ISU’s Peavy catching on fast

AMES - Brian Peavy doesn't get surprised very easily. Despite the youth and fresh enthusiasm he's inserted into Iowa State's defense, he's rarely caught off guard.

The 5-foot-9, 184-pound red-shirt freshman wasn't even taken aback when Iowa State Coach Paul Rhoads approached him in the middle of last season's finale at TCU. Rhoads wanted to have a quick chat with Peavy for a while, and finally took advantage of a dead ball situation to have a word.

'I wrapped my arm around him,” Rhoads said, 'and said, ‘You've already made a decision that you're going to be a significant factor on our football team next year, haven't you?' And he just smiled.”

Rhoads didn't approach Peavy on a whim. Everything he'd seen from the Houston native as he worked on the scout team led Rhoads to praise a kid who'd never played a snap in college. Now through the first three games of 2015, the Cyclones (1-2) are reaping the benefits of Peavy in the secondary.

Speed, quickness in change of direction and well-timed plays on the ball have led Peavy to rank atop the Big 12 with five pass breakups and an interception. Part of Peavy's emergence is his ability to be in the right spot, but he credits the confidence he developed on the scout team, spring ball and fall camp.

'If you don't have confidence, you don't have that edge to me,” Peavy said. 'I feel like going out every game and attacking and just saying you're better than that defender and going out and proving it.”

Peavy ranks second on the ISU roster in unassisted tackles (11) behind free safety Kamari Cotton-Moya (12), but it's his pass breakup number that is most eye-catching and led to interest from Texas while Peavy was at Westfield High School.

Although he visited with Longhorns' coaches, an offer never came so Peavy had to decide between his offers from Texas Tech and Iowa State. Ultimately Peavy felt passion from Iowa State, but doesn't forget the feeling of being overlooked by the big schools in his home state.

'I'm sure that motivates a lot of people,” Peavy said. 'There's a lot of schools around the world where people have been overlooked. I got a look, so that's my opportunity and I'm running with it.”

In Iowa State's switch to a 3-4 defensive scheme, Peavy has been able to thrive and find himself in the right position. He developed in making the correct reads, taking the right angles and playing at the appropriate leverage, which is why defensive coordinator Wally Burnham wasn't surprised to see Peavy climb the depth chart and make plays early.

'He's working hard. He's trying to perfect his skills,” Burnham said. 'He goes out there in individual drills and he works real hard. You get him in 11-on-11 or 7-on-7 type situations and he's working. He's learning and he's getting more experience and getting more snaps.”

Bolstered by depth, the Cyclones secondary has been able to rotate defensive backs more regularly than in the past couple seasons. In addition to staying fresh, Peavy said receiving more comprehensive coaching during games has helped him elevate his game.

'We're just playing with more swagger as a (defensive back unit),” Peavy said. 'When we see the ball we want to go get it. We're bringing a playmaker mind-set to the table every day.”

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