Mark J. Rebilas – USA TODAY Sports
The Stanford Cardinal have found a formula for success in Palo Alto with a physical offensive line that has set the tone for the entire offense. David Shaw is looking to continue that winning formula in 2013 and he’s found the perfect offensive tackle to carry on the tradition in Andrus Peat.
Peat found the field during his freshman season in 2012 primarily on the right side of the line, showing flashes of being a monster bookend with his size and strength. This spring, he’s made the move to left tackle, allowing All-American David Yankey to move back down to his natural position of left guard. So far, he’s been everything the coaches could hope for.
Stanford’s coaches can’t stop raving about Peat and his improvement this spring. Shaw called his work so far “phenomenal,” while Michael Bloomgren, who coached the offensive line last season before his promotion to offensive coordinator, said Peat has “come miles” since last fall.
Even his teammates, like Yankey, have noticed how much improvement he’s accomplished:
“We always knew he had the physical tools. Even as a true freshman he did some special things physically and didn’t completely grasp the playbook. But he’s just come such a long way. He’s really matured as a player and he’s got the playbook down mentally and he has the drive, the will — you see his frustration after bad reps — and he’s gotten better every day.”
One of the keys to Peat’s big spring has been his mastery of a special open-handed punch that he learned from his father, Todd who played six seasons in the NFL and he’s been using it to perfection this spring.
On top of his greater understanding of the playbook and strong rush-stopping punch, the 6-foot-7 Peat has shown excellent footwork. He’s been able to drop and cover quarterback Kevin Hogan‘s blind side against even the quickest of Stanford’s defenders this spring.
Peat’s emergence will help Stanford continue their physical style of play without skipping a beat in 2013. He will be key as Stanford breaks in a new running back in their rushing attack and continues to rely more heavily on Hogan.
The big sophomore will be an anchor of the Cardinal line for years to come and will help them continue to be one of the most physical teams in college football.
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