2017 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten for second year . . . 2017 – – Saw action in 24-3 win over Wyoming, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 44-41 OT win at Iowa State as offense gained 497 yards total offense . . . one reception for nine yards in fourth quarter scoring drive . . . saw action in 31-14 win over North Texas as offense gained 435 yards total offense, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 21-19 loss to #4 Penn State, but had no statistics . . . saw action on special teamsin 17-10 loss at Michigan State, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 45-16 win over Illinois, but had no statistics as offense gained 441 yards total offfense . . . saw action in 17-10 OT loss at Northwestern, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 17-10 win over Minnesota, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 55-24 win over #3 Ohio State, but had no statistics as offense gained 487 yards total offense . . . saw action in 38-14 loss at #6 Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 24-15 loss to Purdue, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 56-14 win at Nebraska, but had no statistics as offense rushed for 313 yards and gained 505 yards total offense . . . saw action in 27-20 Pinstripbe Bowl win over Boston College, but had no statistics.
2016 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten . . . Next Man In Award, offense . . . 2016 – – Saw action in all 13 games, with seven starts . . . recorded one reception for five yards . . . saw action in 45-21 win over Miami, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 42-3 win over Iowa State, but had no statistics as offense gained 435 yards total offense . . . started as second tight end in 23-21 loss to North Dakota State, but had no statistics . . . started at second tight end in 14-7 win at Rutgers, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 38-31 loss to Northwestern, but had no statistics . . . started as second tight end in 14-7 win at Minnesota, but had no statistics . . . started at second tight end in 49-35 win at Purdue, but had no statistics as offense rushed for 365 net rushing yards and gained 520 yards total offense . . . saw action in 17-9 loss to #10 Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 41-14 loss at #12 Penn State, but had no statistics . . . started at tight end in 14-13 win over #2 Michigan, but had no statistics . . . started at tight end in 28-0 win at Illinois, but had no statistics as offense rushed for 262 yards and gained 342 yards total offense . . . started as one of two tight ends in 40-10 win over #25 Nebraska, but had no statistics as offense gained 264 net rushing yards and 408 yards total offense . . . started as one of two tight ends in 30-3 Outback Bowl loss to #17 Florida, recording first career reception for five yards.
2015 – – Did not see action in 31-14 win over Illinois State . . . did not see action in 31-17 win at Iowa State . . . did not see action in 27-24 win over Pitt . . . saw first action of career in 62-16 win over North Texas, but had no statistics as offense gained 488 yards total offense . . . did not see action in 10-6 win at Wisconsin . . . did not see action in 29-20 win over Illinois . . . did not see action in 40-10 win at Northwestern . . . did not see action in 31-15 win over Maryland . . . did not see action in 35-27 win at Indiana . . . did not see action in 40-35 win over Minnesota . . . did not see action in 40-20 win over Purdue . . . did not see action in 28-20 win at Nebraska . . . did not see action in 16-13 loss to Michigan State . . . did not see action in 45-16 Rose Bowl loss to Stanford.
2014 – – Did not see any game action.
2013 – – Redshirted after joining program as a walk-on.
High school honors – – Earned first team all-state honors as a senior . . . first team all-conference and all-suburban on both offense and defense as a junior and senior . . . first team all-conference on defense as a sophomore . . . Career – – Helped prep team post three-year record of 27-6 while reaching state playoffs three straight years . . . team captain as a senior . . . recorded 650 receiving yards and six touchdowns as a senior, along with 98 tackles and three interceptions on defense . . . as a junior totaled 750 receiving yards and five touchdowns, while recording 104 tackles on defense . . . collected 55 tackles on defense as a sophomore, with four interceptions and one touchdown . . . three-year football letterman as tight end and linebacker . . . also two-year letterman in basketball.
Personal – – Born 11/08/94 . . . business major . . . parents are Lisa and James Pekar . . . member of high Honor Roll throughout prep career . . . his father, James, also played football at Iowa (1980-81) . . . attended same high school as TE Tommy Kujawa . . . high school coach was Rob Stoltz.