clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

13 for '13: Andrus Peat ready to lock down the left tackle job

We have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Shayne Skov and Kevin Hogan this season - but 13 less heralded Cardinal players whose ability to adjust to larger roles will determine whether Stanford is competing for a 4th straight BCS invite or settling for a spot in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.

By Jack Blanchat
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Name: Andrus Peat
Position: OT
Year: Sophomore
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-7, 312 lbs.
Career Stats: 13 games played, averaged 20 snaps per game 
Shoes to Fill: Jonathan Martin

The Situation: Stanford's offensive line does have to replace Sam Schwartzstein at center, but perhaps the most intriguing offensive lineman this fall is sophomore Andrus Peat - the Cardinal's new left tackle. Peat has stepped up to take command of the position in just his second year on the Farm, and his ability to lock down the position should pay major dividends for the Stanford offense this season.

A year ago, the Cardinal were constantly rotating where each offensive linemen played. Watch just one sustained drive and you'll notice David Yankey moving from left tackle to right guard to left guard and then back to left tackle. That kind of versatility speaks highly of Yankey, but it also shows how undefined the roles were on the o-line a year ago. Now, Peat has the chance to become the cornerstone left tackle that the Cardinal lacked a year ago - where nobody truly filled the shoes of Miami Dolphin Jonathan Martin - and also help every other lineman find his place among the front five. That should immediately help the offensive line take its game up a notch in 2013. Take OC Mike Bloomgren's word for it. From The Stanford Daily:

"Even last year, [Yankey] played six different positions in one game," Bloomgren said. "He played plenty of guard last year. He just played tackle in every pass situation, or most of them...[but him moving back] allows us to do what we hang our hat on and do best, in the power scheme, gap scheme, with people pulling."

Camp Report: So fair, Peat has earned essentially unanimous praise this spring and fall. From The Stanford Daily:

Peat has drawn praise from his coaches throughout the spring. Though he gave up a sack to junior Kevin Anderson on Saturday, Peat has been, in head coach David Shaw's words, "phenomenal." Mike Bloomgren, who coached the offensive line until receiving a promotion to offensive coordinator this season, said that Peat "has come miles" since entering Stanford's training camp last August.

What he's done: Peat played as one of Stanford's "bonus" or "jumbo" linemen last season, rotating in on plays that called for 6 or 7 offensive lineman. However, Peat did take some snaps strictly at the left tackle spot as the year went along - and played quite well. Ultimately, he earned the most playing time of any freshman lineman, playing more snaps than Joshua Garnett or Kyle Murphy. All three entered Stanford as big-time recruits, but Peat stood alone by the time the 2012 season ended.

Where he came from: Peat, the son of former NFL O-lineman Todd Peat, grew up in Tempe, Arizona, where his father played for the Arizona Cardinals. The NFL pedigree explains how the younger Peat turned out to be such a huge kid. Coming out of high school, Peat was rated by Rivals as the 6th-best offensive lineman in the country and the best recruit from the state of Arizona. He was widely expected to go to Nebraska to play for the Cornhuskers with his brother, but pulled one of signing day's biggest surprises by joining the Cardinal.

Tweetworthy: Apparently Andrus is a young man we can all be proud of.