Purdue's Third (and last open) Fall Camp Practice: My Thoughts

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

These will sort of be a stream from what notes I took down in the roughly 75 minutes I was able to be there today:

1. During the first 11 v 11 portion of practice, Sindelar seemed to really struggle. Poor decisions in the pocket and late getting the ball out. Also had some poor throws but appeared to take a step forward in a later period of 11 v 11.
2. Corey Holmes (transfer from ND) looks to part of a high ability WR and one that will be on the field most of the time the next two seasons. He runs extremely tight routes and catches the ball very well. For being on campus the least of any players, he seemed to understand the playbook at a high level. He was with the 1's during my time there today.
3. The top 4 WR's appear to by Holmes, Zico, Phillips, and a competition between Anthrop, Mahoungo (sp), and Wright. Wright was pulled from two plays for not knowing the plays and where to properly line up BUT what I heard from Coach Brohm was this: 'Get him out of there because we obviously haven't taught him what he needs to know right now.' That is very telling and seems to hold true what Brohm has stated frequently...he is a players coach. Wright knows he made a mistake BUT instead of placing all the blame on him, he shared the blame as a coach as well.
4. Holmes caught two balls that were highly contested in the early 11 v 11 period. Good sign for the offense that desperately needed to find a playmaker.
5. The intensity of Brohm and his staff is much different than that of Hazell. It isn't way over the top or seemingly fake (like I have seen from some coaches)...rather the flow of practice and the period dictates the intensity whereas the previous staff seemed to be flatlined all the time.
6. Anthrop appears to have taken a good step forward in his progression but still makes some mistakes. Two were glaringly obvious: On a trick type of play, Sindelar threw back across the field to Anthrop who has about 6 yards to the outside to beat Bentley to the corner...instead he made an inside move and was swallowed up. Brohm IMMEDIATELY jumped him about getting to the outside before making a move and then getting out of bounds. The WR coach did the same and said: 'Get your ass out of bounds before Bentley breaks your neck.' He also dropped a two point conversion for what Coach Brohm labeled as a 'go ahead score with no time remaining.' It would have counted as he was in the endzone but the contact forced the ball out.
7. They did an 11 v 11 period for the 3's to face each other. Sipe took the majority of the snaps here and looks to have that locked down. He throws a very good ball and has some good anticipation to his throws. Made some mistakes but that is likely with a kid in his 3rd practice and first in shoulder pads. Alstott took a few snaps but threw a pretty bad INT. He'll eventually be a scout team QB if he doesn't have the athleticism or size to play another position (can't play RB or WR...it would have to be safety or a major bulk up to LB).
8. Hunt looked good at CB, as he should as a senior. I think with the new scheme, he could become an honorable mention or third team B1G selection.
9. Saw Worship and Jones in a split RB formation from the shotgun. This looks like Brohm finding ways to get his best players on the field at the same time. Lots of two TE looks as well with lots of motion (good motion, not that idiotic crap from Shoop's first year) and play fakes.
10. DJ Edwards got most of his reps with the 2's and a few with the 1's. He looks ready to contribute this season if and when he is needed. He has good ability and if the need is there, he'll play considering the depth issues at WR.

 

[New Pal Boiler]

These will sort of be a stream from what notes I took down in the roughly 75 minutes I was able to be there today:

1. During the first 11 v 11 portion of practice, Sindelar seemed to really struggle. Poor decisions in the pocket and late getting the ball out. Also had some poor throws but appeared to take a step forward in a later period of 11 v 11.
2. Corey Holmes (transfer from ND) looks to part of a high ability WR and one that will be on the field most of the time the next two seasons. He runs extremely tight routes and catches the ball very well. For being on campus the least of any players, he seemed to understand the playbook at a high level. He was with the 1's during my time there today.
3. The top 4 WR's appear to by Holmes, Zico, Phillips, and a competition between Anthrop, Mahoungo (sp), and Wright. Wright was pulled from two plays for not knowing the plays and where to properly line up BUT what I heard from Coach Brohm was this: 'Get him out of there because we obviously haven't taught him what he needs to know right now.' That is very telling and seems to hold true what Brohm has stated frequently...he is a players coach. Wright knows he made a mistake BUT instead of placing all the blame on him, he shared the blame as a coach as well.
4. Holmes caught two balls that were highly contested in the early 11 v 11 period. Good sign for the offense that desperately needed to find a playmaker.
5. The intensity of Brohm and his staff is much different than that of Hazell. It isn't way over the top or seemingly fake (like I have seen from some coaches)...rather the flow of practice and the period dictates the intensity whereas the previous staff seemed to be flatlined all the time.
6. Anthrop appears to have taken a good step forward in his progression but still makes some mistakes. Two were glaringly obvious: On a trick type of play, Sindelar threw back across the field to Anthrop who has about 6 yards to the outside to beat Bentley to the corner...instead he made an inside move and was swallowed up. Brohm IMMEDIATELY jumped him about getting to the outside before making a move and then getting out of bounds. The WR coach did the same and said: 'Get your ass out of bounds before Bentley breaks your neck.' He also dropped a two point conversion for what Coach Brohm labeled as a 'go ahead score with no time remaining.' It would have counted as he was in the endzone but the contact forced the ball out.
7. They did an 11 v 11 period for the 3's to face each other. Sipe took the majority of the snaps here and looks to have that locked down. He throws a very good ball and has some good anticipation to his throws. Made some mistakes but that is likely with a kid in his 3rd practice and first in shoulder pads. Alstott took a few snaps but threw a pretty bad INT. He'll eventually be a scout team QB if he doesn't have the athleticism or size to play another position (can't play RB or WR...it would have to be safety or a major bulk up to LB).
8. Hunt looked good at CB, as he should as a senior. I think with the new scheme, he could become an honorable mention or third team B1G selection.
9. Saw Worship and Jones in a split RB formation from the shotgun. This looks like Brohm finding ways to get his best players on the field at the same time. Lots of two TE looks as well with lots of motion (good motion, not that idiotic crap from Shoop's first year) and play fakes.
10. DJ Edwards got most of his reps with the 2's and a few with the 1's. He looks ready to contribute this season if and when he is needed. He has good ability and if the need is there, he'll play considering the depth issues at WR.

Thanks JDB. Any signs of a pass rush?

 

[tigerchump]

Thanks for the report.

 

[SunnyFL24]

Thank you...greatly appreciated........Any thoughts on O and D lines?

 

[Wolegib]

your comments on Sindelar match my views of him when he played. He seems to make mistakes, and takes too much time. he seems to have lost confidence in his abilities under Schoop.

I don't know what to say about Alstott.. unless he converts to a new position, he'll always be 4th or 5th on the depth chart at QB.

I'm curious as to how all of our juco and transfers did. the majority were not able to be part of our Spring practices. McCollum said he expects to start by the first game. how did Robinson look at his new position? Rather than a pass rush, I want to know how our new offensive line held up.

you provided a ton of information. but in doing so, I want to know more and more and more.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

Thank you...greatly appreciated........Any thoughts on O and D lines?

My personal thoughts on the O-line were overall positive. Brohm is obviously being extra careful with Barron and his hammy tweak for obvious reasons but when at full strength + Barron at center, I think they'll be more than able to generate what Purdue needs to do to stay competitive. If more than 2 injuries occur though, it could be a bit interesting as it was at times last year. The NIU transfer gives some flexibility as he can play guard and backup Barron at center. Although Barron is the anchor, I think the NIU transfer is probably the key to the line because of that flexibility.

Defensive line was good, especially against the run at times. Pass rush was pretty solid BUT that could be more schematic than individuals. The anonymous quotes from B1G media days were very telling about last years defense (very vanilla and it wasn't hard to scheme against). There is probably not a player on the defensive line that'll rack up 6+ sacks this season....but they'll be a better unit overall because of scheme. The biggest thing I noticed about the defense was what I didn't notice, if that makes sense. They weren't out of position and were in the vicinity to make play. That wasn't the case last season.

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

your comments on Sindelar match my views of him when he played. He seems to make mistakes, and takes too much time. he seems to have lost confidence in his abilities under Schoop.

I don't know what to say about Alstott.. unless he converts to a new position, he'll always be 4th or 5th on the depth chart at QB.

I'm curious as to how all of our juco and transfers did. the majority were not able to be part of our Spring practices. McCollum said he expects to start by the first game. how did Robinson look at his new position? Rather than a pass rush, I want to know how our new offensive line held up.

you provided a ton of information. but in doing so, I want to know more and more and more.

Thanks for sharing.

LB's are definitely going to be the focus for the defense to be successful. As I said above, the DL may not rack up lots of sacks and tackles...but the LB's probably will. I believe Holt had two straight years with LB's over 100 tackles in a season. To be successful, you'll probably see two LB's with 100+ tackles, 4+ sacks, and 2+ INT's...that's probably a product of scheme and the depth of the LB's.

 

[Summy1]

What about the new facility?

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

https://ibb.co/fEPwma
https://ibb.co/jcLrKv
https://ibb.co/kgb96a
https://ibb.co/mi696a

Couldn't figure out how to get the photos to show up so that's the best I can do.

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

your comments on Sindelar match my views of him when he played. He seems to make mistakes, and takes too much time. he seems to have lost confidence in his abilities under Schoop.

I don't know what to say about Alstott.. unless he converts to a new position, he'll always be 4th or 5th on the depth chart at QB.

I'm curious as to how all of our juco and transfers did. the majority were not able to be part of our Spring practices. McCollum said he expects to start by the first game. how did Robinson look at his new position? Rather than a pass rush, I want to know how our new offensive line held up.

you provided a ton of information. but in doing so, I want to know more and more and more.

Thanks for sharing.

Shoot some questions and I might be able to help answer based on what I saw today and what I have heard through the grapevine.

 

[FirstDownB]

These will sort of be a stream from what notes I took down in the roughly 75 minutes I was able to be there today:

1. During the first 11 v 11 portion of practice, Sindelar seemed to really struggle. Poor decisions in the pocket and late getting the ball out. Also had some poor throws but appeared to take a step forward in a later period of 11 v 11.
2. Corey Holmes (transfer from ND) looks to part of a high ability WR and one that will be on the field most of the time the next two seasons. He runs extremely tight routes and catches the ball very well. For being on campus the least of any players, he seemed to understand the playbook at a high level. He was with the 1's during my time there today.
3. The top 4 WR's appear to by Holmes, Zico, Phillips, and a competition between Anthrop, Mahoungo (sp), and Wright. Wright was pulled from two plays for not knowing the plays and where to properly line up BUT what I heard from Coach Brohm was this: 'Get him out of there because we obviously haven't taught him what he needs to know right now.' That is very telling and seems to hold true what Brohm has stated frequently...he is a players coach. Wright knows he made a mistake BUT instead of placing all the blame on him, he shared the blame as a coach as well.
4. Holmes caught two balls that were highly contested in the early 11 v 11 period. Good sign for the offense that desperately needed to find a playmaker.
5. The intensity of Brohm and his staff is much different than that of Hazell. It isn't way over the top or seemingly fake (like I have seen from some coaches)...rather the flow of practice and the period dictates the intensity whereas the previous staff seemed to be flatlined all the time.
6. Anthrop appears to have taken a good step forward in his progression but still makes some mistakes. Two were glaringly obvious: On a trick type of play, Sindelar threw back across the field to Anthrop who has about 6 yards to the outside to beat Bentley to the corner...instead he made an inside move and was swallowed up. Brohm IMMEDIATELY jumped him about getting to the outside before making a move and then getting out of bounds. The WR coach did the same and said: 'Get your ass out of bounds before Bentley breaks your neck.' He also dropped a two point conversion for what Coach Brohm labeled as a 'go ahead score with no time remaining.' It would have counted as he was in the endzone but the contact forced the ball out.
7. They did an 11 v 11 period for the 3's to face each other. Sipe took the majority of the snaps here and looks to have that locked down. He throws a very good ball and has some good anticipation to his throws. Made some mistakes but that is likely with a kid in his 3rd practice and first in shoulder pads. Alstott took a few snaps but threw a pretty bad INT. He'll eventually be a scout team QB if he doesn't have the athleticism or size to play another position (can't play RB or WR...it would have to be safety or a major bulk up to LB).
8. Hunt looked good at CB, as he should as a senior. I think with the new scheme, he could become an honorable mention or third team B1G selection.
9. Saw Worship and Jones in a split RB formation from the shotgun. This looks like Brohm finding ways to get his best players on the field at the same time. Lots of two TE looks as well with lots of motion (good motion, not that idiotic crap from Shoop's first year) and play fakes.
10. DJ Edwards got most of his reps with the 2's and a few with the 1's. He looks ready to contribute this season if and when he is needed. He has good ability and if the need is there, he'll play considering the depth issues at WR.

No mention of Blough. Did you see anything different from him?

Also, you say Sipe is 3rd team QB. How did Sparks look by comparison? I've seen him listed as competing for the backup spot, although he may be limited to gadget plays. Wondering what his arm is like.

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

No mention of Blough. Did you see anything different from him?

Also, you say Sipe is 3rd team QB. How did Sparks look by comparison? I've seen him listed as competing for the backup spot, although he may be limited to gadget plays. Wondering what his arm is like.

Blough looked the part of being the clear cut #1 and it isn't even close. He probably has taken another step forward BUT the biggest part of his development is going to take playing with an OL that can give him time to step up and throw and also creat enough push to develop a consistent running game.

I think Sparks has his own package (I'll leave the name of it out) that features 4 WR's and either Jones or Lankford-Johnson. In all honesty I think it breaks down like this:

1: Blough
2a: Sparks
2b: Sindelar

If Blough gets hurt, I honestly don't know who would step in to take full time reps but I imagine you may see a rotation much more common between the two depending on situations whereas Blough would probably be taking 90-95% of the snaps.

Sparks' package is not 'gadget plays.' I would say I saw more of those for Blough and Sindelar. Sparks just has a full package that can utilize his full abilities better by spreading the defense out with more WR's and speed on the field (no TE's).

 

[TwinDegrees2]

My personal thoughts on the O-line were overall positive. Brohm is obviously being extra careful with Barron and his hammy tweak for obvious reasons but when at full strength + Barron at center, I think they'll be more than able to generate what Purdue needs to do to stay competitive. If more than 2 injuries occur though, it could be a bit interesting as it was at times last year. The NIU transfer gives some flexibility as he can play guard and backup Barron at center. Although Barron is the anchor, I think the NIU transfer is probably the key to the line because of that flexibility.

Defensive line was good, especially against the run at times. Pass rush was pretty solid BUT that could be more schematic than individuals. The anonymous quotes from B1G media days were very telling about last years defense (very vanilla and it wasn't hard to scheme against). There is probably not a player on the defensive line that'll rack up 6+ sacks this season....but they'll be a better unit overall because of scheme. The biggest thing I noticed about the defense was what I didn't notice, if that makes sense. They weren't out of position and were in the vicinity to make play. That wasn't the case last season.

Not to be negative and thanks for your observations, but these guys are 1, 2, and a few 3 stars competing against each other. We'll see how they play against better teams and better players soon enough, and I'll still predict three wins this year.

 

[SunnyFL24]

My personal thoughts on the O-line were overall positive. Brohm is obviously being extra careful with Barron and his hammy tweak for obvious reasons but when at full strength + Barron at center, I think they'll be more than able to generate what Purdue needs to do to stay competitive. If more than 2 injuries occur though, it could be a bit interesting as it was at times last year. The NIU transfer gives some flexibility as he can play guard and backup Barron at center. Although Barron is the anchor, I think the NIU transfer is probably the key to the line because of that flexibility.

Defensive line was good, especially against the run at times. Pass rush was pretty solid BUT that could be more schematic than individuals. The anonymous quotes from B1G media days were very telling about last years defense (very vanilla and it wasn't hard to scheme against). There is probably not a player on the defensive line that'll rack up 6+ sacks this season....but they'll be a better unit overall because of scheme. The biggest thing I noticed about the defense was what I didn't notice, if that makes sense. They weren't out of position and were in the vicinity to make play. That wasn't the case last season.

Touche.................good to hear....thanks

 

[Walt34]

Robinson looks really good at DT.

It seems Sindelar is only good at doing one thing: throwing at deep ball down the sideline.

 

[Purdueparentx2]

I also attended practice on Saturday. Here are my impressions. I apologize in advance if this gets a little lengthy.

1. I continue to be impressed with the new coaching staff from top to bottom. I attended some Hazell practices and it is a night and day improvement since then. All of the coaches are very engaged and vocal. After every play, each position coach immediately descends on his players with instruction. There is no doubt, however, that Brohm is in charge. He is right in the middle of everything and is very vocal. Many of us have likely seen Shepard's (WR coach) personally at various alumni events where he talks about bringing "juice" every day. In addition to his motivational skills, he has some intensity. I saw him give some very pointed instruction to a few of his receivers yesterday when they were aligned incorrectly or missed some reads. Holt is intense, although he seems to have a very likable personality as well.
2. Blough was sharp and is the clear cut #1. I don't recall that he had any spectacular plays but his accuracy was very good. He hit receivers on the money every time. I only recall one errant pass when he threw high to Anthrop on the sidelines. Anthrop got a hand on it but couldn't make the catch. Blough threaded a ball to one of the tight ends in tight coverage that was really impressive.
3. Sindelar was not sharp. He missed several throws high. He doesn't look particularly smooth. His stature gives him the look of an All American QB, big and strapping in the mold of Jim Everett from an appearance standpoint, but the comparison stops there. He did make one very nice throw on a long pattern to Mahoungou. More on that later.
4. I didn't think Sparks looked great with his throws yesterday. He looked better in the Spring Game. Sipe might have some potential. Alstott looked out of his element (it is early so I am not trying to be overly critical). Personally, I would like to see if Alstott might be able to play another position, maybe on defense.
5. Anthony Mahoungou made some catches in the 11 v. 11 drills. He had what I thought was the catch of the day on about a 40 yard bomb from Sindelar. The defender was with him stride for stride. Mahoungou dove to the inside and went to the ground with good concentration for the catch. It was a really nice play and the defender had to wonder how he came up with it. He caught some other balls as well and looks like he could be an option at receiver in some type of back-up role. The downside was that he seemed lost in fully understanding the offense and the nuances of some of the plays. Shepard had a loud exchange with him where he questioned if he even knew the playbook and what he was supposed to do in particular situations. You would hope for more from a senior.
6. The main receivers seemed to be Holmes, Zico, Phillips, Anthrop, Mahoungou, Edwards, and Wright. Philips looked solid making all the catches without anything spectacular. The coaches seem to like Holmes and Zico and I would not be surprised if they ended up starters. Wright is smaller in stature. He played with the first two units but didn't stand out. The freshman Edwards got some time and I think made a couple of catches. Burgess was hurt and didn't participate. I don't recall noticing the freshman, Catlett, on any plays.
7. D.J. Knox didn't have a very good day in my opinion. I don't recall any significant runs. After one run, Brohm screamed to the Running Backs Coach (Barclay) about Knox, "He absolutely can't cut. He hasn't made the right cut one single time today." While I was watching Barclay instruct on a blocking drill, Knox seemed to have more difficulty grasping the technique than any of the other backs.
8. I like how the coaches require the running back to try to finish runs. Most of the time yesterday, the running backs were being wrapped up but not taken to the ground. The coaches have the backs continue to fight through all the tackles and then sprint another 20 yards or so downfield to put a move on a coach that is deep in the secondary. It seemed to be a good technique to get the running backs to keep fighting and finish runs.
9. I don't recall many big runs yesterday at all. I would credit that to better play by the defense. They seemed to be in position to make plays better than what we have seen in past years and they seemed to stuff holes pretty quickly.
10. Jones didn't stand out in my opinion. I recall one play where he went to the ground quicker than I would have thought.
11. The running back group consisted of Knox, Jones, Fuller, Lankford-Johnson, Worship, Wegher, and Horvath when they were working with position coaches. I found Xander Horvath very intriguing. He is the true freshman that is a preferred walk-on. I think he was committed to IU originally and then switched to Purdue (might be studying engineering). I recall that his numbers at Mishawaka Marion seemed too good to be true for a walk-on (last year 39 TDs, 9 yard average, 4.43 forty, benches 380). In addition to playing running back, he was an All State linebacker. On the practice field yesterday, the kid looks like a physical specimen. He is listed at 6'3" and 220 pounds. He looks like a Big Ten stud athlete right now as a true freshman. He ran the ball with the #3 team and I thought he looked pretty good. I am hoping this kid may be a diamond in the rough that overachieves his recruiting rating and becomes a legitimate player at Purdue either on offense or defense.
12. I didn't spend a lot of time focusing on the offensive line during the 11 v. 11 drills. My one comment would be that I think the current staff has done a pretty good job of finding some kids that at least look like Big Ten offensive lineman. I remember looking at our sideline the past few years and thinking that Warren Central had bigger, stronger looking kids. That doesn't seem to be the case as much now. We have a decent number of tall, broad kids - Steinmetz (6'8"), Hermanns (6'7"), McCann (6'6"), Swingler (6'6"), Smart (6'6"), Evans (6'4"), etc. We will have to see if they can play. I was impressed with the attention to detail that the staff was giving to the line yesterday. They seemed to be "coaching them up." There was a lot of time spent with stressing technique and getting everyone reps in drills. Dale Williams got really vocal with the linemen a couple of times when they missed some blocking calls.
13. I watched the safeties a lot to see who was playing with the first two units especially given Parker's injury. The guys getting the most time seemed to be Thieneman, Mosley, Jallow, and Smiley. Thieneman looked like he knew what he was doing. I recall Jallow making one nice hit.
14. I was interested to see Andy Chelf was practicing. He is the kid that played well in the Spring Game and then was involved in an incident that night where he was shot during an incident at a party. He seemed to be healthy and practicing although he didn't appear to be in the mix with the first couple of units.
15. Hunte and Okonye were playing a lot of corner with the first unit. There may have been others that I didn't notice.
16. Simeon Smiley delivered the hit of the day that I saw. It was the last play of the 11 v. 11 drill. Brohm said it was full speed to see who the winner would be. They were running a two point conversion. Blough hit Anthrop for what would have been a successful conversion until Smiley delivered a huge hit that separated the ball from Anthrop.
17. I watched Marcus Bailey while the team was taking a 5-7 minute break to get some Gatorade in the middle of practice. Most of the players were talking, laughing, and cutting up. Bailey was standing by himself doing some stretches. He just looked very intent and focused. He looked like a player that was dialed in.
18. It is to be expected for this time of the year but I think there are a lot of players still learning what they are supposed to do and where they are supposed to be. The coaches were talking to the players a lot about lining up in the correct place and positioning. Again, I would commend the coaches on their attention to detail. At one point, I heard Shepard telling Mahoungou why it was important for him to be very wide in lining up on a play that was designed to go to Anthrop in the slot. Shepard was explaining to Mahoungou that he needed to draw his defender to the sideline to protect Anthrop.
19. They ran some extra points and field goals. The first play was a fake where Schopper (holder) threw the ball to Hopkins for a touchdown (against no defensive backs). Both Dellinger and Evans (Baylor kid) kicked. I thought it was better than we had seen in the past. They were kicking into a pretty stiff breeze. I wasn't standing behind the goal post but I don't think they missed any. The kicks seem to get good loft and all had sufficient distance although they probably didn't attempt anything longer than 40 yards.
20. It certainly seems like there is more coaching personnel on the field than in the past. The coaches are all so engaged and vocal. Also, some of the administrative guys (i.e. Don Dunn, Greg Brohm) are around even if they can't be directly involved in the coaching. It just seems like there is better control and purpose to what is being done at practice than in the past.
21. At the end of the practice, Brohm and a handful of coaches talked to the team as a group. Brohm then turned the team over this his brother, Greg Brohm, who detailed the schedule for Saturday afternoon and Sunday including meals, etc. It seemed to be a nice delegation of responsibility where Jeff could let Greg worry about all those little scheduling details and Jeff could stay focused on the football aspect. We saw it pay huge dividends when Tiller arrived with his former staff mostly in tact. I think it is good that this staff has a lot of familiarity from past coaching assignments.
22. My final comments would be about Jeff Brohm's family. His son Brody was around all the players for the entire practice. He would high five guys any time that they made a good play. Toward the end of practice, Brohm's wife and daughter showed up. They apparently live walking distance to the stadium. Throughout the practice, it was clear that Jeff Brohm was in charge - until his daughter (who is probably about 7) got there. There is no question that Jeff answers to his daughter. After practice, she was instructing him to do push ups and jumping jacks and he dutifully complied. In seeing him interact with his daughter, it was obvious how important his family is to him. He played the part of a smitten dad very well, and there was no acting involved. Brohm seems like a good, solid Purdue guy, and I have yet to see him wear a turtle neck and pullover jacket when its 95 degrees out.

After watching practice, I am even more excited to see what Brohm and his staff might be able to do to get Purdue back to where it needs to be in football.

 

[Wolegib]

Shoot some questions and I might be able to help answer based on what I saw today and what I have heard through the grapevine.

I was mostly interested in our new WRs, and DBs and offensive linemen. Particularly the JuCos and transfers. My interest stems from the fact Brohm recruited so many JuCos and transfers that went against his past recruiting history at WKU, and it was what I was so mad at Hazell for not doing. I expect the JuCos to be major contributors if not starters. They were quick fix actions intended to fill holes. My hope is that they will be immediate contributors rather than just names on the depth chart.

I was particularly interested in Zico, Holmes Wright and Jallow. And was hoping they would use camp to secure a starting role.

I was also interested in Ol Smart and Beach because they were incoming freshmen but were already big enough to play and was hoping they could play some this year rather than redshirting to bulk up. I was thinking Cronk played some as a freshman, so maybe Beach or Smart would also to follow his lead.

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

I was mostly interested in our new WRs, and DBs and offensive linemen. Particularly the JuCos and transfers. My interest stems from the fact Brohm recruited so many JuCos and transfers that went against his past recruiting history at WKU, and it was what I was so mad at Hazell for not doing. I expect the JuCos to be major contributors if not starters. They were quick fix actions intended to fill holes. My hope is that they will be immediate contributors rather than just names on the depth chart.

I was particularly interested in Zico, Holmes Wright and Jallow. And was hoping they would use camp to secure a starting role.

I was also interested in Ol Smart and Beach because they were incoming freshmen but were already big enough to play and was hoping they could play some this year rather than redshirting to bulk up. I was thinking Cronk played some as a freshman, so maybe Beach or Smart would also to follow his lead.

Crank started the entire season. If he wasn't a freshman AA, I would be highly surprised.

 

[Wolegib]

Crank started the entire season. If he wasn't a freshman AA, I would be highly surprised.

Well yes, and that's why I'm curious about Smart and Beach . Both players seem to be ready weight wise. I was hoping they might be able to contribute their first year rather than redshirting.

 

[nips18]

Smart is a juco that needed a lot of work in the weight room. Beach is large enough to play, however he is a center so Barron and Evans would have to be out for him to play. Let's hope they can both redshirt, if Smart is good enough to contribute the next two seasons.

 

[Dandelion1972]

I also attended practice on Saturday. Here are my impressions. I apologize in advance if this gets a little lengthy.

1. I continue to be impressed

.
.
.
.
After watching practice, I am even more excited to see what Brohm and his staff might be able to do to get Purdue back to where it needs to be in football.

I was gonna get a Knucklehead membership, but with coverage like this, who needs one?!

 

[Tommaker]

I also attended practice on Saturday. Here are my impressions. I apologize in advance if this gets a little lengthy.

1. I continue to be impressed with the new coaching staff from top to bottom. I attended some Hazell practices and it is a night and day improvement since then. All of the coaches are very engaged and vocal. After every play, each position coach immediately descends on his players with instruction. There is no doubt, however, that Brohm is in charge. He is right in the middle of everything and is very vocal. Many of us have likely seen Shepard's (WR coach) personally at various alumni events where he talks about bringing "juice" every day. In addition to his motivational skills, he has some intensity. I saw him give some very pointed instruction to a few of his receivers yesterday when they were aligned incorrectly or missed some reads. Holt is intense, although he seems to have a very likable personality as well.
2. Blough was sharp and is the clear cut #1. I don't recall that he had any spectacular plays but his accuracy was very good. He hit receivers on the money every time. I only recall one errant pass when he threw high to Anthrop on the sidelines. Anthrop got a hand on it but couldn't make the catch. Blough threaded a ball to one of the tight ends in tight coverage that was really impressive.
3. Sindelar was not sharp. He missed several throws high. He doesn't look particularly smooth. His stature gives him the look of an All American QB, big and strapping in the mold of Jim Everett from an appearance standpoint, but the comparison stops there. He did make one very nice throw on a long pattern to Mahoungou. More on that later.
4. I didn't think Sparks looked great with his throws yesterday. He looked better in the Spring Game. Sipe might have some potential. Alstott looked out of his element (it is early so I am not trying to be overly critical). Personally, I would like to see if Alstott might be able to play another position, maybe on defense.
5. Anthony Mahoungou made some catches in the 11 v. 11 drills. He had what I thought was the catch of the day on about a 40 yard bomb from Sindelar. The defender was with him stride for stride. Mahoungou dove to the inside and went to the ground with good concentration for the catch. It was a really nice play and the defender had to wonder how he came up with it. He caught some other balls as well and looks like he could be an option at receiver in some type of back-up role. The downside was that he seemed lost in fully understanding the offense and the nuances of some of the plays. Shepard had a loud exchange with him where he questioned if he even knew the playbook and what he was supposed to do in particular situations. You would hope for more from a senior.
6. The main receivers seemed to be Holmes, Zico, Phillips, Anthrop, Mahoungou, Edwards, and Wright. Philips looked solid making all the catches without anything spectacular. The coaches seem to like Holmes and Zico and I would not be surprised if they ended up starters. Wright is smaller in stature. He played with the first two units but didn't stand out. The freshman Edwards got some time and I think made a couple of catches. Burgess was hurt and didn't participate. I don't recall noticing the freshman, Catlett, on any plays.
7. D.J. Knox didn't have a very good day in my opinion. I don't recall any significant runs. After one run, Brohm screamed to the Running Backs Coach (Barclay) about Knox, "He absolutely can't cut. He hasn't made the right cut one single time today." While I was watching Barclay instruct on a blocking drill, Knox seemed to have more difficulty grasping the technique than any of the other backs.
8. I like how the coaches require the running back to try to finish runs. Most of the time yesterday, the running backs were being wrapped up but not taken to the ground. The coaches have the backs continue to fight through all the tackles and then sprint another 20 yards or so downfield to put a move on a coach that is deep in the secondary. It seemed to be a good technique to get the running backs to keep fighting and finish runs.
9. I don't recall many big runs yesterday at all. I would credit that to better play by the defense. They seemed to be in position to make plays better than what we have seen in past years and they seemed to stuff holes pretty quickly.
10. Jones didn't stand out in my opinion. I recall one play where he went to the ground quicker than I would have thought.
11. The running back group consisted of Knox, Jones, Fuller, Lankford-Johnson, Worship, Wegher, and Horvath when they were working with position coaches. I found Xander Horvath very intriguing. He is the true freshman that is a preferred walk-on. I think he was committed to IU originally and then switched to Purdue (might be studying engineering). I recall that his numbers at Mishawaka Marion seemed too good to be true for a walk-on (last year 39 TDs, 9 yard average, 4.43 forty, benches 380). In addition to playing running back, he was an All State linebacker. On the practice field yesterday, the kid looks like a physical specimen. He is listed at 6'3" and 220 pounds. He looks like a Big Ten stud athlete right now as a true freshman. He ran the ball with the #3 team and I thought he looked pretty good. I am hoping this kid may be a diamond in the rough that overachieves his recruiting rating and becomes a legitimate player at Purdue either on offense or defense.
12. I didn't spend a lot of time focusing on the offensive line during the 11 v. 11 drills. My one comment would be that I think the current staff has done a pretty good job of finding some kids that at least look like Big Ten offensive lineman. I remember looking at our sideline the past few years and thinking that Warren Central had bigger, stronger looking kids. That doesn't seem to be the case as much now. We have a decent number of tall, broad kids - Steinmetz (6'8"), Hermanns (6'7"), McCann (6'6"), Swingler (6'6"), Smart (6'6"), Evans (6'4"), etc. We will have to see if they can play. I was impressed with the attention to detail that the staff was giving to the line yesterday. They seemed to be "coaching them up." There was a lot of time spent with stressing technique and getting everyone reps in drills. Dale Williams got really vocal with the linemen a couple of times when they missed some blocking calls.
13. I watched the safeties a lot to see who was playing with the first two units especially given Parker's injury. The guys getting the most time seemed to be Thieneman, Mosley, Jallow, and Smiley. Thieneman looked like he knew what he was doing. I recall Jallow making one nice hit.
14. I was interested to see Andy Chelf was practicing. He is the kid that played well in the Spring Game and then was involved in an incident that night where he was shot during an incident at a party. He seemed to be healthy and practicing although he didn't appear to be in the mix with the first couple of units.
15. Hunte and Okonye were playing a lot of corner with the first unit. There may have been others that I didn't notice.
16. Simeon Smiley delivered the hit of the day that I saw. It was the last play of the 11 v. 11 drill. Brohm said it was full speed to see who the winner would be. They were running a two point conversion. Blough hit Anthrop for what would have been a successful conversion until Smiley delivered a huge hit that separated the ball from Anthrop.
17. I watched Marcus Bailey while the team was taking a 5-7 minute break to get some Gatorade in the middle of practice. Most of the players were talking, laughing, and cutting up. Bailey was standing by himself doing some stretches. He just looked very intent and focused. He looked like a player that was dialed in.
18. It is to be expected for this time of the year but I think there are a lot of players still learning what they are supposed to do and where they are supposed to be. The coaches were talking to the players a lot about lining up in the correct place and positioning. Again, I would commend the coaches on their attention to detail. At one point, I heard Shepard telling Mahoungou why it was important for him to be very wide in lining up on a play that was designed to go to Anthrop in the slot. Shepard was explaining to Mahoungou that he needed to draw his defender to the sideline to protect Anthrop.
19. They ran some extra points and field goals. The first play was a fake where Schopper (holder) threw the ball to Hopkins for a touchdown (against no defensive backs). Both Dellinger and Evans (Baylor kid) kicked. I thought it was better than we had seen in the past. They were kicking into a pretty stiff breeze. I wasn't standing behind the goal post but I don't think they missed any. The kicks seem to get good loft and all had sufficient distance although they probably didn't attempt anything longer than 40 yards.
20. It certainly seems like there is more coaching personnel on the field than in the past. The coaches are all so engaged and vocal. Also, some of the administrative guys (i.e. Don Dunn, Greg Brohm) are around even if they can't be directly involved in the coaching. It just seems like there is better control and purpose to what is being done at practice than in the past.
21. At the end of the practice, Brohm and a handful of coaches talked to the team as a group. Brohm then turned the team over this his brother, Greg Brohm, who detailed the schedule for Saturday afternoon and Sunday including meals, etc. It seemed to be a nice delegation of responsibility where Jeff could let Greg worry about all those little scheduling details and Jeff could stay focused on the football aspect. We saw it pay huge dividends when Tiller arrived with his former staff mostly in tact. I think it is good that this staff has a lot of familiarity from past coaching assignments.
22. My final comments would be about Jeff Brohm's family. His son Brody was around all the players for the entire practice. He would high five guys any time that they made a good play. Toward the end of practice, Brohm's wife and daughter showed up. They apparently live walking distance to the stadium. Throughout the practice, it was clear that Jeff Brohm was in charge - until his daughter (who is probably about 7) got there. There is no question that Jeff answers to his daughter. After practice, she was instructing him to do push ups and jumping jacks and he dutifully complied. In seeing him interact with his daughter, it was obvious how important his family is to him. He played the part of a smitten dad very well, and there was no acting involved. Brohm seems like a good, solid Purdue guy, and I have yet to see him wear a turtle neck and pullover jacket when its 95 degrees out.

After watching practice, I am even more excited to see what Brohm and his staff might be able to do to get Purdue back to where it needs to be in football.

Thanks for thee outstanding report!

 

[tigerchump]

I also attended practice on Saturday. Here are my impressions. I apologize in advance if this gets a little lengthy.

1. I continue to be impressed with the new coaching staff from top to bottom. I attended some Hazell practices and it is a night and day improvement since then. All of the coaches are very engaged and vocal. After every play, each position coach immediately descends on his players with instruction. There is no doubt, however, that Brohm is in charge. He is right in the middle of everything and is very vocal. Many of us have likely seen Shepard's (WR coach) personally at various alumni events where he talks about bringing "juice" every day. In addition to his motivational skills, he has some intensity. I saw him give some very pointed instruction to a few of his receivers yesterday when they were aligned incorrectly or missed some reads. Holt is intense, although he seems to have a very likable personality as well.
2. Blough was sharp and is the clear cut #1. I don't recall that he had any spectacular plays but his accuracy was very good. He hit receivers on the money every time. I only recall one errant pass when he threw high to Anthrop on the sidelines. Anthrop got a hand on it but couldn't make the catch. Blough threaded a ball to one of the tight ends in tight coverage that was really impressive.
3. Sindelar was not sharp. He missed several throws high. He doesn't look particularly smooth. His stature gives him the look of an All American QB, big and strapping in the mold of Jim Everett from an appearance standpoint, but the comparison stops there. He did make one very nice throw on a long pattern to Mahoungou. More on that later.
4. I didn't think Sparks looked great with his throws yesterday. He looked better in the Spring Game. Sipe might have some potential. Alstott looked out of his element (it is early so I am not trying to be overly critical). Personally, I would like to see if Alstott might be able to play another position, maybe on defense.
5. Anthony Mahoungou made some catches in the 11 v. 11 drills. He had what I thought was the catch of the day on about a 40 yard bomb from Sindelar. The defender was with him stride for stride. Mahoungou dove to the inside and went to the ground with good concentration for the catch. It was a really nice play and the defender had to wonder how he came up with it. He caught some other balls as well and looks like he could be an option at receiver in some type of back-up role. The downside was that he seemed lost in fully understanding the offense and the nuances of some of the plays. Shepard had a loud exchange with him where he questioned if he even knew the playbook and what he was supposed to do in particular situations. You would hope for more from a senior.
6. The main receivers seemed to be Holmes, Zico, Phillips, Anthrop, Mahoungou, Edwards, and Wright. Philips looked solid making all the catches without anything spectacular. The coaches seem to like Holmes and Zico and I would not be surprised if they ended up starters. Wright is smaller in stature. He played with the first two units but didn't stand out. The freshman Edwards got some time and I think made a couple of catches. Burgess was hurt and didn't participate. I don't recall noticing the freshman, Catlett, on any plays.
7. D.J. Knox didn't have a very good day in my opinion. I don't recall any significant runs. After one run, Brohm screamed to the Running Backs Coach (Barclay) about Knox, "He absolutely can't cut. He hasn't made the right cut one single time today." While I was watching Barclay instruct on a blocking drill, Knox seemed to have more difficulty grasping the technique than any of the other backs.
8. I like how the coaches require the running back to try to finish runs. Most of the time yesterday, the running backs were being wrapped up but not taken to the ground. The coaches have the backs continue to fight through all the tackles and then sprint another 20 yards or so downfield to put a move on a coach that is deep in the secondary. It seemed to be a good technique to get the running backs to keep fighting and finish runs.
9. I don't recall many big runs yesterday at all. I would credit that to better play by the defense. They seemed to be in position to make plays better than what we have seen in past years and they seemed to stuff holes pretty quickly.
10. Jones didn't stand out in my opinion. I recall one play where he went to the ground quicker than I would have thought.
11. The running back group consisted of Knox, Jones, Fuller, Lankford-Johnson, Worship, Wegher, and Horvath when they were working with position coaches. I found Xander Horvath very intriguing. He is the true freshman that is a preferred walk-on. I think he was committed to IU originally and then switched to Purdue (might be studying engineering). I recall that his numbers at Mishawaka Marion seemed too good to be true for a walk-on (last year 39 TDs, 9 yard average, 4.43 forty, benches 380). In addition to playing running back, he was an All State linebacker. On the practice field yesterday, the kid looks like a physical specimen. He is listed at 6'3" and 220 pounds. He looks like a Big Ten stud athlete right now as a true freshman. He ran the ball with the #3 team and I thought he looked pretty good. I am hoping this kid may be a diamond in the rough that overachieves his recruiting rating and becomes a legitimate player at Purdue either on offense or defense.
12. I didn't spend a lot of time focusing on the offensive line during the 11 v. 11 drills. My one comment would be that I think the current staff has done a pretty good job of finding some kids that at least look like Big Ten offensive lineman. I remember looking at our sideline the past few years and thinking that Warren Central had bigger, stronger looking kids. That doesn't seem to be the case as much now. We have a decent number of tall, broad kids - Steinmetz (6'8"), Hermanns (6'7"), McCann (6'6"), Swingler (6'6"), Smart (6'6"), Evans (6'4"), etc. We will have to see if they can play. I was impressed with the attention to detail that the staff was giving to the line yesterday. They seemed to be "coaching them up." There was a lot of time spent with stressing technique and getting everyone reps in drills. Dale Williams got really vocal with the linemen a couple of times when they missed some blocking calls.
13. I watched the safeties a lot to see who was playing with the first two units especially given Parker's injury. The guys getting the most time seemed to be Thieneman, Mosley, Jallow, and Smiley. Thieneman looked like he knew what he was doing. I recall Jallow making one nice hit.
14. I was interested to see Andy Chelf was practicing. He is the kid that played well in the Spring Game and then was involved in an incident that night where he was shot during an incident at a party. He seemed to be healthy and practicing although he didn't appear to be in the mix with the first couple of units.
15. Hunte and Okonye were playing a lot of corner with the first unit. There may have been others that I didn't notice.
16. Simeon Smiley delivered the hit of the day that I saw. It was the last play of the 11 v. 11 drill. Brohm said it was full speed to see who the winner would be. They were running a two point conversion. Blough hit Anthrop for what would have been a successful conversion until Smiley delivered a huge hit that separated the ball from Anthrop.
17. I watched Marcus Bailey while the team was taking a 5-7 minute break to get some Gatorade in the middle of practice. Most of the players were talking, laughing, and cutting up. Bailey was standing by himself doing some stretches. He just looked very intent and focused. He looked like a player that was dialed in.
18. It is to be expected for this time of the year but I think there are a lot of players still learning what they are supposed to do and where they are supposed to be. The coaches were talking to the players a lot about lining up in the correct place and positioning. Again, I would commend the coaches on their attention to detail. At one point, I heard Shepard telling Mahoungou why it was important for him to be very wide in lining up on a play that was designed to go to Anthrop in the slot. Shepard was explaining to Mahoungou that he needed to draw his defender to the sideline to protect Anthrop.
19. They ran some extra points and field goals. The first play was a fake where Schopper (holder) threw the ball to Hopkins for a touchdown (against no defensive backs). Both Dellinger and Evans (Baylor kid) kicked. I thought it was better than we had seen in the past. They were kicking into a pretty stiff breeze. I wasn't standing behind the goal post but I don't think they missed any. The kicks seem to get good loft and all had sufficient distance although they probably didn't attempt anything longer than 40 yards.
20. It certainly seems like there is more coaching personnel on the field than in the past. The coaches are all so engaged and vocal. Also, some of the administrative guys (i.e. Don Dunn, Greg Brohm) are around even if they can't be directly involved in the coaching. It just seems like there is better control and purpose to what is being done at practice than in the past.
21. At the end of the practice, Brohm and a handful of coaches talked to the team as a group. Brohm then turned the team over this his brother, Greg Brohm, who detailed the schedule for Saturday afternoon and Sunday including meals, etc. It seemed to be a nice delegation of responsibility where Jeff could let Greg worry about all those little scheduling details and Jeff could stay focused on the football aspect. We saw it pay huge dividends when Tiller arrived with his former staff mostly in tact. I think it is good that this staff has a lot of familiarity from past coaching assignments.
22. My final comments would be about Jeff Brohm's family. His son Brody was around all the players for the entire practice. He would high five guys any time that they made a good play. Toward the end of practice, Brohm's wife and daughter showed up. They apparently live walking distance to the stadium. Throughout the practice, it was clear that Jeff Brohm was in charge - until his daughter (who is probably about 7) got there. There is no question that Jeff answers to his daughter. After practice, she was instructing him to do push ups and jumping jacks and he dutifully complied. In seeing him interact with his daughter, it was obvious how important his family is to him. He played the part of a smitten dad very well, and there was no acting involved. Brohm seems like a good, solid Purdue guy, and I have yet to see him wear a turtle neck and pullover jacket when its 95 degrees out.

After watching practice, I am even more excited to see what Brohm and his staff might be able to do to get Purdue back to where it needs to be in football.

Great Report.I liked it all,and I didn't mind the length ..Thanks.

 

[TC4THREE]

I was gonna get a Knucklehead membership, but with coverage like this, who needs one?!

I've had membership. I liked their basketball coverage very much. I prefer reading these fan observations on football though. Unfortunately fans don't have the same access so I may never know the favorite cereals or cartoons of our players going forward.

 

[nips18]

I've had membership. I liked their basketball coverage very much. I prefer reading these fan observations on football though. Unfortunately fans don't have the same access so I may never know the favorite cereals or cartoons of our players going forward.

I enjoy both aspects from fans and GBI, however good luck with fan observations moving forward. Closed practices and no access to coaches beginning tomorrow.

 

[TC4THREE]

I enjoy both aspects from fans and GBI, however good luck with fan observations moving forward. Closed practices and no access to coaches beginning tomorrow.

If I miss Sipe's favorite superhero I will survive.

 

[Wolegib]

If I miss Sipe's favorite superhero I will survive.

You'll always have me. I'm there for you!

 

[TC4THREE]

You'll always have me. I'm there for you!

Speaking of superheroes, you are like a free-board Bizarro BoilerNYC.

 

[boilerbusdriver]

I also attended practice on Saturday. Here are my impressions. I apologize in advance if this gets a little lengthy.

1. I continue to be impressed with the new coaching staff from top to bottom. I attended some Hazell practices and it is a night and day improvement since then. All of the coaches are very engaged and vocal. After every play, each position coach immediately descends on his players with instruction. There is no doubt, however, that Brohm is in charge. He is right in the middle of everything and is very vocal. Many of us have likely seen Shepard's (WR coach) personally at various alumni events where he talks about bringing "juice" every day. In addition to his motivational skills, he has some intensity. I saw him give some very pointed instruction to a few of his receivers yesterday when they were aligned incorrectly or missed some reads. Holt is intense, although he seems to have a very likable personality as well.
2. Blough was sharp and is the clear cut #1. I don't recall that he had any spectacular plays but his accuracy was very good. He hit receivers on the money every time. I only recall one errant pass when he threw high to Anthrop on the sidelines. Anthrop got a hand on it but couldn't make the catch. Blough threaded a ball to one of the tight ends in tight coverage that was really impressive.
3. Sindelar was not sharp. He missed several throws high. He doesn't look particularly smooth. His stature gives him the look of an All American QB, big and strapping in the mold of Jim Everett from an appearance standpoint, but the comparison stops there. He did make one very nice throw on a long pattern to Mahoungou. More on that later.
4. I didn't think Sparks looked great with his throws yesterday. He looked better in the Spring Game. Sipe might have some potential. Alstott looked out of his element (it is early so I am not trying to be overly critical). Personally, I would like to see if Alstott might be able to play another position, maybe on defense.
5. Anthony Mahoungou made some catches in the 11 v. 11 drills. He had what I thought was the catch of the day on about a 40 yard bomb from Sindelar. The defender was with him stride for stride. Mahoungou dove to the inside and went to the ground with good concentration for the catch. It was a really nice play and the defender had to wonder how he came up with it. He caught some other balls as well and looks like he could be an option at receiver in some type of back-up role. The downside was that he seemed lost in fully understanding the offense and the nuances of some of the plays. Shepard had a loud exchange with him where he questioned if he even knew the playbook and what he was supposed to do in particular situations. You would hope for more from a senior.
6. The main receivers seemed to be Holmes, Zico, Phillips, Anthrop, Mahoungou, Edwards, and Wright. Philips looked solid making all the catches without anything spectacular. The coaches seem to like Holmes and Zico and I would not be surprised if they ended up starters. Wright is smaller in stature. He played with the first two units but didn't stand out. The freshman Edwards got some time and I think made a couple of catches. Burgess was hurt and didn't participate. I don't recall noticing the freshman, Catlett, on any plays.
7. D.J. Knox didn't have a very good day in my opinion. I don't recall any significant runs. After one run, Brohm screamed to the Running Backs Coach (Barclay) about Knox, "He absolutely can't cut. He hasn't made the right cut one single time today." While I was watching Barclay instruct on a blocking drill, Knox seemed to have more difficulty grasping the technique than any of the other backs.
8. I like how the coaches require the running back to try to finish runs. Most of the time yesterday, the running backs were being wrapped up but not taken to the ground. The coaches have the backs continue to fight through all the tackles and then sprint another 20 yards or so downfield to put a move on a coach that is deep in the secondary. It seemed to be a good technique to get the running backs to keep fighting and finish runs.
9. I don't recall many big runs yesterday at all. I would credit that to better play by the defense. They seemed to be in position to make plays better than what we have seen in past years and they seemed to stuff holes pretty quickly.
10. Jones didn't stand out in my opinion. I recall one play where he went to the ground quicker than I would have thought.
11. The running back group consisted of Knox, Jones, Fuller, Lankford-Johnson, Worship, Wegher, and Horvath when they were working with position coaches. I found Xander Horvath very intriguing. He is the true freshman that is a preferred walk-on. I think he was committed to IU originally and then switched to Purdue (might be studying engineering). I recall that his numbers at Mishawaka Marion seemed too good to be true for a walk-on (last year 39 TDs, 9 yard average, 4.43 forty, benches 380). In addition to playing running back, he was an All State linebacker. On the practice field yesterday, the kid looks like a physical specimen. He is listed at 6'3" and 220 pounds. He looks like a Big Ten stud athlete right now as a true freshman. He ran the ball with the #3 team and I thought he looked pretty good. I am hoping this kid may be a diamond in the rough that overachieves his recruiting rating and becomes a legitimate player at Purdue either on offense or defense.
12. I didn't spend a lot of time focusing on the offensive line during the 11 v. 11 drills. My one comment would be that I think the current staff has done a pretty good job of finding some kids that at least look like Big Ten offensive lineman. I remember looking at our sideline the past few years and thinking that Warren Central had bigger, stronger looking kids. That doesn't seem to be the case as much now. We have a decent number of tall, broad kids - Steinmetz (6'8"), Hermanns (6'7"), McCann (6'6"), Swingler (6'6"), Smart (6'6"), Evans (6'4"), etc. We will have to see if they can play. I was impressed with the attention to detail that the staff was giving to the line yesterday. They seemed to be "coaching them up." There was a lot of time spent with stressing technique and getting everyone reps in drills. Dale Williams got really vocal with the linemen a couple of times when they missed some blocking calls.
13. I watched the safeties a lot to see who was playing with the first two units especially given Parker's injury. The guys getting the most time seemed to be Thieneman, Mosley, Jallow, and Smiley. Thieneman looked like he knew what he was doing. I recall Jallow making one nice hit.
14. I was interested to see Andy Chelf was practicing. He is the kid that played well in the Spring Game and then was involved in an incident that night where he was shot during an incident at a party. He seemed to be healthy and practicing although he didn't appear to be in the mix with the first couple of units.
15. Hunte and Okonye were playing a lot of corner with the first unit. There may have been others that I didn't notice.
16. Simeon Smiley delivered the hit of the day that I saw. It was the last play of the 11 v. 11 drill. Brohm said it was full speed to see who the winner would be. They were running a two point conversion. Blough hit Anthrop for what would have been a successful conversion until Smiley delivered a huge hit that separated the ball from Anthrop.
17. I watched Marcus Bailey while the team was taking a 5-7 minute break to get some Gatorade in the middle of practice. Most of the players were talking, laughing, and cutting up. Bailey was standing by himself doing some stretches. He just looked very intent and focused. He looked like a player that was dialed in.
18. It is to be expected for this time of the year but I think there are a lot of players still learning what they are supposed to do and where they are supposed to be. The coaches were talking to the players a lot about lining up in the correct place and positioning. Again, I would commend the coaches on their attention to detail. At one point, I heard Shepard telling Mahoungou why it was important for him to be very wide in lining up on a play that was designed to go to Anthrop in the slot. Shepard was explaining to Mahoungou that he needed to draw his defender to the sideline to protect Anthrop.
19. They ran some extra points and field goals. The first play was a fake where Schopper (holder) threw the ball to Hopkins for a touchdown (against no defensive backs). Both Dellinger and Evans (Baylor kid) kicked. I thought it was better than we had seen in the past. They were kicking into a pretty stiff breeze. I wasn't standing behind the goal post but I don't think they missed any. The kicks seem to get good loft and all had sufficient distance although they probably didn't attempt anything longer than 40 yards.
20. It certainly seems like there is more coaching personnel on the field than in the past. The coaches are all so engaged and vocal. Also, some of the administrative guys (i.e. Don Dunn, Greg Brohm) are around even if they can't be directly involved in the coaching. It just seems like there is better control and purpose to what is being done at practice than in the past.
21. At the end of the practice, Brohm and a handful of coaches talked to the team as a group. Brohm then turned the team over this his brother, Greg Brohm, who detailed the schedule for Saturday afternoon and Sunday including meals, etc. It seemed to be a nice delegation of responsibility where Jeff could let Greg worry about all those little scheduling details and Jeff could stay focused on the football aspect. We saw it pay huge dividends when Tiller arrived with his former staff mostly in tact. I think it is good that this staff has a lot of familiarity from past coaching assignments.
22. My final comments would be about Jeff Brohm's family. His son Brody was around all the players for the entire practice. He would high five guys any time that they made a good play. Toward the end of practice, Brohm's wife and daughter showed up. They apparently live walking distance to the stadium. Throughout the practice, it was clear that Jeff Brohm was in charge - until his daughter (who is probably about 7) got there. There is no question that Jeff answers to his daughter. After practice, she was instructing him to do push ups and jumping jacks and he dutifully complied. In seeing him interact with his daughter, it was obvious how important his family is to him. He played the part of a smitten dad very well, and there was no acting involved. Brohm seems like a good, solid Purdue guy, and I have yet to see him wear a turtle neck and pullover jacket when its 95 degrees out.

After watching practice, I am even more excited to see what Brohm and his staff might be able to do to get Purdue back to where it needs to be in football.

You should see about a part time gig with GBI, very well done, really enjoyed the read!!

 

[ghbucs]

These will sort of be a stream from what notes I took down in the roughly 75 minutes I was able to be there today:

1. During the first 11 v 11 portion of practice, Sindelar seemed to really struggle. Poor decisions in the pocket and late getting the ball out. Also had some poor throws but appeared to take a step forward in a later period of 11 v 11.
2. Corey Holmes (transfer from ND) looks to part of a high ability WR and one that will be on the field most of the time the next two seasons. He runs extremely tight routes and catches the ball very well. For being on campus the least of any players, he seemed to understand the playbook at a high level. He was with the 1's during my time there today.
3. The top 4 WR's appear to by Holmes, Zico, Phillips, and a competition between Anthrop, Mahoungo (sp), and Wright. Wright was pulled from two plays for not knowing the plays and where to properly line up BUT what I heard from Coach Brohm was this: 'Get him out of there because we obviously haven't taught him what he needs to know right now.' That is very telling and seems to hold true what Brohm has stated frequently...he is a players coach. Wright knows he made a mistake BUT instead of placing all the blame on him, he shared the blame as a coach as well.
4. Holmes caught two balls that were highly contested in the early 11 v 11 period. Good sign for the offense that desperately needed to find a playmaker.
5. The intensity of Brohm and his staff is much different than that of Hazell. It isn't way over the top or seemingly fake (like I have seen from some coaches)...rather the flow of practice and the period dictates the intensity whereas the previous staff seemed to be flatlined all the time.
6. Anthrop appears to have taken a good step forward in his progression but still makes some mistakes. Two were glaringly obvious: On a trick type of play, Sindelar threw back across the field to Anthrop who has about 6 yards to the outside to beat Bentley to the corner...instead he made an inside move and was swallowed up. Brohm IMMEDIATELY jumped him about getting to the outside before making a move and then getting out of bounds. The WR coach did the same and said: 'Get your ass out of bounds before Bentley breaks your neck.' He also dropped a two point conversion for what Coach Brohm labeled as a 'go ahead score with no time remaining.' It would have counted as he was in the endzone but the contact forced the ball out.
7. They did an 11 v 11 period for the 3's to face each other. Sipe took the majority of the snaps here and looks to have that locked down. He throws a very good ball and has some good anticipation to his throws. Made some mistakes but that is likely with a kid in his 3rd practice and first in shoulder pads. Alstott took a few snaps but threw a pretty bad INT. He'll eventually be a scout team QB if he doesn't have the athleticism or size to play another position (can't play RB or WR...it would have to be safety or a major bulk up to LB).
8. Hunt looked good at CB, as he should as a senior. I think with the new scheme, he could become an honorable mention or third team B1G selection.
9. Saw Worship and Jones in a split RB formation from the shotgun. This looks like Brohm finding ways to get his best players on the field at the same time. Lots of two TE looks as well with lots of motion (good motion, not that idiotic crap from Shoop's first year) and play fakes.
10. DJ Edwards got most of his reps with the 2's and a few with the 1's. He looks ready to contribute this season if and when he is needed. He has good ability and if the need is there, he'll play considering the depth issues at WR.

Great write up! Thanks for sharing. Did the defense seem to be able to create any pressure?

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

Great write up! Thanks for sharing. Did the defense seem to be able to create any pressure?

I'll say yes but I believe they were probably working more on their base defense and allowing the offense to work as well. When I saw a blitz, the defense typically made some pressure. I would love to have access to watch a few more practices, especially since Saturday was the first in pads and going 'thud' but understand that Brohm is closing practices.

 

[boiler2288]

Wondering if any position switches might be in the works? Typically the first week of fall camp after a new coaching staff arrives might dictate a few. Since they have had time to evaluate talent, needs following spring ball.

Its too late now, but I would have loved to see Cole Herdman line up at DE-he has build/frame/toughness that reminds me of Kerrigan. He was a stellar LB in HS. Also we have a backlog of good TE's on the current roster-never been a fan of 2 TE sets except in short yardage situations.Would like to see Pittman and Tressel play some this fall.

 

[Wolegib]

Wondering if any position switches might be in the works? Typically the first week of fall camp after a new coaching staff arrives might dictate a few. Since they have had time to evaluate talent, needs following spring ball.

Its too late now, but I would have loved to see Cole Herdman line up at DE-he has build/frame/toughness that reminds me of Kerrigan. He was a stellar LB in HS. Also we have a backlog of good TE's on the current roster-never been a fan of 2 TE sets except in short yardage situations.Would like to see Pittman and Tressel play some this fall.

there was an offensive tackle that was switching back to guard - supposedly his preferred position before last year. I'd like to know how he fared back in his old position.

 

[PaBoiler78]

Wondering if any position switches might be in the works? Typically the first week of fall camp after a new coaching staff arrives might dictate a few. Since they have had time to evaluate talent, needs following spring ball.

Its too late now, but I would have loved to see Cole Herdman line up at DE-he has build/frame/toughness that reminds me of Kerrigan. He was a stellar LB in HS. Also we have a backlog of good TE's on the current roster-never been a fan of 2 TE sets except in short yardage situations.Would like to see Pittman and Tressel play some this fall.

how is Trussell looking? saw he put weight on, how about his abilities ? always interested to see how Texas kids progress.

 

[OldStyle1902]

Speaking of superheroes, you are like a free-board Bizarro BoilerNYC.

come on TC4Three you know you miss me... You must be excited not only did we lose the infamous high school bleachers but we have lights...

 

[Wolegib]

come on TC4Three you know you miss me... You must be excited not only did we lose the infamous high school bleachers but we have lights...

ah now I get it. Soooooooo there are others out there much like me.

 

[TC4THREE]

ah now I get it. Soooooooo there are others out there much like me.

Actually you're kind of polar opposites. That's why I said you were Bizzaro BoilerNYC.