Cincinnati Bearcats Land LSU Receiver Avery Peterson
By Chris Bains
The Cincinnati Bearcats have landed former LSU wide receiver and four star recruit Avery Peterson, younger brother of Arizona Cardinals star cornerback Patrick Peterson. Bearcat Journal’s Tim Adams broke the news.
Peterson announced he was leaving the Tigers earlier this month. It’s anyone’s guess as to why he transferred out of Baton Rouge but you can probably pin it on the quartet of talented receivers returning to LSU next year; Travin Dural, Malachi Dupre, John Diarse, and Trey Quinn. Peterson was a redshirt sophomore heading into next year and he hadn’t caught a single pass in two years with the Tigers.
A four star signee in LSU’s 2013 recruiting class, he was redshirted during his first year due to a broken ankle he suffered during the practices leading up to the season. Then as a redshirt sophomore in 2014, the 6’2″, 200 lbs receiver barely stepped on the field. He appeared against New Mexico State when the Tigers were stomping on the throat of the Aggies. But that’s about it as far as Peterson’s impact last season and it probably wouldn’t have been much different in 2015.
The Bearcats of course are in deep need for his services. As mentioned when Jamil Kamara, the former US Army All-American from Virginia, officially transferred to UC, Cincinnati loses six seniors on the outside after this season. Only a handful of receivers on the current roster will be back and even less (Nate Cole) return with actual sizable in-game experience. Peterson will have an opportunity to trot onto the field with the starting offense in game one of Cincinnati’s 2016 season.
Ultimately the LSU transfer will have three years to play two because he’ll have to sit out the upcoming season. When Peterson is eligible in 2016, again, he has a strong chance to see his name at the top of the depth chart come this time next year. The sky’s the limit for his UC career from that point onward.