the Outback Bowl against South Carolina. He beat out freshman Isaiah Williams, sophomore Matt Robinson and redshirt freshman Coran Taylor for the starting job."We loved Brandon when we got a chance to know him during the recruiting process," coach Lovie Smith said. "Now that we've seen him on the field, he has been everything we though he would be. He has real ly thrown the ball well and is a better runner than he's given credit for. Most importantly, he has moved into a leadership role for us." Peters transferred to Illinois this summer with two years of eligibility remaining. - AP College Football
(DS#15 QB) rSr/2022 QB Brandon Peters, Illinois
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment/External News Feed: Here
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