Depth chart could have considerable movement in Purdue camp

More from Day 1: Purdue chooses six captains | Quick count | Analysis ($)

Media day coverage: Transfer Holmes ready to prove worth | Brohm wants competitive camp; Catlett early standout

Despite bringing in a considerable amount of new players in the summer to improve Purdue's roster, the older players expected to climb to the top of Purdue's depth chart still have work to do.

First-year coach Jeff Brohm said those newcomers, even the graduate transfers and junior college players, still need to "earn their spots" during training camp.

Of the newcomers, only Josh Okonye, the Wake Forest transfer, got significant first-team snaps on Day 1. But that could change as practice continues, Brohm said.

"I think there will be quite a bit of movement over the next week," Brohm said Thursday. "We have more bodies to look at. Certain positions are probably fairly solid to a certain degree, but I think with more bodies, I think it’s important to make sure the backups are currently pushing the starters and trying to take their spot and, if not, they’re ready to go and we’re able to put them in there so we get them repetitions."

Perhaps the biggest depth chart surprises were on offense where Brohm brought in the most help, namely on the line and at receiver. But Rhode Island transfer Dave Steinmetz wasn't a starter on Thursday, and receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard worked JUCO receivers Isaac Zico and Terry Wright and Notre Dame transfer Corey Holmes into the rotation often but none of them started the day with the 1s.

The No. 1 offensive line was essentially the same as it ended the spring, until center Kirk Barron had a hamstring flare up and had to exit.

"Right now, they’ve got to prove to us they’re ready to play," Brohm said of the new linemen.

"While I did see some positive signs, things are new to them. The speed of the game is a little bit faster for some of them, and that’ll take some time. But I feel like they’ll continue to improve, and we’ll see if they can beat out who’s ahead of him."

Shane Evans played center and guard at Northern Illinois, but he's backing up Barron right now at center and slid in with the 1s after Barron got hurt.

"It's good that (Evans) got more reps than we probably wanted him to," Brohm said. "Shane will be able to play both spots, and we’ll train him to do that. But definitely the center position is very valuable, the ability to snap, think and block is something that some of the others can’t do. So it’s good to get him more reps (Thursday)."

Okoyne was projected as a nickel, but he spent all of the first practice at cornerback opposite returning starter Da'Wan Hunte.

"He’s had a great summer," Brohm said of Okoyne. "You can tell he’s played before, and he has good knowledge. We used him at corner some. I think his best position is at the nickel position. He’s very good in the slot. It fits him better for his size and speed, but he’s a knowledgeable football player who’s played games. He’ll play a lot for us." — Stacy Clardie

After an injury-marred debut season at Purdue, Austin Larkin hopes his time for the Boilermakers is now.

The former junior college transfer and Notre Dame bounce-back sprained his ankle in practice two days before the season last year, limiting him to start a season in which he still played in 10 games.

To boot, he learned early during spring ball of a stress fracture in his foot, shelving him for the majority of Purdue's first spring under its new staff.

"What can you do?" he said at media day Thursday. "You just try to stay positive and work through it. I did everything I could, always in there pestering the medical staff seeing what I could do and (what I couldn't)."

His return from injury coincides with opportunity.

Larkin opened training camp Thursday as one of Purdue's first-team defensive ends, a role he says he expects to afford him opportunities to play on the outside, both with his hand down and standing up, and perhaps some situational use moving inside. He said the time spent recovering from injury still afforded him a chance to continue that transition.

"I want to show people my explosiveness," said Larkin, who was a linebacker at Notre Dame before moving to the defensive line in junior college. "I feel like I can bring that every single game, every single play, but before that I'd say my effort. That's one thing that's between you and you, a thing where I try to go 100-percent every play and something I take pride in."

The 6-foot-3, 255-pounder said he feels urgency this season, with just one year left to play.

"I know I have to make a name for myself," Larkin said, "but I'm going to do it within the scheme, play my part and not try to make plays that aren't mine to make. … Though I want to make an impact, I know I have to play my role, and I'm going to do that." — Brian Neubert

Sophomore offensive lineman Matt McCann opened training camp at right guard, after spending his redshirt freshman season — at least the healthy parts — at tackle.

The 6-foot-6, 315-pounder moves back to the position he played while redshirting two seasons ago.

"I've adjusted before. I started my career here at guard and that's what I thought I was going to play, then last year we had a change with our offensive line coach and he wanted to try me at tackle and I thought I did a decent job," said McCann, who's playing for his third position coach in as many years, from Jim Bridge, to Darrell Funk, now to Dale Williams. "… They think (now) I'm more suited for guard, but at the same time they told me, 'You have to be able to play tackle, to play both.' It'll take me a few days to get in the flow (at guard), I feel like, but it's nothing too big."

Job 1 for McCann has been recovery, after his season was marred last year by an ankle injury that ultimately required surgery, "reconstruction of the right ankle," as he called it.

In one of the uglier moments of an ugly season for Purdue last fall, an injured McCann was pressed into action in the second half at Maryland in Week 4 due to the Boilermakers' struggles at the position in his absence. It "wasn't fun," McCann says.

"Adrenaline kicks in," he said, "and the thing was taped up like a mummy. You just have to pride yourself on your toughness and if they need you, go out there."

Now, Purdue needs him on an offensive line that returns few proven commodities, or at least proven at Purdue.

McCann started the first two games of the season, against Eastern Kentucky and Cincinnati, then missed the Nevada game after getting hurt in practice. Then, Maryland, after which he saw action the rest of the season, making him one of Purdue's most experienced returning offensive linemen.

The move to guard comes with the opportunity to be Purdue's primary player at the position.

"I have experience with camp battles," he said. "I've done it before. It can be stressful at times. You just have to be level-headed all the time and go out there and do your best." — Brian Neubert

• Purdue's practice on Friday also will be in only helmets before moving to shells on Saturday. Both practices open to the public. Purdue's first fully padded practice won't be until Aug. 8, the fifth practice of camp.

• A couple of players left practice with apparent injuries Thursday, including Holmes (cramping), Barron (hamstring) and safety C.J. Parker (knee). There are a handful of players already on the shelf, including linebacker Sawyer Dawson and DBs Mike Little and Jacob Abrams.

• The players voted six players as captains: Ja'Whaun Bentley, Danny Ezechukwu, Da'Wan Hunte on defense, and David Blough, Kirk Barron and Greg Phillips on offense.

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