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Oct 06, 2014 | 03:01 pm
Peek has "best relationship" with Syracuse
Corey BenderFlorida Recruiting Analyst
Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep defensive tackle, Bo Peek, is a gifted defensive tackle who's in the midst of a breakout junior campaign. Over the weekend, Peek made the stroll up to South Bend to visit Notre Dame and says the Fighting Irish probably have the "best fans" he's ever been around.
Bo Peek is a Florida boy who's been consumed with blue skies and palm trees for the majority of his upbringing in the Tampa Bay area. But the Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep defensive tackle is always open to a change of scenery, and had that opportunity over the weekend when he set foot in South Bend for the
Notre Dame game.
"I'll be honest with you, I didn't know what to expect," Peek said. "I got off the plane and loved the weather at first because it's so hot in Florida. I got to see their campus and facilities, which were beautiful. The fans were going crazy and talking to all of us recruits and stuff like that.
"I didn't know this was happening, but I got to do the walk in front of the players. I walked through thousands of Notre Dame fans, who were probably the best fans I've been around. The actual game atmosphere was unbelievable. It was raining and 31 degrees with wind-chill, and there were dudes with their shirts off going crazy."
Peek, a well-rounded defensive lineman whose game consists of both power and finesse, is the midst of a breakout season at 6-foot-3, 290-pounds.
The likes of
Ole Miss,
South Florida,
Boston College,
Syracuse,
UCF and
Vanderbilt have dished out scholarship offers to Peek, while Brian Kelly and the Fighting Irish continue to evaluate the three-star defensive lineman out of the 2016 class.
"As far as where I stand with them, they said I'm really high on their board and that they're going to come after me hard," Peek said. "They like me a lot and the head coach saw my film and loves it. I just have to keep my grades up because it's obviously a great academic school. I'll let my play do the speaking for itself."
This upcoming weekend, the Syracuse Orangemen will have a shot at drawing rave reviews from Peek as well. Scott Shafer's coaching staff jumped into the mix with an offer over the offseason with hopes of landing Peek's trust and support for the long haul.
"Out of all the schools, I think I have the best relationship with Syracuse's coaches," Peek said. "(Head) coach (Scott) Schafer, coach (Tim) Daoust, the defensive line coach, (quarterbacks) coach (Tim) Lester, I just have such a good relationship with all of them.
"They're always writing me handwritten letters and are on a real personal level with me, which is something I like. I know that comes with recruiting, but I actually feel good at Syracuse. That's why I'm excited to come up for my second visit."
