Class of 22 TE Jack Pedersen Talks Stanford

3D AGO FOOTBALL

Pedersen’s skill and character stand out at a young age

Jacob Rayburn • CardinalSportsReportPublisher

Vista Murrieta tight end Jack Pedersen is a national prospect in the 2022 class and he has offers from eight of the Pac-12 schools before the start of his junior year. Stanford is one of them and they offered July 12. 

 – NATL – ST – POSJACKPEDERSENUNDECIDED6’4″ | 235 LBS | TE | 2022VISTA MURRIETAMURRIETA, CAN/A

“I was really pumped up about it,” Pedersen said. “It was an offer I was definitely looking forward to.”

He has been talking with Stanford coaches for a couple months and his main contact has been Tavita Pritchard. 

“They’re really passionate about their tight end play and how they use them. When you go there you’re going to be involved in a lot of things with a lot of other people.”

That’s a perfect fit for Pedersen’s personality, according to the description from his head coach, Eric Petersen. Petersen has known Pedersen since the summer before his freshman year.

“He’s been amazing ever since he got here. He walked onto campus with a humble and driven attitude to be the best version of himself athletically, academically and socially. He’s been a joy to be around.”

Petersen recalled a time he saw a young student sitting alone at lunch and he asked Pedersen to go sit down with him and check to see if the kid was Ok. Pedersen went over and started a conversation. 

“He sees the value in the little things and caring more about others than himself. He believes in doing things for others so that we all can win. That’s what we noticed right away is his willingness to help others.”

Pedersen was excited to hear from Pritchard and Turner that his freshman roommate will not be a football player. He likes the idea of getting to know people with a variety of backgrounds and interests. 

He wants his future locker room and relationship with his teammates and coaches to feel like a family. For someone who doesn’t have even a hint of Big Man On Campus Syndrome, he doesn’t want to see that in a football program, either.

Petersen calls Pedersen “Jack Jack” and that could be because when he hits an opponent they see double. He brings physicality to his play at tight end and Petersen is confident he can play defensive line in college as well.

Vista Murrieta’s offensive coordinator is none other than Todd Gerhart, the father of Stanford legend Toby Gerhart. And his father, Jon, was a long snapper and backup guard at Nebraska from 1990-1995.

Gerhart and his father are two knowledgeable influences to help guide Jack to become a complete football player. 

“He’s taught me almost everything I know,” Jack said of his father. “Since I was a kid he told me to always compete and never quit.”