As week two of Purdue’s spring practice slate wraps up, find out what Boiler Upload has our eye on…
🔄 Cross-training going well for DB’s
Purdue came out with an updated roster at practice on Tuesday evenings with several notable changes. The first of which was all cornerbacks and safeties being labeled as defensive backs. The staff previously designated both position groups accordingly but made the change a week into practice.
The reasoning behind the switch was Ryan Walters and Kevin Kane's philosophy regarding cross-training. Both groups will work at cornerback and safety throughout the spring. Each member of the secondary, regardless of position, will be asked to serve in a multitude of roles on the Boilermakers' new defense this fall. Preparation for that has already begun.
During the open period of practice, the previously designated cornerbacks and safeties worked with their respective groups. On Thursday, however, players worked on the same individual drills at each spot. The cross-training this spring figures to continue into the fall as well.
Senior Sanoussi Kane addressed the cross-training aspect of spring practices, saying it will be valuable for the defense.
"We're all cross-training right now, so we're all just learning every single position which will benefit us in the future. --- Knowing what every spot does and making sure that we know where we're supposed to align when we're in a specific spot," Kane said.
👀 Safety impressing Kevin Kane
One of those newly coined defensive backs has been catching the eye of defensive coordinator Kevin Kane. On Tuesday, Kane was asked about who's stood out thus far in spring practices, and he named redshirt junior safety Antonio Stevens as a player turning heads.
"Antonio Stevens has really been a great, great surprise. Watching from bowl prep to see him work in the winter to where he's at right now. Extremely excited with where he's at," Kane said.
Stevens suffered a gruesome knee injury in December 2020 that saw him get carted off the field against Nebraska. While the specifics of the injury were not fully disclosed, the Tennessee native missed all of 2021 while recovering.
He appears to have fully recovered after returning to the field last season. Stevens served as a backup safety behind Cam Allen, Sanoussi Kane, and even Bryce Hampton. He saw action in 13 games, recording eight total tackles for the Boilermakers.
The main reserve slot behind Kane and Allen is wide open at the moment, and Stevens is positioning himself for a vital role within the Purdue defense this fall.
❓ RB room depth concerning?
The Boilermakers’ depth in the backfield has become concerning just two weeks into the spring. Alongside lead back Devin Mockobee is Dylan Downing, converted wide receiver Tyrone Tracy Jr, redshirt freshman Kentrell Marks, and walk-on Addai Lewellen.
A lack of depth has allowed all five backs to get more work this spring, which has led to success, according to offensive coordinator Graham Harrell.
“They’re getting a lot of work because there’s not that many of them,” Harrell said. “Those guys never complain, they show up with a great attitude, they work the right way, and because of it, they’re doing a lot of good things.”
King Doerue, Kobe Lewis, and walk-on Caleb Lahey left the program over the off-season. While Doerue and Lewis made their transfer decisions known, it is uncertain why Lahey no longer appears on the roster. At the very least, he could have provided additional depth.
However, some added depth could be on the way in the form of incoming freshman Mondrell Dean. Dean is labeled as an athlete and told Boiler Upload that he could play either running back or outside linebacker/defensive end. That remains to be seen, as Dean is still a few months away from getting on campus this summer.
The running back room is likely a position the Purdue coaching staff chooses to address in the transfer portal.
📸 Defensive line picture becomes clear
Along with the cornerbacks and safeties being lumped together on the new roster, we also got a clearer picture of how the defensive line setup will look in the fall.
In Ryan Walters' system, the Boilermakers have three interior defensive linemen, with a defensive tackle and two defensive ends. We now know which players are in those designated slots.
The likes of Cole Brevard, Mo Omonode, Damarjhe Lewis, and Jamarrion Harkless are set to man the inside at defensive tackle. Last month, defensive line coach Brick Haley was very complimentary of Brevard and Omonode.
Harkless and Lewis could serve as depth on the interior, but neither has seen the practice field this spring as they deal with injuries. Lewis missed all of last season after going down with a broken ankle in fall camp. Harkless has an undisclosed ailment he's been dealing with since enrolling early.
There is much more depth in the defensive end group for the Boilermakers this spring. Arkansas transfer Isaiah Nichols and fifth-year senior Joe Anderson are the two most likely candidates for starting spots. The trio of Joe Strickland, Prince Boyd Jr., and Sulaiman Kpaka could also find themselves getting snaps. However, Nichols, Boyd Jr., and Kpaka have been sidelined with undisclosed injuries throughout the spring, making their statuses uncertain.
A duo of young defensive ends has also been working with Brick Haley's group. JP Deeter and Tristan Cox will provide valuable depth throughout the spring and gain experience as several veterans ahead of them remain sidelined.
⭐️ Top recruits who visited practice
*It will not let me link profiles, they are linked in the story however*
Three future Boilermakers visited campus to watch practice for the first time under their soon-to-be coaches. 2023 signee Ryne Shackelford joined Purdue's recruiting class in December, but waited to step on campus until this summer. He is labeled as an athlete, but projects as a wide receiver with high Ohio All-State track speed.
A pair of recruits in the class of 2024 also attended practice, three-star cornerback Hudauri Hines and three-star tight end Eric Karner. Hines was the first commitment in next year's class for Ryan Walters, coming up from Indianapolis where he stars at Franklin Central. Karner is one of the more recent commitments, pledging to the Boilermakers in early March.
Darrion Dupree
Koy Beasley
Adedamola Ajani
Alex Graham
Corey Smith
Donovan Harbour
🔄 Cross-training going well for DB’s
Purdue came out with an updated roster at practice on Tuesday evenings with several notable changes. The first of which was all cornerbacks and safeties being labeled as defensive backs. The staff previously designated both position groups accordingly but made the change a week into practice.
The reasoning behind the switch was Ryan Walters and Kevin Kane's philosophy regarding cross-training. Both groups will work at cornerback and safety throughout the spring. Each member of the secondary, regardless of position, will be asked to serve in a multitude of roles on the Boilermakers' new defense this fall. Preparation for that has already begun.
During the open period of practice, the previously designated cornerbacks and safeties worked with their respective groups. On Thursday, however, players worked on the same individual drills at each spot. The cross-training this spring figures to continue into the fall as well.
Senior Sanoussi Kane addressed the cross-training aspect of spring practices, saying it will be valuable for the defense.
"We're all cross-training right now, so we're all just learning every single position which will benefit us in the future. --- Knowing what every spot does and making sure that we know where we're supposed to align when we're in a specific spot," Kane said.
👀 Safety impressing Kevin Kane
One of those newly coined defensive backs has been catching the eye of defensive coordinator Kevin Kane. On Tuesday, Kane was asked about who's stood out thus far in spring practices, and he named redshirt junior safety Antonio Stevens as a player turning heads.
"Antonio Stevens has really been a great, great surprise. Watching from bowl prep to see him work in the winter to where he's at right now. Extremely excited with where he's at," Kane said.
Stevens suffered a gruesome knee injury in December 2020 that saw him get carted off the field against Nebraska. While the specifics of the injury were not fully disclosed, the Tennessee native missed all of 2021 while recovering.
He appears to have fully recovered after returning to the field last season. Stevens served as a backup safety behind Cam Allen, Sanoussi Kane, and even Bryce Hampton. He saw action in 13 games, recording eight total tackles for the Boilermakers.
The main reserve slot behind Kane and Allen is wide open at the moment, and Stevens is positioning himself for a vital role within the Purdue defense this fall.
❓ RB room depth concerning?
The Boilermakers’ depth in the backfield has become concerning just two weeks into the spring. Alongside lead back Devin Mockobee is Dylan Downing, converted wide receiver Tyrone Tracy Jr, redshirt freshman Kentrell Marks, and walk-on Addai Lewellen.
A lack of depth has allowed all five backs to get more work this spring, which has led to success, according to offensive coordinator Graham Harrell.
“They’re getting a lot of work because there’s not that many of them,” Harrell said. “Those guys never complain, they show up with a great attitude, they work the right way, and because of it, they’re doing a lot of good things.”
King Doerue, Kobe Lewis, and walk-on Caleb Lahey left the program over the off-season. While Doerue and Lewis made their transfer decisions known, it is uncertain why Lahey no longer appears on the roster. At the very least, he could have provided additional depth.
However, some added depth could be on the way in the form of incoming freshman Mondrell Dean. Dean is labeled as an athlete and told Boiler Upload that he could play either running back or outside linebacker/defensive end. That remains to be seen, as Dean is still a few months away from getting on campus this summer.
The running back room is likely a position the Purdue coaching staff chooses to address in the transfer portal.
📸 Defensive line picture becomes clear
Along with the cornerbacks and safeties being lumped together on the new roster, we also got a clearer picture of how the defensive line setup will look in the fall.
In Ryan Walters' system, the Boilermakers have three interior defensive linemen, with a defensive tackle and two defensive ends. We now know which players are in those designated slots.
The likes of Cole Brevard, Mo Omonode, Damarjhe Lewis, and Jamarrion Harkless are set to man the inside at defensive tackle. Last month, defensive line coach Brick Haley was very complimentary of Brevard and Omonode.
Harkless and Lewis could serve as depth on the interior, but neither has seen the practice field this spring as they deal with injuries. Lewis missed all of last season after going down with a broken ankle in fall camp. Harkless has an undisclosed ailment he's been dealing with since enrolling early.
There is much more depth in the defensive end group for the Boilermakers this spring. Arkansas transfer Isaiah Nichols and fifth-year senior Joe Anderson are the two most likely candidates for starting spots. The trio of Joe Strickland, Prince Boyd Jr., and Sulaiman Kpaka could also find themselves getting snaps. However, Nichols, Boyd Jr., and Kpaka have been sidelined with undisclosed injuries throughout the spring, making their statuses uncertain.
A duo of young defensive ends has also been working with Brick Haley's group. JP Deeter and Tristan Cox will provide valuable depth throughout the spring and gain experience as several veterans ahead of them remain sidelined.
⭐️ Top recruits who visited practice
*It will not let me link profiles, they are linked in the story however*
Three future Boilermakers visited campus to watch practice for the first time under their soon-to-be coaches. 2023 signee Ryne Shackelford joined Purdue's recruiting class in December, but waited to step on campus until this summer. He is labeled as an athlete, but projects as a wide receiver with high Ohio All-State track speed.
A pair of recruits in the class of 2024 also attended practice, three-star cornerback Hudauri Hines and three-star tight end Eric Karner. Hines was the first commitment in next year's class for Ryan Walters, coming up from Indianapolis where he stars at Franklin Central. Karner is one of the more recent commitments, pledging to the Boilermakers in early March.
Darrion Dupree
Koy Beasley
Adedamola Ajani
Alex Graham
Corey Smith
Donovan Harbour
Purdue Football Spring Practice Week #2 Notes & Takeaways
See what Boiler Upload has an eye on as Purdue wraps up its second week of spring practices.
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