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With a little over a week before the season starts, the SMU quarterback depth chart just got a little stronger for the future.
Arkansas quarterback, Rafe Peavey, announced on Twitter Tuesday night that he was leaving the Razorbacks program for SMU.
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Peavey was competing for the backup job behind Austin Allen, who was named the Razorbacks starter back in the spring. Previously, Peavey had said in multiple interviews that despite not being the starter, he had no intention of leaving the program
The Missouri native was the No. 2 quarterback coming out of spring, but nagging back issues in the summer forced a second competition for the backup job against Ty Storey and Cole Kelley. Peavey had participated in limited practice during fall camp while recovering. Peavey did not play in the Razorbacks final scrimmage this past Saturday.
Now Peavey will not play for the Mustangs in 2016 per NCAA transfer rules, but it is a nice get for SMU for the 2017 season. Current starter, Matt Davis, is a senior and Peavey will have an excellent chance to compete and possibly win the SMU starting quarterback job. He will have two years of eligibility remaining once 2017 begins.
Peavey will hope to bring experience to the Mustangs when he gets his chance to play. He will get a season to sit back and learn the SMU offense. Peavey never appeared in a game for the Razorbacks, but he comes from a school that grooms its quarterbacks well to make Arkansas competitive year in and year out.
Coming out of high school, Peavey was the number four ranked quarterback in the State of Missouri and received 24 different offers from Division I schools. Playing and competing for a starting quarterback job in the SEC is also not one of the easiest things to do.
For now, the jury will be out for another year on whether this move was a steal or a bust for SMU. Peavey’s pro-style quarterback build bodes well for the AAC. Peavey was a really coveted prospect out of high school, now the Mustangs will be patient to see if he was can reach his potential with a second chance.