Deep Dive: Purdue training camp practice No. 3

It’s informative, it’s analytical, it’s opinionated, it’s the Deep Dive, a look at today’s football practice in helmets and shoulder pads.

• It’s early, but the offensive line is looking very good. There are probably eight guys that would be starters on any other line. OL coach Marcus Johnson is still figuring out the best combinations. G Jaden Ball and T Bakyne Coly have been dominant with the second unit. Some feel this is by far the best group of blockers Purdue has had since the start of the Jeff Brohm era in 2017.

• Still no CB Tarrion Grant, WR Kam Brown, DL Joe Anderson and OL Rod Green, who may be out for the season. He joined the program in January as a JC transfer. Also: DL Damarjhe Lewis was dressed by not active.

• Lewis had been running with the first-team. With him out today, true freshmen Demeco Kennedy stepped in. He’s a guy who has impressed since arriving in the spring. Very active.

• Special teams coach Chris Petrilli is still sorting through return men. The line is long early in practices with players taking turns fielding punts and kickoffs. But know this: The most dynamic options will be used, regardless of position, class or star status. Maybe we’ll see Dillon Thieneman on punt returns, like Iowa used Cooper DeJean.

“We’re gonna put our best player back there,” said Petrilli. “And it might be a freshman, it might be a junior, it might be a sixth-year senior. But the best dude that gives us a chance to get a free first down or more and be explosive back there, we’re gonna put him back there and he’s gonna try and help us win.”

• The buzz continues to build for 6-5 true freshman WR Shamar Rigby. Early thoughts: He may help Purdue this fall.

• Finally heard a song today I knew: “Brass Monkey” by the Beastie Boys. (This is my old man shaking his fist at the clouds comment.)

• Lots of mixing and matching on the OL today. Saw this: T Corey Stewart, G Mahamane Moussa, C Gus Hartwig, G Jalen Grant, T Marcus Mbow. Saw this: Mbow,  DJ Wingfield, Hartwig, Grant, Stewart. Safe to say the two tackle spots and center are set. The guards?

• Impressed by the size of some of the wideouts … Jahmal Edrine, CJ Smith, Leland Smith, Rigby, Donovan Hamilton.

• There are eight inside linebackers, but only four on scholarship: Kydran Jenkins, Yanni Karlaftis, Owen Davis and Winston Berglund.

• The cornerbacks today: Nyland Green, Markevious Brown, Botros Alisandro, Kyndrich Breedlove, Zeke Williams, Earl Kulp, Luke Pettaway, Isaiah Needam.

• New punter Keelan Crimmins is from Australia. And, yes, he is a fan of AC/DC. His favorite album: The Razors Edge with “Thunderstruck.” No a bad answer. But a better answer would have been Highway to Hell.

• Players lingered today to extra conditioning, riding stationary bikes for short, intense periods. They also spent time hoisting FlipSleds, large metal objects foisted from one end to the next.

• Good to see Purdue’s No. 1 WR Edrine and No. 1 CB Nyland Green return to the practice field to do extra work vs. each other. WR Jayden Dixon-Veal got in on the action, too.

• Scouts from the Titans and Seahawks were on hand to take in the proceedings.

• Rush ends today: Will Heldt, CJ Madden, Shittah Sillah, Jireh Ojata, Calvin Smith, Jamari Payne, Albert Schwartz, Logan Jellison.

Thanks for reading! Ryan Walters‘s squad is off Saturday and back at it on Sunday. We won’t have access again until Monday. Will be full pads by then!

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