Deep Dive: Spring practice No. 3
Spring practice No. 3 is in the books, another indoor affair amid a cold, damp Saturday in West Lafayette. Let’s take a Deep Dive!
NOTE: Purdue opens only the first six periods (roughly 30 minutes) of practice. No media availability today. The Boilermakers next hit the field at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday for Practice No. 4 of the spring.
1 – Probably the most lively 30 or so minutes of practice I’ve seen so far. Soon after warmups, the players set up three stations across the field. Players battled one-on-one (blocker vs. tackler) with a ballcarrier tasked with running through two tackling dummies where the combatants tussled for superiority.
The drill created a lot of energy, similar to the old “hamburger” or “Oklahoma” drills, but there was no tackling. It was more about the battle in the “pit” between two players. In one rep, FB Ben Furtney flattened LB Dominick Moon. WR Preston Terrell and S Anthony Brown also had a nice fracas; ditto CB Xander Pratt and WR Andrew Sowinski, who is now wearing No. 26. He was No. 29 in 2022.
2 – S Sanoussi Kane appeared to tweak something during the drill, taking himself out of the proceedings.
3 – Learned today that former LB Kieren Douglas is a GA at Louisville. Douglas always was lauded as being a “coach on the field,” a player with a high football IQ. I was always told Doulgas was one of the hardest hitting and toughest players on the squad. So, add “KD” to the battalion of former Purdue ex-patriots in Derby City.
4 – Freshman NT Jamarrion Harkless was on the field, but he was watching the goings-on. As far as I know, Harkless has yet to go through a practice this spring. I will say this: He is a big man, amply filling out his No. 97 jersey. The roster says he’s 6-3, 310. Believe every inch and pound of it.
5 – Always good to see AD Mike Bobinski, who took in the proceedings. One of the most knowledgeable AD’s I’ve ever met. Good man, smart, tough, savvy.
Also talked briefly with former Boiler long-snapper extraordinaire Andy Standifer, a lieutenant for the Purdue Police who also is the game-day muscle for the Boilermaker head coach. Standifer doubles as head coach at nearby Benton Central High, where he is two seasons into reviving a moribund program where his sons play or will play. He was a long snapper in West Lafayette from 1996-99.
6 – No assistant has more “juice” than CB coach Sam Carter, who will fist-bump just about everyone on the sideline before practice starts. Didn’t get my fist-bump today.
7 – Your NT/DE group today: Cole Brevard, Mo Omonode, J.P. Deeter, Joe Strickland, Joe Anderson, Tristan Cox. Again, Harkless watched. Initially thought Strickland would be an OLB. Will be interested to see where the 6-4, 265-pound former four-star from Brebeuf Jesuit in Indianapolis lands in this defense: DE or OLB. The redshirt freshman is listed as a “DE” on the roster, for what it’s worth.
8 – Your OLB group (Bucks and Foxes) today: Nic Caraway, Khordae Sydnor, Will Heldt, Roman Pitre.
9 – Your ILB group today: O.C. Brothers, Owen Davis, Clyde Washington, Jacob Wahlberg, Yanni Karlaftis, Ben Kreul, Zac Tuinei, Hudson Miller, Moon.
10 – Scholarship players I did not spy: Gus Hartwig, Garrett Miller, Daniel Johnson, Ethon Cole, Broc Thompson, Scotty Humpich, Kydran Jenkins, Damarjhe Lewis, Prince Boyd, Andre Oben, Cross Watson, Sulaiman Kpaka, Nalin Fox, Isaiah Nichols. We know Hartwig, Miller, Johnson, Thompson, Jenkins and Lewis are coming off injury. Humpich dealt with “stingers” last year. Not sure about the others on this list.
11 – Purdue will hold its first spring scrimmage next Saturday, April 1. Ryan Walters is slated to speak afterward.
MORE: BOILING OVER: Hoops portal chatter, football visitors, QB to watch … and where’s Milton Wright? | Cinderella man Devin Mockobee looks to build on fairy tale start to Purdue career | Deep Dive Practice No. 1 | Deep Dive Practice No. 2 | Photo gallery Practice No. 1 | Photo gallery Practice No. 2
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