Focusing in on Jordyn Peters

Welcome to the 13th article in the “Focus in” series. Today we’re taking a look at former Auburn safety Jordyn Peters. We’ve already touched on a number of players and you can read those by clicking the names below. As always I hope you enjoy and if there is a prospect you’d really like covered, then drop their name in the comments below.

Tristen Hoge. Kenny Yeboah. Jason Pinnock. Hamsah Nasirildeen. Jamien Sherwood. Chris Naggar. Isaiah Dunn. Milo Eifler. Hamilcar Rashed Jr. Parker Ferguson. Brandin Echols. Brendon White

Peters lettered in Basketball, Football, and Track at Muscle Shoals, Alabama. A standout on the football field, Peters may have only been considered a 3* recruit by 247, but he was heavily recruited by some of the top programs in college football including Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Michigan and eventually Auburn. The Alabama native was always looking and waiting for that Auburn offer to arrive and after performing in a prospect camp in front of the Auburn coaches, the offer finally did arrive...

“It was a dream for me to get that offer. I’ve been working pretty hard. When I started playing football, I always wanted to go to Auburn. When I started getting offers from other schools, I sort of strayed from that, but to get that one, it made me feel great and let me know how far I’ve come and let me achieve what I really started playing for.”

Peters was listed as the 48th best safety in the 2017 class and 32nd best prospect in Alabama. Coming out of Muscle Shoals, Peters was considered a physical and explosive player and it seems as though the Auburn coaching staff liked what they saw.

“They told me they like my physicality and love how I play the game and my athleticism,” Peters said. “Pretty much, they only said they think I can improve on is my strength and I can be more physical with my hands. Other than that, they like pretty much everything else.”

He enrolled in May 2017 and immediately saw action as a freshman. He recorded 24 tackles, 1.5 for a loss, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and 2 passes defended. Peters impressed the Auburn coaching staff throughout the Summer and quickly earned significant playing time at the nickel, pushing his case for more playing time with notable performances against some of the better teams in the conference. It was a challenge, but a challenge that was embraced:

“I would just say (the biggest challenge was) confidence-building and just coming in and believing in myself that I can go out there and compete with those guys to the standard that they have built and not come out there and be a target or a soft spot,” Peters said. “Just come out there and be a part of the team and not have any fall-off or anything like that.”

2018 went the same way as 2017 with Peters again showing his explosive ability but largely being resigned to a backup/nickle/dime role, but he also showed a knack on special teams blocking 3 punts. But it wasn’t all plain-sailing, Peters picked up an injury that kept him out of a lot of spring ball, slowing his progress and his momentum. He did improve his reading of the game and his play speed and that showed with 3.5 tackles for a loss and another sack. He also got to start 3 games in 2018, the first starts of his college career.

“Peters fits really well at the star (nickel) position,” Dinson said. “He’s kinda one of the players we put in different positions. He was playing corner in the bowl week and he’s a really good player, good speed, long. He’ll be really good.”

After a quiet 2019 which saw Peters struggle with nagging injuries and miss time during the Spring, he elected to come back to Auburn for his senior season. Entering the draft on the back of an 11 tackle season wouldn’t have been the wisest choice.

In 2020 he saw time in the safety rotation, acting as the #3 and performing like a starter. He finished the season with 42 tackles, 1 TFL, 5 passes defended and his first career interception in college. Peters showcased his versatility by being able to move from safety to nickle and he spoke about that at Auburn’s pro-day:

“At the end of the day, if I can move from position to position, I have more value as a player,” Peters said. “So I always pride myself on trying to learn as much as I can, learn as many positions as I can, just so I can be ready if somebody gets hurt at another position, I’m also prepared to go jump in.”

Leaving Auburn, Peters was largely unconsidered a 7th-UDFA signing in this years draft. Elite against the run, and very special on special teams. He didn’t get as much opportunity to showcase his talents on defense as you may have liked, but by all accounts, he was a fantastic teammate and one of the hardest-working players on the team.

He joined an Auburn team that has plenty of talent at the safety position over the four years he was on the roster. Tray Matthews, Stephen Roberts, Jeremiah Dinson, Daniel Thomas, Smoke Monday and of course Jamien Sherwood. He carved out a role for himself and turned out to be a special teams stud, and that’s where he’ll likely make his money at the next level. I think it’s a long shot for Peters to stick as an out and out defender, but his special teams may get him a shot to prove himself.