Dellinger shows accurate leg; Purdue kick scrimmage notebook

More from kick scrimmage: New returner eager not to be 'mystery man' anymore | Darrell Hazell on scrimmage

J.D. Dellinger wanted to make sure when he arrived at Purdue this summer, he would be automatic from 30 yards in.

It's what college kickers do, he thought, and even though he was a first-year college player, Dellinger knew it was expected. He expected it from himself.

In his first real opportunity to prove he could deliver, Dellinger did Saturday.

In Purdue's kick scrimmage, a practice that focuses special teams, Dellinger made all four of his field goals inside 30 yards — and much more. For the morning, he unofficially made 11-of-14 kicks, missing twice from 39 and another from 48. But his makes came from all over: 24 being the shortest, 48 the longest, for the freshman.

"I had a couple good ones, a couple I wish I could get back. But not too worried," Dellinger said of his performance.

In these kick scrimmage scenario with teams divided, oftentimes kickers don't get to work with the full first-team operation, and that was the case again Saturday. Dellinger had Purdue's No. 1 long snapper, Ben Makowski, but was kicking the ball off holds from backup David Blough. It was actually the first time Dellinger had worked with Blough, who holds in practices for backup Myles Homan. Joe Schopper, the team's punter, is Dellinger's usual holder.

Still, Dellinger looked solid — getting an assist from Blough on a pair of high snaps — generally showing good loft on the ball. Once, Dellinger had an awkward-looking, sideways-spinning liner. But it still went through the uprights from 37 yards out. He also made at least three kicks with rushers at his feet, having broken hard off the edge and diving to get a block.

"I think opportunities like (Saturday) was a great way to simulate a game situation," Dellinger said. "We’ve been doing a lot of live field goals in practice, so I think that’s also a good way, having the live rush at you and trying to get it off in that 1.25 (seconds), finally get a chance to prove myself out here."

Homan made 8-of-12 kicks, unofficially.

Both players kicked off. Darrell Hazell said Homan was the top kickoff man earlier in the week, but Dellinger could move in there, too. On Saturday morning, Homan's one kickoff went to the 7-yard-line; while Dellinger had two kicks, one to the 3, another to the 9.

"I had one OK kickoff and one not-so-great (Saturday), but it’s definitely something I’m working on. It’s definitely something I’d like to do this season," Dellinger said. "I think it’s going to take just getting that consistency vs. just trying to smash it every time, put it out of the end zone, and try to get that high ball that goes a couple deep that we can cover."

Despite 18 punts, there were only seven opportunities to return Saturday.

Without expected top returner Malik Kimbrough, Purdue trotted four players out for punt return chances. Jackson Anthrop's 14-yarder was the longest return, but he and Jack Wegher each had 19 yards on two apiece. Cameron Posey was buried for a three-yard loss by Malcolm Dotson on Schopper's booming 59-yarder. Posey's other return went for nine yards.

In his only opportunity, Brandon Roberts fumbled a punt, and it was recovered by the punting team.

All of the kick return options were first-year players: Anthrop, Wegher, Josh Hayes and Brian Lankford-Johnson. Lankford-Johnson's 25-yard return was the longest of the three — Wegher had the other two, 18 and 20 yards — and that's an area the freshman running back is eager to shine this season.

"Special teams, that’s where I’m going to make my money this year," Lankford-Johnson said earlier this week. "I think I’m on every one but punt return. I asked not to be on that. Return, block, cover, everything. I want to return for sure. I’m back there right now with kickoff return. That’s really going to be where I see myself excelling this year."

Lankford-Johnson said he returned kicks in high school, too, and had some success. Why? It's simple: He's fast.

"My specialty is my speed, and at kick return, if you block correctly, it should open a door for speed guys," he said. "(I like it because) I’m the first guy who gets the opportunity to score. That’s the best feeling, just knowing the offense is depending on me to give us a good start with field position."

After a roller coaster freshman season that saw Schopper struggle to start camp, rebound to steal a senior's spot and deliver with booming kicks only to struggle again toward the end of the season, the sophomore spent the summer getting re-focused and fine-tuning his craft.

He thinks it worked, reporting a solid fall so far that has him full of confidence.

"I'm much more relaxed," Schopper said. "I think a lot of that has come from reps. I have a whole season under my belt now. I think this season, I really just have to focus on getting that ball down the field a little better and getting that up in the air more, and I think we'll have a good season."

On Saturday, Schopper unofficially averaged 42.2 yards on nine punts, including one that traveled only 26 yards after it was blocked by Da'Wan Hunte. But he drilled two that went 50-plus yards, too.

"I think I'm really settling in, especially with Ben snapping," Schopper said Saturday. "We've got a great chemistry going. He's had a fantastic summer, fantastic camp. I know he's going to keep doing that, and that makes my job a lot easier. I think we're going to keep that going for a long time here, hopefully, and get the chemistry even better as we go throughout the season."

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