Projecting Purdue’s 2023 stat leaders
Who will lead Purdue in rushing? Catches? Tackles for loss? How about interceptions?
Some predictions for 2023.
RUSHING YARDS: DEVIN MOCKOBEE
Mockobee’s emergence became a top story from Purdue’s Big Ten West title run, as the then-walk-on ran for 968 yards in his debut season. Now, as the unquestioned top running back, Mockobee hopes to become Purdue’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Kory Sheets did it in 2008. If Mockobee can stay healthy for all 12 games, he’ll cross that mark.
Projection: 1,045 yards
PASSING YARDS: HUDSON CARD
Despite the departure of Aidan O’Connell, Hudson Card enters with much fanfare. Ryan Walters and Graham Harrell made it a top priority to land the Texas transfer, and Purdue’s offense will go as far as No. 1 can take it. His accurate arm should make for a good fit with Harrell’s air-raid principled pass game. He’ll need to stay healthy, however, as he looks to become the first Boilermaker to start all 12 regular season games since David Blough in 2016.
Projection: 3,216 yards
CATCHES: TJ SHEFFIELD
TJ Sheffield stands as the most-proven receiver on Purdue’s roster. He’s pulled in 86 passes in the old gold and black, racking up over 800 yards and recording nine touchdowns. Now, he’ll hope to assume the reigns as the top wide receiver on the roster. His versatility could allow him to play both inside and outside. Can he step up as the alpha in a wide receiver that lacks a proven one?
Projection: 58 receptions
ALL-PURPOSE YARDS: MOCKOBEE
If he reaches the 1,000-yard mark, he could do it on rushing alone. Factor in the passing game and Mockobee is the easy choice to lead the Boilermakers in all-purpose yards this season. Mockobee could excel in Harrell’s passing game, which focuses on putting pass-catchers in position for yards after the catch. Expect a big season for the Boonville, Ind. product.
Projection: 1,345 yards
TOTAL OFFENSE: CARD
Easy enough, right? One question that remains unanswered: how much will Purdue let Card run? He possesses the ability to extend plays with his feet, but the Boilermakers cannot afford to lose their top signal caller. Behind Card, Purdue’s quarterbacks combine for zero career pass attempts. He’ll add a few yards on the ground, but expect him to exercise extreme caution when using his legs.
Projection: 3,346 yards
TACKLES: OC BROTHERS
The lone returning starter at linebacker, Brothers figures to play a high volume of snaps this season. His ability to move sideline-to-sideline will be called upon in Walters’ defensive scheme, which will put him in many positions to make stops. He’ll hope to clean up some of the missed tackles from 2022, but he’ll lead the Boilermakers in total tackles this fall.
Projection: 74 tackles
SACKS: NIC SCOURTON
No player’s physical tools check as many boxes as Nic Scourton’s. The 6-4, 260-pound pass rusher offers the highest ceiling of any player on the roster, and he’s just a true sophomore. By the end of last season, Scourton saw his role increase to a regular contributor, and now he projects to start this fall.
In the defensive scheme deployed by Walters, edge rushers should get plenty of one-on-one matchups with opposing tackles. That’s where Scourton will make himself a household name throughout Big Ten country this fall.
Projection: 7.5 sacks
TACKLES FOR LOSS (TFLs): SCOURTON
Ditto. Not only will Scourton get into the backfield and disrupt quarterbacks, but his explosiveness will get him into the backfield in time to stop opposing running backs in their tracks. Get ready for No. 5 this fall.
Projection: 13.5 tackles for loss
INTERCEPTIONS: CAM ALLEN
Though he’s experienced ups and downs in his three-plus years as a starter, Allen sits tied for ninth in program history with 10 career interceptions. The former high school quarterback has a knack for timely interceptions, as his two picks helped Purdue take down a ranked Minnesota squad on the road.
While he’ll face competition for reps, Allen will reel in four interceptions this year to leave him second on the all-time list. The leader? Stu Schweigert with 17.
Projection: 4 interceptions
FIELD GOALS: BEN FREEHILL
Mitchell Fineran departed as the program’s all-time most-accurate kicker, but his replacement may just have backed him up for two years.
Freehill transferred in from Oklahoma State ahead of the 2021 season and kicked off 54 times over the past two years. He’s demonstrated a big leg on those kickoffs, and Purdue hopes he can become a weapon from 40+ yards out, something it last had in Spencer Evans. While Julio Macias and Caleb Krockover sit in the wings behind him, Freehill will nail down the job.
Projection: 15 made field goals
PUNTING: JACK ANSELL
The Australian import showed tangible improvement from his freshman to sophomore seasons, demonstrating much more consistency in his second year with Purdue, as his average distance increased by over three yards to 41.9 yards per punt. Now, it’s time to show off the leg strength more and help flip the field for Purdue’s “Air Strike” defense.
Projection: 43.3 yards per punt
PUNT RETURNS: SHEFFIELD
How will Purdue approach the punt return game? With the exception of Rondale Moore’s time at Purdue, the previous regime tended to “play it safe” and focus on simply catching the punt and getting the offense on the field. Andrew Sowinski may be the play if the new staff wants to play that way, but Sheffield has experience in the punt return game. Could he break a big one? Purdue hasn’t returned a punt for six since the 2009 season.
Projection: 7.4 yards per return
KICKOFF RETURNS: TYRONE TRACY
Though he moves from receiver to running back, Tracy’s athleticism could also come in handy in the kick return game. Purdue wants to get the ball in the hands of Tracy and let him make plays. Similarly to the punt return game, how aggressive will Purdue look to be in the kick return game? Will it look to make big plays, or is starting at the 25 yard-line A-OK?
Projection: 20 yards per return
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