Leading into August’s training camp, GoldandBlack.com is breaking down Purdue position by position. Next up, the offensive line.
Purdue has a pair of fifth-year senior guards, Jason King and Jordan Roos, with 58 combined starts.
But other than that, the Boilermakers will need to use camp to solidify the front, locking down the other starters, as well as lining up depth.
Martesse Patterson and Kirk Barron are in line to start at left tackle and center, but neither has been a full-time starter before. Darrell Hazell gave no indication over the summer who will be the No. 1 right tackle on Day 1 of camp. It could be fifth-year senior Cameron Cermin or redshirt freshman Matt McCann. Both have questions. Cermin has starting experience but is coming off shoulder surgery and could be considered by the staff as more valuable as a backup center, where no other player has emerged. McCann still is raw, though he did get plenty of reps in the spring with Cermin out to better learn the position and, presumably, made strides this summer in strength and flexibility.
Still, that right tackle position will be one of the biggest battles in camp.
Seeing who fills out the second-team unit will be intriguing as well.
By the end of spring, there were only nine healthy linemen, but Hazell said by training camp, the line could have as many as 18 players. That includes the scholarship additions of junior college transfer Jalen Neal and freshmen Grant Hermanns and Tanner Hawthorne plus a “list of walk-ons who have already committed to come.” Purdue must find serviceable backups out of that collection of players, though returnees Mike Mendez and Bearooz Yacoobi likely have an edge at this point because they've been in the system.
Whichever combination ultimately wins out, it’s clear the group must be better in 2016.
It allowed 30 sacks last season, and Purdue’s running game production was among the lowest in the Big Ten.
"We obviously have to hold up up front better than we have," King said.
Barron, for one, said the group will be better.
“I think this group is going to thrive under pressure,” he said in June.
King and Roos are the proven components, so perhaps most pressure will fall on the first-time, full-time starters, Barron and Patterson. (Presuming Cermin wins the right tackle spot.)
Barron is one of the team’s strongest players, busting weight room records seemingly every week over the summer, and his short stature allows him to have natural leverage. But perhaps even more important than the physical attributes will be Barron’s ability to mentally handle the position. He’ll be responsible for identifying defenses and making line calls, though the quarterback plays a part in setting the protections as well.
Patterson is one of the group’s most physically gifted players. Despite his size — he was way too heavy last spring at 357 — he has unique athleticism. But it’s imperative he shows stamina in camp — he cut at least 15 pounds this summer, but was it enough to survive 70-plus snaps a game? It better be. There are no clear answers at backup left tackle, though Cermin can play there.
Despite the questions, King, for one, has confidence in the pair that are projected to flank him.
“I’m excited about it because these are guys I’ve known would have the talent to play,” King said in June. “I never worried about if Kirk was going to be able to step in or anything like that just because I’ve spent enough time around him to know what he was capable of. He’s always had the talent and ability. … With (Robert) Kugler there, he was in the shadow.
“If (Patterson and King) can get — which we started to at the end of spring — but if can get some of our fits right and get to where we know exactly how each other plays and we can get our fits the way we need to be, I know double teams on our side will go wherever we want them to go. It’s the same with Kirk. ... Either one of those guys combine with what I’m trying to do, double teams, that (opposing) guy will be a non-factor in the play, for sure. I’m excited to play next to both of those guys.”
Countdown to Camp series (offense): Quarterbacks | Receivers | Running backs
Countdown to Camp series (defense): Linebackers | Secondary | Defensive line
More: 2016 football primer
Membership Information: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2016. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited.
