Peterson on UW commitment: "It just felt like family and it felt like home"
Wisconsin received a commitment from projected outside linebacker Darryl Peterson on Monday afternoon.
A three-star prospect from Hoban High School in Ohio, Peterson chose UW over offers from Alabama, Michigan, West Virginia, Northwestern, Maryland and Michigan State, among others.
"I told the coaches yesterday (Sunday) on a Zoom meeting," Peterson told BadgerBlitz.com. "I almost shed a tear when I heard the stuff they were saying about me and how I fit at Wisconsin.
"It was me, Coach (Joe) Rudolph, Coach (Bobby) April and Coach (Paul) Chryst, and you could feel how happy they were even though we were on Zoom."
The Badgers, who signed fellow Hoban standout Quan Easterling in the 2019 class, hosted Peterson last fall and most recently on March 1. He is the 12th known commitment for UW in the 2021 class.
"I've been talking to guys like Hunter Wohler, Bryan Sanborn and Deacon Hill for over a month now - really since March 1 for some of the guys I met during the junior day," Peterson said. "There's nothing like knowing the people you're going to be there with, so that made it a lot easier for me. And then I've been there four times already, and it's not far from home.
"So being around the guys and being around the coaches, it just felt like family and it felt like home. Having a former teammate there in Quan Easterling made it easier and I know he'll help me get acclimated and adjusted. All that stuff played a huge role."
During Peterson's visit to UW in March, he had a chance to meet four-star junior T.J. Bollers, who also has Wisconsin in his top group. The two have stayed in close contact ever since.
"I'm going after T.J., 100 percent," Peterson said. "He's next and I'm coming after him with all I got. He's going to put the icing on the cake for this class. We definitely have to get a receiver, too, so Skyler Bell is someone else we're working on. We need some more players like those two guys.
"It feels great and it's a weight lifted off my shoulders. I'm excited to be able to focus on school and being able to lead my team to another state championship. That's the next goal for me."
With on-campus visits shut down in June and July, when will Peterson be able to visit Wisconsin for a fifth time?
"The coaches are thinking during my school season, so in October or November," Peterson said. "They told me to bet on doing that when I have a bye week during the fall."