The departure of long-time starter Nick Zecchino there is an opportunity for playing time at long snapper for Purdue. Today's featured player is a transfer that might take over that role.

Daniel Hawthorne - Sr.

West Monroe, LA (West Monroe HS, Missouri transfer)

6', 235 pounds

Long Snapper

2023 Projection: Possible Starter

Purdue needs to replace all thre specialists on placekicks this season, so it makes sense to bring in a transfer with experience. That is Hawthorne. He played the last three seasons at Missouri and saw action in 27 games. According to his profile page on Missouri's website he has two years of eligibility remaining entering this season.

Hawthorne is expected to compete with Nick Taylor for the job. Taylor has been on the roster for a few seasons now, and it is possible one could specialize further on punts while the other handles placekicks. Regardless, Hawthorne is a player that could play at a position of need.

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