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Ole Miss hires Jacob Peeler as wide receivers coach

Hugh Freeze has rounded out his staff with a Mississippi native.

By Zach Berry Updated
NCAA Football: Texas at California John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Ole Miss has finally completed it’s staff overhaul with the hiring of a new wide receivers coach. Jacob Peeler, the inside wide receivers coach at California, will be leaving Berkeley to coach wide receivers in Oxford.

Peeler, who’s spent the last four years at Cal, grew up in Kosciusko, Miss. An alumnus of Louisiana Tech, Peeler began his coaching career as an assistant at Itawamba Community College before joining Sonny Dykes at Louisiana Tech.

After following Dykes to Cal, Peeler helped the Golden Bears put up monster offensive numbers. In his first year, Cal set school records for single-season passing yards and pass completions. A year later, the offense finished 10th in the country in passing yards and in 2015, Peeler coached three receivers to 40-plus catches, led by All-Pac-12 star Bryce Treggs (45 receptions, 956 yards, 7 TD). That year also saw the team finish with single-season school records in passing yards, passing yards per game, passing touchdowns, total offense and total yards per game.

But, it was in 2016 when the Bears’ offense exploded. Quarterback David Webb threw for 4,295 yards and 37 touchdowns and Peeler had four receivers finish with 40 or more receptions, led by Chad Hansen (92 receptions, 1,249 yards, 11 touchdowns), who was named Second Team All-Pac-12.

Peeler will also be of value on the recruiting trail. Last cycle, he was also able to beat out Alabama, Georgia and Notre Dame for the signature of the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver prospect, five-star Demetris Robertson. Under Peeler’s tutelage, Robertson caught 50 balls for 767 yards and seven touchdowns on his way to a Freshman All-American season. Peeler also signed a top-five all-purpose back and three-star Jordan Duncan out of Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg en route to a top 25 class and being named one of 247Sports’ Top 20 Recruiters of the Year.

This is the second time this offseason that Ole Miss thought it had a new wideouts coach. Oregon offensive coordinator Matt Lubick agreed to take over the role last month, but backed out after Baylor offered him a coordinator job.

The position opened initially because long-time Freeze assistant Grant Heard is leaving to become the passing game coordinator at Indiana.