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QB Peter Costelli will enroll early at Utah; to skip senior season of football

The headliner of Utah's 2021 recruiting class in four-star quarterback Peter Costelli will opt of his senior year at Mission Viejo HS and enroll early at Utah to compete for the starting quarterback position

Ryan Kostecka

When the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) announced in July that all fall sports would be moving back to a starting date in either December 2020/January 2021, it meant that high school football seniors would have a very tough decision to make.

Among them is four-star quarterback Peter Costelli our of Mission Viejo HS in Mission Viejo, Calif. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic completely switching things around in the sports world, Costelli was set to play his senior season this fall, graduate high school in December and enroll early at Utah in January. 

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The early enrollment was because Costelli wants to compete for the starting quarterback position in the 2021 season, and arriving in January gives him the best option at achieving that.

But now with the CIF pushing back the football season. Costelli was forced with a decision to make. Does he pass on enrolling early at Utah so he can play one final season at Mission Viejo? Or does he pass on his senior year of high school football so he can enroll early at Utah and compete for the starting job.

It appears Costelli has made his decision because according to a report on 247sports, he's currently planning to pass on his senior season of high school football to enroll early in January.

"It was a tough decision for sure," Costelli told 247sports. "My goal has always been to graduate early and I think it's the best move for me going forward. I think it will help me get better prepared for college being there for spring ball. I''ll get a heads start on learning the offense and the playbook. Just being around the other players on the team and getting used to the college environment are all things I think will help me down the road."

Costelli did admit that this was his decision as of now, but with the situation remaining fluid, it could possibly change.

For instance, if the college football season gets pushed back to the spring — which continues to look like a possibility — there wouldn't be much of an opportunity for Costelli to enroll in January. If that's the case, he could theoretically play his senior season for Mission Viejo and then enroll at Utah in March/April or during the summer prior to next season.

"If the season is pushed back, that could change things for me," Costelli said. "My plan right now though is to be there and I plan to be ready to compete from day one. I'm not sure who the starter will be this season but I definitely play to compete and if I don't win the job, it is what it is and I'll wait for my turn. One of the hardest things about the decision is leaving Mission Viejo and not playing as a senior. We have a really good team coming back and I was really looking forward to seeing what we could do but like I said, this is the move I think that is best for me in the future so I had to do it."

peter costelli QB

Here's a complete breakdown by SI All-American director of recruiting John Garcia regarding what Costelli can do at the next level..

Prospect: Peter Costelli 
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 205 pounds
Position: Quarterback 
School: Mission Viejo High School 
Committed to: Utah
Projected Position: Quarterback

Frame: Tightly-wound body with good definition and composition. Athletic-looking torso with fairly-wide shoulders, thighs and hips.

Athleticism: Very good all-around athlete. Sprinter who runs the 100-meter dash and relays in track and field. Clocked at a 4.65 40-yard dash time. Has quick feet with good balance and excellent knee bend in his drops and setup. Keeps both hands on the ball at chest-level in the pocket. Stirring-type of release/delivery at times with good arm strength. A constant run-threat to defenses. Takes advantage of empty rush lanes and runs with excellent build-up speed in the open field.

Instincts: Good pocket awareness and feel for rush. Can maneuver well to manipulate the pocket. Capable of creating when things break down. At his best when on the run, and shows good accuracy to second level and outside the numbers. Very good run instincts. Reads blocks well and shows good awareness of second-level defenders. Decent elusiveness, yet relies on sheer speed as a runner.

Polish: Good pocket mechanics, notably with lower-half and appears to have been well-coached. Currently plays in a multiple offense with various passing concepts, and works from under center, shotgun and pistol. Decent mental processing with some ability to work through progressions across the field, though needs to speed up decision-making.

Bottom Line: Costelli is an athletic quarterback with good size and outstanding play speed. He has good feet in the pocket and is a nightmare for defenses as a runner. Although he must continue to smooth over his delivery and increase his mental processing quickness after the snap, he has the potential to become a starting-caliber college quarterback. Costelli fits best in an offense that moves the pocket and allows him to attack the edges on rolls and sprints, while also using him on designed runs and zone-read concepts.

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