Sparks, along with Moore, have been our 2 best WRs in training camp. There was an article (premium) that he was inactive, but expected to play in the NW game. Is he hurt, disciplinary, or something else? We really need him on the field this year.
Sparks
- Thread starter KentuckyBoiler
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Guessing he may have tweaked something and was held out as a precaution. The offense is going to revolve around Sparks as a better outside threat than anything Purdue has likely had in over a decade, imo. The only reason Moore wasn't held out was because he needs the reps being a freshman.
Wouldn't surprise me to see, at some point this season, Moore and Sparks each with 100 yard receiving games at the same time.
I don’t understand the huge Sparks love on here. So far he’s shown to be a very inconsistent WR with not the greatest hands. I hope he improves greatly but to say he’s the best in over a decade is a big stretch right now.
Why do you have this opinion? That's quite a statement, as DeAngelo Yancey was very good. Plus, when you go back a full decade, you're getting into Keith Smith territory.
Smith was a slot receiver.
Edit: Also, it has been almost a decade since he played (2009).
We havent had a lot of good talent on the outside in the last 10ish years. Also, he showed flashes last year. I dont think he is all big ten, but he should hold down the starting spot this year barring injury.
As strange as it sounds, I wonder how DeAngelo Yancey would have done in Brohm’s system. I think Brohm and Coach Shepherd could have made him into a 60-70 catch/yr kind of guy. He has the measurables they look for. Hazell didn’t use him properly.
Sparks was, until his injury, the most consistent threat at WR without a full season under his belt at WR. There is a reason why many on the team have said he is probably the best player on the offensive side of the ball with Moore and Jones likely right behind him.
His hands belie that. I hope he proves his doubters wrong. He is a good athlete, but he’s not yet a natural WR. He’s improving.
He ran go routes most of the games. Im curious how Brohm would have dealt with his sophomore slump.
The thing is, he wasn't inconsistent last year. I went to two practices in camp (first full day of pads was one), and he clearly was making plays both in the run game, as a blocker after the catch, and down the field as a receiver. Outside of the OSU game, I'm not sure there will be a CB Purdue faces that will be able to check Sparks on the outside for an entire game (possibly NU's Hartage). While at the practice, Coach Sheppard pulled Sparks to the side and said....'it is your ability to make plays like you just did that will have you playing on Sunday.' If the coaches at Purdue see it, likely the coaches around the conference do as well. Wouldn't surprise me to see Sparks get 800 yards receiving and 10 TD's this season.
Believe me, I’d like nothing more than to see this come true this year.
Hazell did not use a lot of people properly
No doubt he would have been better under Brohm. He had an effort issue there for a while. His sophomore season was terrible and I put that on him more than the system. However, you can't complain about his senior season, 950 yards and 10 touchdowns. Domo Young would have been awesome under Brohm.
Barring injury, I could see them both having a 100 yard receiving game the Northwestern or Ohio game. We have so many questions on the health of our RBs right now that I could see us doing the old Tiller statement that we are going to throw the ball, throw it again, and throw it after that.
I would not have called Smith a slot receiver.
And I know that it's been almost a decade since he played. That's why I brought him up. The original quote from Johnny was "Sparks could be the best in over a decade".
He lined primarily lined up in the slot under Tiller and Nord.
Just because he was built like a pro wr doesnt mean he played on the outside.
Would anyone really be entirely surprised if the offense didn't "revolve around" Moore by mid-season?
I would be surprised. He is still a freshman in the big ten. Also, if he is as good as coaches expect, the better teams will take him away and dare someone else to beat them.
Monster. He was great with Nord, i can only imagine what he would have done with a better OC.
Smith's 2009 season was 91 catches for 1,100 yards (12.1 average). He added 6 TD's as well.
If Sparks can add 800 yards receiving (with arguably more talent at the position that Smith had to contend with in 2009) along with 10 TD's, it would be a better season than Smith's 2009 campaign. If you are judging solely by yards, then no...but I'm looking at the potential impact overall. I'll stick by Sparks being the best WR at Purdue in over a decade, especially when you are looking at the top WR performances since Tiller's first year in 1997. I included the top WR from each season PLUS another WR if their total yards were above 800 as a second option (except Stubblefield since you could argue he is the best WR to come through Purdue since Tiller).
1997: Brian Alford 63 rec 1228 yards 10 TD
1998: Randall Lane 67 rec 940 yards 7 TD
1998: Isaac Jones 83 rec 899 yards 7 TD
1999: Chris Daniels 121 rec 1236 yards 7 TD
2000: Vinny Sutherland 72 rec 1014 yards 13 TD
2001: Taylor Stubblefied 73 rec 910 yards 2 TD
2002: John Standeford 75 rec 1307 yards 13 TD
2002: Taylor Stubblefield 77 rec 789 yards 0 TD
2003: John Standeford 77 rec 1150 yards 4 TD
2003: Taylor Stubblefield 86 rec 835 yards 3 TD
2004: Taylor Stubblefied 89 rec 1095 yards 16 TD
2005: Dorien Bryant 80 rec 960 yards 4 TD
2006: Dorien Bryant 87 rec 1068 yards 6 TD
2007: Dorien Bryant 87 rec 936 yards 8 TD
2007: Dustin Keller (TE) 68 rec 881 yards 7 TD
2008: Desmond Tardy 67 rec 876 yards 5 TD
2009: Keith Smith 91 rec 1100 yards 6 TD
2010: Cortez Smith 33 rec 434 yards 4 TD
2011: Antavian Edison 44 rec 584 yards 3 TD
2012: Antavian Edison 58 rec 652 yards 8 TD
2013: Deangelo Yancey 32 rec 546 yards 2 TD
2014: Danny Anthrop 38 rec 616 yards 4 TD
2015: Deangelo Yancey 48 rec 700 yards 5 TD
2016: Deangelo Yancey 49 rec 951 yards 10 TD
2017: Anthony Mahoungo 40 rec 688 yards 8 TD
Now, tell me again how if Sparks gets 800 yards and totals 10 TD's wouldn't be considered the best WR at Purdue in over a decade? A season of 800 yards would place a WR at #3 in the last decade for total yards and a TD total of 10 would place them tied for 3rd best for a single season since 1997.
I'll stick by my sentiment that if Sparks has the season expected and is what is needed from him...and arguably he'll get all the opportunities to in Brohm's offense...he'll get those numbers.
Also a side note: Brohm's three seasons at WKU saw at least one player with more than 800 yards receiving each year. In the final two seasons under Brohm at WKU, this is what the WR totals looked like:
2015: Taywann Taylor 86 rec 1467 yards 17 TD
2015: Nicolas Norris 63 rec 971 yards 6 TD
2015: Jared Dangerfield 82 rec 844 yards 8 TD
2015: Antwane Grant 55 rec 701 yards 7 TD
2016: Taywan Taylor 98 rec 1730 yards 17 TD
2016: Nicolas Norris 76 rec 1318 yards 14 TD
Again, I'll reiterate: I'll take Sparks being the #1 and being able to grab at least 800 yards receiving and 10TD's which would easily place him as one of, if not the best, WR at Purdue in over a decade.
Opposing teams were unable to entirely take Vinnie Southerland away during his FR/Soph seasons. Bob Davie now dwells in mediocrity at New Mexico in large part with an assist from Vinnie...
Looking back retroactively, I think Gary Nord needs to get a pass on the blame. He put up tons of points and really played to Purdue's strengths. The program, as a whole, was a Shhhhstorm at that point and his offenses were putting up points and appeared to be hard to defend against at times.
I agree he gets too much blame. I just think Brohm is better.
Spread offenses arent an anomaly now. We arent going to get Rondale Moore matched up on an OLB or a slow footed safety like Sutherland did in 97. Also, Vinny played opposite Alford in 97 who is one of the best WRs of the Tiller era
Keith Smith (2009) had a monster year. 91 catches, 1100 yards, and 6 TDS. I don’t see Sparks topping that. OK, he might have a few more TDs, but I don’t see 91 catches and 1100 yards.
I’d love for Brohm to have multiple guys with over 50 catches this season. I’d love to see Herdman and Hopkins have over 60 catches combined.
We definitely need our TEs to be a big part of the offense this year. If they can stay healthy, they should be one of the best tandems of TEs in the Big Ten this year.
My question wasn't "Why do you think 800 yds and 10 TDs is the best season in the last ten years?"
It was "Why do you think Sparks will have such a breakout season?"
Seems like you're awfully bullish on a kid who's only caught 19 balls (and no TDs). Your "expectations" seem like a best case scenario, but not necessarily likely.
This isn't my beef, but, okay . . . I'll play. (Playing devil's advocate.)
- in 2017, with a new system, Purdue QB's threw 292 completions for 27 TDs (expect that much, maybe more for 2018)
- Many of those completions are gone from the 2017 receiving roster
- in 2017, the staff was arguably trying to figure out where Sparks would fit in
- in 2017, Sparks' production was largely limited by injury (as well as the aforementioned upperclassmen and his new role)
- the staff seems to be very high on him and his ability to contribute
It's not outside the realm of possibility for Sparks to have a huge year, and I don't think it's as unlikely as you are arguing. His numbers as a FR are about as relevant as my forty time.
I fully expect there to be significantly more than 27 TDs receiving this season. It was no secret Brohm ran his offense leaning on the run due to the skillset of the roster he had. Over the last 4 games when Sindelar was an established starter he had 11 TDs against good teams (not padding stats against teams like Ohio). That would have put him on pace for 36 across a full season with a bowl game of 13 games. I also think I witnessed several dropped passes that could have kept the drive alive for a chance at a received TD and several dropped TDs where we settled for FGs over the course of the year (like Rutgers).
Having said that, I agree there is no reason Sparks cannot achieve 800 yards, 10 TDs. I can only trust what I hear the coaches say and believe Sparks can pick up Mahoungou's production when he was at his peak the second half of the season. I think the coaches were not only figuring out Sparks but all the outside WRs including Zico, Burgess, Phillips, Mahoungou, and Wright. I trust this year they will have a more consistent outside WR group contributing regularly in Sparks, Wright, and Zico with Sparks contributing the most.
Hated to see that he is having ankle problems again. Zico and/or Wright are going to have to step up, just like Anthony did last year.
I am hoping that Bell and M Wright are seeing how much we need them as outside receIvers and we can get one of them to commit (or both would be even better).
I am hoping that Bell and M Wright are seeing how much we need them as outside receIvers and we can get one of them to commit (or both would be even better).
I am not sure we NEED them at outside WR. In 2019 when they are true freshmen we will have Sparks (Jr), Anderson (So), Bonner (So), Rice (Fr), and Taylor (So) with any of those using a redshirt possibly. All of those guys have the potential to be #1/#2 outside WRs. And will be competing with Anthrop, Sheffield, and Moore for playing time as Brohm does not necessarily play the X-Y-Z lineup. I would not say we need them, and I don't think instant playing time would be a factor. Brohm puts the best WRs on the field regardless of how many stars they have coming out of HS.
And if we get Bell and/or Milton Wright they will be better than any outside WR currently on the team or recruited for next year, although Rice could be a good one too.
How do you figure? Because Rivals or 247 has them higher in a ranking? Wright is only 6-0" and Bell currently is on the lighter side. Brohm really likes tall, strong WR's and will play the WRs he believes are prepared to perform best. Don't get me wrong, I think it will be hard to keep them off the field. But Jackson Anthrop was the 3rd "best" WR we had from his class and last year our best WR on the roster based on rankings was Corey Holmes... I don't think Brohm cares about stars and rankings.
Just not true. Milton Wright is listed as 6’3” 190 lb on Rivals and I read an article recently that said he added some muscle over the summer. He’s closer to 200 lb now. David Bell is listed as 6’2” 180 lb and he’s also trying to bulk up this summer.
Both of these guys fit the mold of what Brohm wants - taller, stronger, athletic WRs who can run.
I stand corrected on Milton’s height. I must’ve had old information. However I do not think you can discredit my entire post because of that. I agree those two guys will be the most highly rated outside receivers coming in in over a decade and have the potential to be solid players for four years. However, we said the same thing about Desmond tardy and Selwyn Lymon.
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