Columbus’ Tre Peterson officially signs for Ivy League School, two other Blue Devils headed to next level
The secret has long been out on where Columbus running back and slot receiver Tre Peterson will play college football. On Monday, he made it official as he and two other Blue Devils signed their National Letter of Intent.
Peterson signed with Yale at a ceremony at Columbus High. He also had an offer from Navy.
He’s prepared for the rigorous course load at the Ivy League school, and he’s also prepared to balance the responsibilities of college football and classes.
“I’m probably getting one of the best educations in the world,” Peterson told the Ledger-Enquirer on Feb. 3. “I’m going to take it. All of it.”
Peterson described Yale as a “family environment,” something he felt from everyone at the school, not just the athletes. He struck up a bond with recruiting coordinator and assistant head coach Derrick Lett before the senior committed to the Bulldogs. They’re “best buds” now, Peterson said.
When Peterson took his official visit, he made the trip alone. He was comfortable throughout the visit, he said, because he felt like he was at home.
Tre Peterson’s role at Yale
How Lett and the Bulldogs plan to use Peterson is unknown. Peterson played quarterback for most of 2019, but his best position is a slot receiver/running back hybrid. He does his best when isolated out in space, where he can make defenders miss and accelerate up field.
The Blue Devils lost three starting quarterbacks in 2019, so Peterson filled the void. He was voted to the region 1-4A all-region team as an athlete this season, a first-team athlete on the L-E’s 2019 All-Bi-City team and a class 4A All-State honorable mention.
Peterson ran for 591 yards (6.8 yards per carry) and eight touchdowns his senior season and had 291 yards passing and two touchdowns.
Peterson plans on majoring in biomedical engineering. One challenge he will face is choosing an area of emphasis. Yale’s biomedical engineering program offers four areas: biomedical imaging, biomolecular engineering, drug delivery and tissue engineering.
Peterson hasn’t decided which area he’ll choose, but plans to have his mind made up before arriving on campus.
Where other Blue Devils players signed
▪ Blake Lawson, a 6-1, 260-pound senior offensive lineman, signed to play football for Columbus State’s club team.
The Cougars made the NCFA playoffs last season, losing to Ohio State and finishing the season 8-2 and going unbeaten in conference play.
According to CSU, the school’s club 11-man tackle football team competes against other colleges or universities that have a club team, or a school’s JV team. The club football team is not affiliated with the school’s athletic department, but falls under CSU’s Department of Campus Recreation.
“I think there’s a bad stigma about club part of it,” Lawson said Monday. “They’re a real football team. They play scholarship programs. They won their conference last year and got so close to the national championship, too. So, I’m really just looking forward to coming in and getting a ring.”
▪ Davis Livingston signed to play baseball at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC).
Livingston, a pitcher and left fielder for the Blue Devils, committed to ABAC in December, according to his Twitter account. According to Perfect Game, he holds a rating of 7 out of 10, which is described by the site as a “college prospect, possible future draft pick with development.”
“It’s definitely a big step for me,” Livingston said Monday. “I’ve been working for it for a while. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to get it done, but I worked hard the past four years and I was able to find a school that fit my talents well.”
This story was originally published February 10, 2020 at 4:16 PM.
