Q: Thoughts on grad transfers that Purdue should add next season? How many and what positions?
A: Before this season started, Jeff Brohm mentioned the grad-transfer route wasn’t one he typically attacked nor preferred to attack. Year 1 was a unique situation, he said. But I think it's pretty clear he's going to make it "unique" again for a second consecutive year. That's just where Purdue is at right now in its roster development: It needs older, more physically developed players at key spots right now.
The grad transfer route would seem preferably to the JUCO route, IMO, because the latter guys are rarely helpful in the first year, but grad transfers are much smaller market, so to speak. Perhaps it matters, too, that the grad transfers Brohm already plucked have been relatively successful this season — Dave Steinmetz and Josh Okonye have been pivotal pieces, while Shane Evans is a starter but has played so-so and Corey Holmes has been a non-factor.
Purdue will lose its starting cornerbacks after the season, and there don’t appear to be any obvious in-waiting guys. The Boilermakers hardly have played anyone other than Okonye and Da’Wan Hunte. The coaching staff likes the potential of freshman Jacob Abrams, and his length would be welcome at the position. He’ll probably get every chance to win a spot. But that's one guy.
Will be interesting to see the approach on the offensive and defensive lines. Purdue lucked out with Steinmetz, who has been a workhorse and held up relatively well at the uptick in competition at right tackle. All the other current starters will be return next season, but Brohm flat said “we need to block better” after Saturday’s loss to Rutgers, so he certainly would like help there, especially at guard. There are offensive linemen redshirting right now and I'm sure some have had made physical strides, but even to play as redshirt freshmen on the line would be a feat. (One Grant Hermanns had responded to well, I thought, before getting hurt.) I think Purdue can feel OK with Barron at center and Hermanns at LT, but all other positions should be open to graduate transfers, IMO. It'd be an incredible boon if Purdue could grab an athletic guard(s) from somewhere. It's a desperate need.
Same could be said on defense with Gelen Robinson and Danny Ezechukwu heading out after the season (and, technically, Austin Larkin, who has started on-and-off but has been largely a non-factor for me). Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if junior Eddy Wilson bolts early — don't think he loves the academic part of college — which would leave a considerable hole in the interior. Lorenzo Neal would be the only player back with significant game reps. If the coaching staff was confident in another young player, he’d be playing right now. They apparently aren’t. Alex Criddle and Anthony Watts are out of their league, IMO, and we’ve hardly seen a sniff of JUCO transfer Ray Ellis, which probably says something, too. Gio Reviere and Allen Daniels may be having good redshirt seasons and can really push hard in the offseason — Revieve is coming off an ACL, so he’ll need a great one — to factor in next fall.
In terms of receiver ... the quick reaction would be to say "yes" — obviously, Purdue needs an upgrade in talent there — but it's been pretty clear that Jeff Brohm's offense isn't an easy one to learn for players who have a short runway. There are true freshmen receivers who were here in the spring and got that supposed leg-up on other guys, but they're not playing either. I feel like it's going to be a learning process for anyone who comes in.
Q: Can you provide some information on any of the redshirt freshman who are progressing nicely in practice even though they are redshirting?
A: Including this question, too, because it’s kind of along the same lines and, also, because I don’t have a great answer for it. We don’t have access to watch enough practice to be able to answer that, unfortunately. We’ve been doing a Freshman Focus series as much as we can throughout the season to try to keep up with some of those rookies. You can get caught up with those on our primer page.
