Ezechukwu finds a fit; Tuesday notebook

ApairoffreshmenlinebackersmaybegettingsomepubforcomingtoPurdue'scampusphysicallyreadytoperformasrookies,butlastyear,itwasDannyEzechukwuwholookedthepartasafirst-yearplayer.

HestillredshirtedbutthenwasliningupasPurdue'sNo.1weaksidelinebackeronthefirstdayofspring.Ultimately,thecoachesthoughtthatwasn'tthebestfit,andEzechukwuslidtorushendduringcampbutquicklywasworkingwiththefirst-teamunitwhenJalaniPhillipswasnursingashoulderinjury.

Ezechukwufeelslikethenewpositionisagoodplaceforhimtoshowcasehisphysicality-anda250-pound,13-percentbodyfatframe.HispresencealsocouldhelpPurdue'spassrush,acrucialareaofneededimprovement.

"IfeellikeIgetofftheballprettyfast,"hesaidafterTuesday'spractice."IknowonethingI'mworkingonisnottakingfalsestepsandsteppingbackwardofftheball.(But)Ifeellike(rushingthepasseris)somethingIcanpossess,andIreallyfeellikeIusemyhandswell."

Ezechukwusaidthetransitionfromlinebackertorushendhasn'tbeenthatdifficultbecausethelatterisarolehedidsomeinhighschool,butit'salsohelpedhavinglinebackerexperiencein2013,hesaid.

Plus,he'sconstantlyapproachingPhillipsandRyanRussell,aseniordefensiveendwhoplayedsomeofthehybridpositionlastseason,foradviceandlearningmoreaboutthepositiondaily.Thecoacheshavehelped,too,especiallyRubinCarter'sdetail-orientedapproach.

"Ilookat(RyanRussell)andIlookatJalani(Phillips)onfilmandIaskthemquestionsabouthowtousetheirhandsandtheirbestmovesandtheirgo-tomoves,andCoachCarteralwayscoachesusuponhowtouseourinsidehand,ouroutsidehand,"Ezechukwusaid."SoI'mjusttryingtotakethatallinstrideanduseittothebestofmyability."

ThoughPhillipswasbackpracticingsomeTuesday,histrapeziusissuehasbeenalingeringone,soit'slikelyEzechukwuwillseethefieldinPurdue'sopeneronAug.30.

Andthecoachesseemconfidentwiththeredshirtfreshman'sabilitytomakeplays.

"Ithinkhe'sanaturalend,"DarrellHazellsaid."That'swhatwesawonhighschoolfilm,himjustbendinghisshouldersandcomingofftheedge.Ithinkifyoucancontainthefootballandrushthequarterbackatthatspot,youcanbeveryproductive,andhe'sdoneanicejob."

StillpushingThoughtrainingcampisdone,defensivecoordinatorGregHudsonsaidhe'skeepinghisgroupincampmentality,pushingittoworrymorethanjustaboutschemesforWesternMichigan.

"We'rereallyharpingonourfundamentalfootball.Stilldoingtacklingdrills,alignments,techniques,runningtothefootball,everythingyoufocusonschemetoomuchyouputoff,"Hudsonsaid."We'restillplayingjustlikeitwasDay1.Weknowwhatwewanttorunongameday,sowe'redoingthatinteamperiods,butwe'rereallystillbendingourkneesandrunningtothefootball."

Alwaysrunning.

It'scommontohearHudsonanddefensivecoachesyellingatplayerstoneverwalk.Atpointsduringpracticethisfall,ifsomeoneiscaughtnotrunningtothenextstation,Hudsonhasstoppedpracticeandmadeplayerspaywithconditioningdrills.

Becomingaswarmingdefenseandpersistentlypursuingballcarriershasbeenpreached,andthatcomeswithbetterconditioning,hencetheno-walkpolicy.Hudsonsaidhewantshisplayerstoplay"withoutbrakes."

"Ourpursuithasbeenalotbetterateveryposition,"Hudsonsaid."Wegradeit.Wewatchitonfilm,wepointitout,sothere'snowheretohide.

"Conditioningsupersedeseverything.Fatiguemakesusacoward.We'vegottobeingreatshape,eventhebigguys.You'vegottorun."

GettingbackDanMonterosohasn'tpracticedfullysinceinjuringhisleftkneeontheseconddayofcampwithwhatHazellcalleda"bruise."

ButMonterosowasrunningsomeroutesTuesday,catchingballsfromaGAandmovingwell.

"Weprobablycouldhaveputhiminsome(7-on-7)perimeter,butwewanttobecautiousrightnow,"Hazellsaid."Wemaygethimbackfornextweek,whichIwasn'tanticipatingthat.Butthere'sagoodchancethatwemight."

It'stoughtosaywhereMonterosowillfitwhenhereturnsfulltime.Hecanmovearoundsomeatthereceiverspots,buthe'slargelyplayedinthe"H"roleintheslot.That'saspotDannyAnthropandCameronPoseyseemedtohavelockeddown,thoughAnthropalsocanplaysomeinthe"Z"spotontheoutside.ButB.J.KnaufplaysattheZ,too,andTraeHartalsocouldfactorintothetwo-deep.

MonterosoandfellowreceiverBilalMarshall(shoulder)willhavetoworktogetbackintotherotation.

LastoneWednesday'skickscrimmageisthelastpracticeopentofansthisfall.

Hazellsaiditlikelywon'tbealongpractice,buthewantshisteamstogetcomfortablewithchangingfieldsinthekickinggame.It'sscheduledtostartat10:15inRoss-AdeStadium.

Oneoftheteam'sfinalremainingbattles-who'sthekicker,PaulGriggsorIanMacDougall?-then,though,Hazellsaid.ThoughGriggshasanedgeatthispoint,Hazellsaid,helikelywon'tmakeadecisionoffthescrimmage.

OnTuesday,Purduedidonlylast-secondfieldgoals,andGriggsmade2-of-3andMacDougallwas1-for-2.AustinApplebyappearstohavemovedintotheNo.1holderspot.ThomasMeadowswashandlingthosedutiesallofcamp.

Meadowsundoubtedlyistheteam'spunter.Hehasn'thadanyrealcompetitionwithfreshmanAustinMeGeheeleavingbeforecampstarted,butMeadowsalsohasbootedtheballsolidlyoverthelastthreeweeks.

Quoteoftheday,HazellonJimmyHermanClick"Ithinkhe'sdoneaphenomenaljobsincethespringtime,"Hazellsaid.HeretoviewthisLink.:"He'skindoflikecarbonmonoxide,he'sthatsilentguy.He'sallovertheplace,andyoudon'tevenknowhe'sdoingit.Buthisproductivityhasbeenprettygoodthisfallcamp."

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