Countdown to camp: Position battles

OnSaturday,PurdueopensitsfirsttrainingcampunderCoachDarrellHazell.

Practiceswillbeopenforfanstoattend.

Herearesomeofthetoppositionsbattlestowatch:

QuarterbackThiswillbethedebateovercamp'sfirsttwoweeks,thelikelyamountoftimeHazellandoffensivecoordinatorJohnShoopwillwaittonameastarter.

We'vebrokendownthisraceadnaseum,buthere'saquickprimer:

Fifth-yearseniorRobHenry,truefreshmanDannyEtlingandredshirtfreshmanAustinApplebyarethetop3choicesandtheonlylikelyoptionsatthispoint.

MostexpectthetrueracetobebetweenHenryandEtling,thoughApplebyisn'tquiteoutofityet.He'sabig,strong-armed,headyplayerwhocouldemergeagainwithagreatfirsttwoweeks.Butcouldhemakeenoughstridestopassbothplayers?Seemsunlikely.

Henrysurprisedcoacheswithhispassingabilityandaccuracyinspringball-they'dheard,andassumed,thathewasmoreofarunningQB.Etlingroseupthedepthchartquicklybecauseofhisintelligenceandphysicalskills-hehasagreatzipontheballandhe'sabigguywhoiswillingtostayinthepocketintightquarterstodeliverstrikes.

Shoopisquicktosaythemosttalentedquarterbackisnotalwaysbestquarterback,though.

Acoupleoffactorstoconsider,then:Thereisn'tmuchexperienceattheskillpositionsaroundtheQB,sowhocanmakeplaysbetterifsomethingbreaksdown,andPurdue'sscheduleisanabsolutenightmarethroughtheseason'sfirsteightweeks.

LinebackerTheprojectedstartershereareeasybecausethey'veallstarted-WillLucasontheweakside,JoeGilliaminthemiddleandSeanRobinsononthestrongside.

Butnoneofthemareall-conference-typeplayers,andtherearesomeyoungsterswhocouldemergetobumponeormoreofthoseplayersoutofthelineup.

Despitebeingshort-he'sgenerouslylistedat6foot-AndyGarciaissomeonewhocouldchallengeLucasontheoutside.CoachesloveGarcia'sbulldogmentalityandhissmallerframecanstillpackapunch.Lucas,afterall,isonlylistedat5-11.Lucas'issuealwayshasbeenaninabilitytofollowthroughonassignments.Soifhegetsthatshoredup,hecouldholdthespot.Ifnot,Garcia'swillingnesstoflyaroundandmakeplayscouldgethimmorePT.

Gilliamalsomadestridesinthespringafterhisfirstseasonasastarter,butredshirtfreshmanJimmyHermanshowedsomeencouragingsigns,too,aftermovingfromoutsidetomiddlelinebacker.Hermanadmittedlystruggledatpointswiththeshift,buthe's6-foot-4andworkedtoaddweightandmuscleovertheoffseason.Ifhecanentercampinthe220-range-Gilliamislistedpre-campinthehigh220s-thenperhapshe'llhaveachancetochallengeforsnaps.

Nothavingseenanyofthetruefreshmen,it'shardtosaywhethertheycouldmakeamove.Butit'dseemthatthere'dcertainlybeanopportunityforanaggressiveplayerwhohasahighmotor.

WidereceiverPerhapsthereshouldbejustasmuchattentionpaidtostartsassnaps.

Eithercontributionseeminglyisstillupfor,uh,grabsincamp.

OtherthanDolapoMacarthy,whomaystillberehabbingfromanoffseasoninjury,therearefewpredeterminedoptionsatreceiver.

B.J.Knauf,ShaneMikeskyandCharlesTorwudzomaybethemostlikelytogetthebulkofsnaps,butthat'sonlybecausethecoacheshaveyettoseeDannyAnthropinteamsituationsorevenmuchoftopstatisticalreturningreceiverGaryBush,whowaslimitedinsomepracticesandmeetingsbecauseofaclassconflictinthespring.

AndwherewillRaheemMostertfit?Hehasthespeedandthemovestomakebigplays,buthehasn'tcaughtapassyetinagame.HetalkedabouthowmuchmorecomfortablehewasinShoop'ssystem,buthealsodidn'treallystandoutinspringball.

IffreshmenDanMonteroso,MylesNorwoodandDeAngeloYanceyhadproductiveoffseasonslearningtheplaybookandstudyingfilm,there'sachancetheycouldgetsnapsinWeek1,too.Butdidthey?

Findingproductivereceiversmaynotbeasintriguingaspickingastartingquarterback,butitcertainlywillbeinterestingtoseewhoemergesamongalargegroupthatdoesn'thavemuchexperience.

ClickHeretoviewthisLink.

Copyright,Boilers,Inc.2013.AllRightsReserved.Reproducingorusingeditorialorgraphicalcontent,inwholeorinpart,withoutpermission,isstrictlyprohibited.E-mailGoldandBlack.com/Boilers,Inc.

GoldandBlack.com Mobile for your AndroidClick GoldandBlack.com Mobile for your iPhoneClick Here to view this Link. | Here to view this Link.

Click Click Here to view this Link. Here to view this Link.