Why On3 is higher than the industry with four-star PF Cody Peck

Cody Peck is an interesting prospect. For starters, there are not many 6-foot-10 people running around the world with the explosive athleticism mixed with the fluidity that Peck has. This On3 outlier is ranked No. 85 in On3’s recent 2026 top 100 update. 

On3 leaves nothing to question when we talk about the objective of our rankings, The goal is to assess a prospect’s long-term potential, ultimately manifested by the NBA Draft. Our ranking does not assess who had the best high school career or who will be the best college player. This is why we will aim to end each cycle with 14 five-star prospects. We follow the lead of the NBA Draft Lottery. This can be a different methodology from others, but our vision when creating our rankings is draft night. 

On3 has Peck ranked No. 85. He remains unranked by 247, Rivals, and ESPN. Criteria can be different across the industry when it comes to players and the order they are ranked. So let’s break down why On3 is higher on Cody Peck than the industry. 

Peck’s Frame and Natural Athleticism

The second you see Cody Peck in warm-up lines you take notice. Every bit of 6-foot-10, he has a projectable frame with long arms, wide-set shoulders, and a basketball player’s build. When he starts to run around the court, doing defensive slides or getting on the rim in layup lines you see a unique athletic fluidity. 

His level of fluidity is not seen by players that are his size. He moves, both laterally and in straight lines like a guard. You see it with his ability to change direction and move his feet as well as when he changes ends of the floor and runs to the front of the rim. 

He is still raw, and he needs continued reps to mesh his athletic gifts, tools, and frame all together. To give it a painting metaphor, Picasso is sitting down at his easel with an exciting mix of paint colors and a blank canvas made out of first-class material. Now, he just has to put in the time to bring it all together.

The Offensive and Defensive Upside

With a frame like he has, along with the athletic mobility, Cody Peck’s defensive upside is obvious. He is easily capable of opening his hips and changing direction, moving his feet with perimeter-based forwards, and protecting the rim from multiple spots on the floor. 

He needs to continue getting stronger and adding weight. As he gets stronger throughout his core and establishes a better base, he will be able to guard better one-on-one on the block. But his timing is natural as is his ability to move explosively.

This season, Peck averaged 1.6 blocks while only committing 2.0 fouls per game. 

Offensively, this is where Peck might have a little further to go, but also where his upside could be a little higher. Currently, a lot of Peck’s production on this end comes from his ability to run and jump. 

Naturally, the 6-foot-10 sophomore is a long-strider. He changes ends quickly and fills the lanes in transition with a purpose. He has touch on his handle and can be a threat to push in the open floor. But that is an aspect he will need to tighten. He has shown the ability to attack a sloppy closeout in straight lines, but his handle is currently in its beginning stages. I would like to see him develop his ability to attack his comfortable spots in the half-court, especially off two and three dribbles into pull-ups. 

But there are signs of the beginning stages of a handle. The jump shot could also be something that develops into a weapon long-term. This season, Peck shot 45.0 percent from three. It was on less than one attempt per game, but the construct of his team did not ask him to often stretch the floor. 

Peck has a natural touch on his jump shot, with good balance points (when his feet are set), and a high release. As he continues to work on his core strength and footwork, his jump shot projects to be a capable threat.

Peck is by no means soft, he is just physically weak right now. He can lose leverage and get pushed off his spots. Much of his offense right now is dunks. There is a natural touch with an upside in place. How he continues to develop and grow into his game will be interesting moving forward. 

Cody Peck Comes from a Basketball Family

Cody Peck’s dad, Michael Peck, played at Marshall from 1991-95. The 6-foot-7 forward finished top-15 in blocks and blocks per game in his freshman and junior seasons. Peck was also a long-time women’s college basketball coach with stops at Illinois, Florida, and Penn State. 

Peck’s aunt, Michael’s sister, is Carolyn Peck. Peck is currently a basketball sportscaster, heard throughout the season. She played at Vanderbilt from 1985-88. As a college coach, she won a national title in 1999 at Purdue. In her career, she was also the head coach at Florida and the WNBA’s Orlando Miricle.

Peck’s brother Colin is a junior on the Matthews (NC) Carmel Christian team, alongside Cody. His sister Carly played volleyball as an outside hitter/right-side hitter at UNC.

Projecting Peck Long-Term

Every player develops at a different rate. And players who are in the middle of their sophomore years of high school are at the very beginning of their recruiting journey. The 2026 cycle has a long way to go with their process. 

As we go through each player’s journey we look for player indicators, check marks that are necessary for a player to have success as they move forward. While Cody Peck may still be raw as a player, he ticks a lot of boxes that prove to be quite valuable at the highest levels of basketball. 

It starts with the athleticism and frame. Peck has legitimate size at 6-foot-10 with a projectable build. Basketball, at the highest levels, is turning into a fluid and positionless game. Its most important players, outside of shot makers, are players who can effectively toggle between multiple positions throughout the course of a game. Peck’s length and athleticism allow him switchability from the block to the perimeter. 

He is already on his way to becoming a vertical lob threat. Rolling to the front of the rim to catch lobs and keeping defenders attached out of the dunker spot. The touch on the jump shot makes things intriguing looking ahead. 

The spectrum of potential outcomes for Peck is pretty broad at this point. As I mentioned before, he is like a blank canvas. With that said, oftentimes a blank canvas can bring flashes over production. He is not a finished product, however, given the developmental indicators he is showing, there is a lot to like about the possibilities.