Same position, same looks?

Peavey turns heads for comparisons to Tebow

BOCA RATON Florida Atlantic quarterback Rafe Peavey has heard it since he was in high school.

For as long as he can remember, he’s been told how much he resembles Tim Tebow. It followed him on previous college stops at Arkansas and SMU and is now the case at FAU.

“Honestly, I get it like once a day,” he said. “Before I thought it was like our faith and stuff, but many people think we look alike for some reason.”

Peavey, who remains in the starting quarterback race, does bear a strong resemblance to Tebow. A former Heisman Trophy winner at Florida, Tebow is one of college football’s most celebrated players.

“I’m not even kidding, I get it like once a day,” Peavey said. “Every day. People at the gas station, Dunkin’ Donuts, it doesn’t matter where it is. … Going back to high school, they used to call me ‘Rafe-bow’ because I look like Tim Tebow. It was funny. … I could be compared to worse people.”

Peavey joined the FAU team as a graduate transfer nearly three weeks ago. A four-star recruit out of high school, he still has a chance to win the Owls’ quarterback job despite the late arrival. Coach Lane Kiffin said earlier this week there remains no separation between Peavey, junior De’Andre Johnson and freshman Chris Robison.

“I try not to look over my shoulder,” Peavey said. “I’ve always been that way. Just trying to draw a circle around myself and just try to take it one day at a time and get

one percent better everyday. Just do the best I can. That’s really all I can do.”

A reunion

Johnson had to do a doubletake when he first encountered offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. It was 2016 when Weis, the son of the former Florida offensive coordinator, was briefly hired as FAU’s tight ends coach before leaving a few months later to take a position with the Atlanta Falcons.

He returned to the program in January in the new role. It took Johnson a while before realizing when they first met.

“It wasn’t until this year I figured out that I’d met him when I was in eighth grade,” Johnson said. “His dad was recruiting me to the Gators. I said, ‘You remember this picture from five or six years ago?’ That was a good moment. He’s a great, smart coach, close to our age level, so I can relate to him.”

Safety battle heats up

While the quarterback competition dominates the headlines, the safety battle has drawn attention from the coaching staff. Sophomore Zyon Gilbert, who started most of last season, is being pushed by senior Ocie Rose.

Rose, who was a Freshman AllAmerican in 2015 before losing his spot, had a revival in the offseason. Kiffin said both have shown equal effort during the preseason.

“Trying to find a way to get them both on the field,” Kiffin said. “Very good players. I said from the first time Zyon got here, he was an SEC weight, height, speed player. So both of those guys are doing really well and hopefully they’ll play a lot.”