| Peewee Jarrett | |
| Position: | Quarterback |
| Birth Date: | 12 October 1999[1] |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 5 |
| Weight Lb: | 240 |
| High School: | Herbert Hoover (Des Moines, Iowa) |
| College: | Ellsworth CC (2018) Iowa Central CC (2021) West Florida (2022–2023) |
| Undraftedyear: | 2024 |
| Pastteams: | |
Byron "Peewee" Jarrett Jr. (born October 12, 1999) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Ellsworth Community College, Iowa Central Community College, and West Florida.
Jarrett grew up in Des Moines, Iowa.[2] He attended Herbert Hoover High School in Des Moines, throwing for 2,364 passing yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior and then 2,710 yards (second-best in Iowa) and 23 touchdowns as a senior.[3] He ended his high school career having thrown for over 5,000 yards and over 50 touchdowns, which included breaking the single-game Hoover passing yards record with 547.[4] However, his team won only five games across his last two years and he had no offers to play NCAA college football.[3]
Jarrett was ultimately able to enroll at Ellsworth Community College in 2018, where he appeared in seven games before missing the rest of the year due to injury.[3] He then moved away to be closer to his sick grandmother, who died in February 2019.[3] He underwent two shoulder surgeries and did not play in the 2019 season.[3]
Jarrett joined Iowa Central Community College in 2020, but the season was pushed to spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] He said that, having not seen any playing time in over two years, "I was so set on quitting football."[3] After discussing with the team's head coach and with his father, Jarrett ultimately decided to continue his football career.[3] He played two seasons for the team – in both the spring and fall 2021 seasons – and totaled over 3,500 passing yards and 42 passing touchdowns, also rushing for close to 600 yards in the second season with 13 rushing touchdowns.[3] He was chosen a first-team National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-America selection.[3]
Having received attention from larger schools following his play at the NJCAA level, Jarrett committed to play for the NCAA Division I FCS Western Illinois Leathernecks, but decided to transfer to the Division II West Florida Argonauts after only one semester.[3] He won the starting job at West Florida, succeeding Austin Reed, and completed 165 passes for 2,719 yards and 33 touchdowns, throwing for a touchdown in all of the team's 14 games while leading them to 12 wins – second-best in program history – and an appearance in the semifinals of the Division II playoffs.[5] [6] [7]
In 2023, Jarrett threw for 2,989 yards and 32 touchdowns while running for 372 yards and three touchdowns.[8] He became the first player in school history to throw for over 5,000 yards with over 1,000 rushing yards.[9] He declared for the NFL draft after the season.[8]
After going unselected in the 2024 NFL draft, Jarrett was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent.[10] [11] He was waived by the Jets on May 6, after the team signed Andrew Peasley and Colby Suits.[12]