By the time the calendar flipped to 2025, Koa Peat could see the finish line—on his incredible high school career and on the process that would determine his next step. On this particular mid-January weekend, he had time to knock out the photo shoot that accompanies this story; two days later, he led his Perry (AZ) High squad to another win. The Pumas held a top-10 national ranking and were on pace for a fourth straight state championship.    

The 6-7, 235-pound forward knows about top-10 national rankings—Peat has been a fixture in that spot in the 2025 class for years now. At press time, he was arguably the top remaining undecided senior in the country, with Baylor, Houston and Texas vying with in-state rivals Arizona and Arizona State on his list of finalists. “I’m still figuring it out, so I don’t have a timeline,” he said. “I’m just taking it day by day.”

It’s a healthy approach, and it speaks to the confidence with which Peat operates on and off the court. Growing up surrounded by high-level athletes probably has something to do with it. The son of former NFL lineman Todd Peat, he came up the youngest of seven and watched his older brothers star in football—among them Andrus, a 10-year NFL vet who spent last season with the Las Vegas Raiders, and Keona, currently at Arizona State—while his sisters Leilani and Maya both hooped in college. All of that had an effect.

“Obviously my parents supported me in whatever I did,” Koa says, “but as a competitor, watching my brothers and sisters since I was little inspired me.”

Football’s in his blood, of course—he played with Keona and their cousins, and his size made him a promising tight end prospect—but hoops became his focus in middle school, and the timing of the pandemic coincided with his decision to fully dial in. “Over Covid, I started training really hard, getting a lot better, and I could see those strides,” he says. 

“I just fell in love with the work—that’s all it takes, hard work. That’s when I knew I could go far with this.” A growth spurt got him to 6-6 by the end of ninth grade, further solidifying his path on the court.

He pairs size and athleticism with a skill set that is looking increasingly complete. Asked about his strengths, Peat says, “I’d say I’m a winner first.” And then? “I’m versatile—I feel like I can play 1 through 5, I can guard 1 through 5. I’m a leader—I’m gonna make sure my team’s locked in. I’m unselfish, and I’m a team player.” His college choice will come down to the right fit of coaching staff and style of play, a program that can appreciate all he brings and hone those strengths. 

“I’m definitely looking for coaches who are going to play me in a position where I can do everything on the court, let me play free, develop me as a player that has no flaws,” he says.

If that sounds overconfident, Peat’s résumé backs it up. In addition to those three state titles and the last two Arizona Gatorade POY awards, Peat also owns three USA Basketball gold medals, winning multiple U17 FIBA World Cups and the FIBA Americas U16 Championship in 2023. For his efforts in that tournament—he averaged a team-high 17.2 points and 8.3 boards en route to gold—Peat was named the 2023 USA Basketball Male Player of the Year.

“You dream of stuff like that,” he says now. “The numbers I had, winning the tournament, being a leader on that team, I didn’t feel like I didn’t deserve it. To have your name by all those greats that won the award just shows that if you work hard and keep focusing on your craft and work, you can do anything.” 

Portrait by Thomas Ingersoll

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