Depth chart surprises, position switches on Purdue's first day of spring

Entering spring ball, Jeff Brohm knew a top priority was going to be evaluating personnel and feeling a way to filling in the two-deep.

So perhaps some of the depth chart surprises on the first day of spring practice Monday will be only a one-practice deal.

And some may stick.

It's likely the offensive line could be a day-to-day revolving door, especially without projected starters Matt McCann and, at least for the first day, Mike Mendez. That meant the Boilermakers had only one player with their first team offense Monday that had starting experience. Or any real game experience.

Other than center Kirk Barron, a first-time starter last season, Purdue used redshirt freshman Grant Hermanns at left tackle, little-used sophomore Peyton Truitt at left guard, little-used Bearooz Yacoobi at right guard and walk-on Eric Swingler, who missed last season with an ACL injury, at right tackle.

Brohm said Mendez, who started a couple games last season at tackle because of injuries, missed Monday for a "personal issue." Asked whether Mendez would be back this spring at some point, Brohm said he didn't know on Monday but may know more within the next couple days. It'd certainly be a blow if Mendez is out, considering his versatility and game experience.

An inexperienced offensive line ultimately could affect the offense’s execution, Brohm said, but he also knows the spring will be a time to allow players to blossom and improve.

“You want linemen who want to compete, have some toughness, who are willing to work hard, who are willing to make mistakes and understand it and find a way to improve the next day,” Brohm said. “We’ve got some youth there. We’ve got some guys who haven’t played a whole lot. We’ve got some guys who have to work hard to get better. We have to continue to plug guys in there as much as we can and see who are best five are. Right now, I don’t know who that is, but they’ll all get plenty of opportunity to work out there and get a chance to showcase what they do. So as long as they’re willing and they’re wanting to compete, that’s all we can ask for.”

Purdue needs to find depth on its defensive line as well, and its first-team unit looked different than expected Monday as the coaches look for it.

Senior Gelen Robinson, who is Purdue's leading returner sack leader, spent some time playing inside instead of his usual defensive end spot. Robinson had five sacks last season and played the bulk of the game snaps at one of the end spots, especially once Evan Panfil moved inside.

"You put his strength and athleticism and line him up at end is great, but if you can line him up on an offensive guard who is not near as athletic, he can do some damage there as well," Brohm said. "We definitely want to play him in multiple spots. He’s a guy who has the body type, the weight, that you’re looking for that can play more than end. We’ve got to keep him healthy. He’s a guy who’s extremely valuable to the defense. We’ve got to work him hard but we’ve also got to make sure he’s healthy and ready to go Game 1."

With Robinson inside, that freed up a starting end spot opposite returner Austin Larkin. On Day 1, that was Antoine Miles. (Eddy Wilson was the other D-line starter.)

"I think he has some ability," Brohm said of Miles. "He hasn’t played a lot, but he’s a guy who does have some talent. In order to be very good on defense, you have to have some depth, especially on the defensive line, so he’s got to give us quality reps. If guys understand they’re going to play, normally they work harder and normally they’re into it more. We’re trying to tell our guys on defense, especially, if you can play you’re going to go in. We’re going to rotate you in there. As long as they’re into it and they’re willing to put in the work, we’re going to play them."

To round out the first-team defense on the first day: Ja'Whaun Bentley, Markus Bailey and Danny Ezechukwu were the linebackers, Tim Cason and Da'Wan Hunte were the cornerbacks and C.J. Parker and Navon Mosley were the safeties.

On offense, returning receivers Gregory Phillips, Anthony Mahoungou and Terrance Landers worked primarily with the first team. Purdue rotated its running backs with the 1s behind starting QB David Blough. Cole Herdman and Brycen Hopkins both got No. 1 snaps at tight end.

Though it's possible there will be more moves as the spring progresses, Purdue had at least three players in new positions on Monday.

Along with Robinson, Rob Simmons, a defensive end last season, worked with the linebackers on Day 1, and mid-year enrollee freshman Jalen Jackson, who was projected as an offensive lineman, was working on the inside of the defensive line.

• Will Colmery had emergency surgery last year to remove a mass near his brain. Last August, he said he wanted to return to the field at some point, but he spent the season only watching practices. On Monday, he was back working with the defensive line.

• Linebacker transfer T.J. McCollum was supposed to be largely on the shelf this spring while recovering from elbow surgery. But with the team not in pads on the first day, he was able to participate in some team (no-tackle) periods.

"I think he did a little more than I thought," Brohm said. "He’s competitive. I think our starting linebacking crew is very good. I think he gives us depth to be able to move those guys around a little bit, maybe line one up on the line of scrimmage every now and then and rush the passer. So it give us flexibility to possibly have four linebackers on the field or find a way to do that at times, which gives you an element of extra speed. So it’s good to see him out there in the mix."

• No unexpected injuries on Day 1. Brohm said before spring McCann, Lorenzo Neal and Josh Hayes would be out. Running back D.J. Knox, who missed last season while recovering from an ACL injury, participated and looked quick and cut well.

Membership Information: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?

Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2017. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited.