Recruit profile: Virginia’s Peter Lalich

By Jon Elliott  |   Sunday, April 01, 2007  |  Comments( 4 )

Virginia Cavaliers
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He's well-known to college recruiters and high school football enthusiasts, but he is not a household name to the average football fan. However, that may be about to change. Peter Lalich was one of the top-rated quarterbacks coming out of high school last year. He drew interest from several higher-tier college programs including California, Miami, Michigan, USC, UCLA and North Carolina State. Instead, he decided to stay true to his commonwealth and play for the University of Virginia.

As a senior at West Springfield High School, Lalich completed 208-of-307 passes for an impressive 3,134 yards and 33 touchdowns. He already has the size of an ideal college quarterback, standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 235 pounds. He also flaunts a strong arm and a terrific pocket presence. Lalich has an air of confidence surrounding him, too, and seems to be mentally prepared for the rigors of high-level competition.

As with all newcomers, there are a couple of areas that could use improvement. Lalich at times has been streaky and inconsistent, and his accuracy has not always been reliable. He also sometimes fails to put touch on the ball, sometimes throwing bullets to his receivers when it's not necessary. Those are common weaknesses from incoming freshmen, though, and a year or two of solid coaching should bring vast improvement.

Although Lalich doesn't possess blazing speed, he has the ability to sidestep the rush and make throws on the run. He will most likely red shirt his first year and learn from Virginia's most immediate project, Jameel Sewell.

Sewell was inconsistent in his first year as the starting quarterback, but he showed definite potential. The ideal situation for the Cavaliers would be to have Sewell continue his improvement and become the sole signal caller. By the time he graduates, Lalich should be more than ready to step in and assume the role. However, Sewell has his doubters, and Lalich has a continually building fan base, so it wouldn't be a shock to see Lalich stake claim to the starting position sometime in 2008.

Since he signed his letter of intent with Virginia, Lalich has become an ambassador for the school, taking it upon himself to recruit other high-profile players. He understands that the more talent that comes to Virginia, the better the chances are of building a contender. His efforts resulted in a top-20 recruiting class for a team that is already returning most of its 2006 starters.

The Cavaliers still have a long way to go, but thanks in part to Lalich, they are definitely headed in the right direction. Most won't hear much more about Lalich this year, but don't forget his name. He could be the future leader of a Wahoo revival.
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