Twitter: @peelsjp | @calfootball
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Jacob Peeler is in his fourth season as a member of the Cal football staff and his second campaign as the team’s inside receivers coach in 2016 after having worked with the same position group as a graduate assistant in 2012 and 2013. Peeler has been instrumental in the success of Cal's record-breaking the past three seasons and has also developed into one of the nation's top recruiters.
“Jacob does an outstanding job as a coach on the field and he also has an outstanding track record with recruiting," head coach Sonny Dykes said. "He has really helped us bring in some of the nation's best student-athletes. He is very detailed, thorough and an excellent communicator. I’m excited about his future in the coaching profession.”
The inside receivers played a major role in the Golden Bears 8-5 record in 2015 that was the team's first eight-win season since the 2009 squad was also 8-5 with only 29 teams since the beginning of Cal football in 1882-83 winning eight or more and only 17 either nine or 10. Cal capped its 2015 season with its first bowl victory since 2008 in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl with the spot in postseason play its first since 2011.
Cal's offense flourished again in 2015, setting numerous records including single-season school marks in passing yardage (4,892), passing yards per game (376.3 ypg), passing touchdowns (44), total offense (6,879), total yards per game (529.2 ypg), total touchdowns (63), scoring offense (37.9 ppg, modern-era record), first downs (341) and first downs passing (201), with all the marks previously set in 2013 or 2014.
Cal ranked third nationally in passing offense, eighth in total offense and 17th in scoring offense in 2015, with all of the numbers second in the Pac-12.
Peeler coached a trio of inside wide receivers in his first season as a full-time coach on the offensive staff in 2015 that had at least 40 catches led by Bryce Treggs (45 receptions, team-high 956 yards receiving, 7 TD) and also including Darius Powe (47-560-8) and Stephen Anderson (41-474-2). Treggs and Anderson were both two-time All-Pac-12 honorable mention selections who picked up their second honor as 2015 seniors under Peeler. Treggs also finished his career fourth all-time at Cal with 195 receptions, fifth with 2,506 yards receiving and 10th with 15 touchdown catches. All of Powe's numbers were career highs.
All three players signed undrafted free agent contracts following the 2016 NFL Draft with Anderson going to Houston, Powe signing with the New York Giants and Treggs hooking on with the San Francisco 49ers.
Peeler also helped bring in a strong 2016 recruiting class highlighted by the signing of wide receiver Demetris Robertson to a financial aid agreement. Robertson, who announced on May 2 that he had would be enrolling at Cal, was the nation’s top-ranked receiver in the 2016 recruiting class according to Rivals, 247Sports and 247Sports Composite. He was also Rivals’ No. 8 player overall while 247Sports Composite had him at No. 14 and 247Sports No. 16. Scout (No. 3, No. 23), ESPN (No. 6/No. 62) also ranked Robertson among their top wide receivers and players overall. Robertson was a five-star recruit according to Rivals, Scout, 247Sports and 247Sports Composite, while he garnered four from ESPN.
Cal set or equaled nine single-season school or modern-era records on the offense side of the ball in 2014 while Peeler was working with the inside receivers as a graduate assistant. Cal established single-season records for passing yards (4,152) and passing touchdowns (37) that were broken in 2015, as well as marks for total yards per game (495.2 ypg) and first downs passing (188) that will likely be surpassed this season. Cal also set modern-era school records for points (459), scoring average (38.2 ppg) and touchdowns (61) that were second all-time behind the 1920 team (510 points, 56.7 ppg, 72 touchdowns), while tying modern-era records for PAT (56) and PAT attempts (57). Cal’s 5,942 yards of total offense in 2014 is also third in school history. In addition, the Bears became the first Cal team in the modern era to score 55 or more points in a game three times including 40 or more five times and 30 or more on 10 occasions.
The Bears set or equaled nine single-season school or modern-era school records on the offensive side of the ball in 2014. Cal established single-season records for passing yards (4,152), passing touchdowns (37), total yards per game (495.2 ypg) and first downs passing (188), as well modern-era school records for points (459), scoring average (38.2 ppg) and touchdowns (61) that were all that were broken in 2015 and now rank third all-time also behind the 1920 team (510 points, 56.7 ppg, 72 touchdowns). Cal also tied modern-era records for PAT (56) and PAT attempts (57). In addition, the Bears became the first Cal team in the modern era to score 55 or more points in a game three times including 40 or more on five occasions and 30 or more 10 times.
Cal ranked in the top 25 nationally in a total of seven offensive categories in 2014 including passing offense (6th, 346.0 ypg), scoring offense (10th, 38.3 ppg), total offense (13th, 495.2 ypg), fourth-down conversion percentage (14th, 67.9%, 19-28), first downs offense (19th, 319), third-down conversions (23rd, 46.1%) and team passing efficiency (24th, 145.77).
Despite being an inexperienced unit that was the nation’s second-youngest to start the season and battling injuries that caused players on the preseason depth chart to miss 138 games, Cal still set school records during Peeler's first season in 2013 for single-season passing yards (3,977), pass completions (368) and total plays (1,046), with the passing yards mark being broken in 2014. The passing offense finished third in the Pac-12 and 10th in the nation with an average of 331.4 yards per game that was also the best in school history before being surpassed in both 2014 and 2015. Cal’s 5,443 yards of total offense in 2013 is the fifth-highest total in school history and its average of 453.6 yards per game ranks sixth.
Peeler has developed the likes of current Green Bay Packers’ tight end and third-round 2014 NFL Draft pick Richard Rodgers as well as Anderson, Powe and Treggs over the last three seasons. Under Peeler’s tutelage, Rodgers (39 receptions, 608 yards, 1 TD reception) and Anderson (46 receptions, 661 receiving yards, 5 TD receptions) both registered the best statistical numbers of their collegiate careers in 2013 and 2014, respectively, before Treggs put up a couple of his career bests and Powe all of his in 2015.
CAL PLAYERS ON JACOB PEELER
“Coach Peeler comes into work every single day with a mindset to get better as a coach as well as get his players better. He challenges his players to pay attention to detail and not take any rep off. He creates a fun, family-oriented yet competitive environment in the meeting rooms and has played a major role in my improvement as a player.”
– Former TE/WR Stephen Anderson
“Coach Peeler is a great coach who bring energy every day. He's earned the respect of every person he coaches and finds ways to bring out the best on each athlete. He's one of those guys you can rely on to have you prepared for whatever the defense is going to throw at you. Coach Peeler is the coach you want in your corner when all the odds are against you.”
– Junior WR Raymond Hudson
“Coach Peeler is a great coach in every sense. He is very relatable and really cares about his guys. He really stresses fundamentals and technique. He helps us on and off the field and is very interested in this team.”
– Junior WR Jordan Veasy
Peeler spent four seasons (2009-12) on the football staff at his alma mater Louisiana Tech including the final three campaigns when Dykes was the team’s head coach, serving as a graduate assistant working with the inside receivers in 2012 after three previous seasons in quality control roles on the offensive side of the ball. Before returning to Louisiana Tech, he coached at both Itawamba Community College (Fulton, MS) and Independence Community College (Independence, KS).
Peeler added a master’s degree in kinesiology in 2008 from Mississippi State after receiving his bachelor’s degree in education in 2007 from Louisiana Tech, where he played two seasons (2005-06) and started all 13 games as a senior for an offensive line that helped the Bulldogs produce 4,479 total yards. Peeler redshirted his first season in Ruston in 2004.
Peeler arrived at Louisiana Tech after playing every offensive snap for two seasons in 2002 and 2003 at Holmes Community College (Goodman, MS), where he earned All-American as well first-team All-State and first-team All-NJCAA Region 23 honors.
Peeler and his fiancé, Tori Hollis, are planning to marry in July of 2016.
Jacob Peeler File
Birthdate: January 6, 1984
Hometown: Kosciusko, MS
High School: Kosciusko HS
College: Louisiana Tech, 1997, Bachelor's in Kinesiology; Mississippi State, 1998, Master's in Kinesiology
Family: Fiancé, Tori Hollis
Coaching History
Season: Team – Position
2008: Itawamba Community College – Tight Ends/Assistant Offensive Line
2009: Louisiana Tech – Quality Control, Offense
2010: Louisiana Tech – Quality Control, Offense
2011: Louisiana Tech – Quality Control, Offense
2012: Louisiana Tech – Graduate Assistant, Offense (Inside Receivers)
2013: Cal – Graduate Assistant, Offense (Inside Receivers)
2014: Cal – Graduate Assistant, Offense (Inside Receivers)
2015: Cal – Inside Receivers
2016: Cal – Inside Receivers
Bowl History (2 Games)
Season: Team – Bowl
2011: Louisiana Tech – Poinsettia Bowl
2015: Cal – Armed Forces Bowl
*Season in which bowl game was played
Last Updated
July 8, 2016
