He's 6-3, 270. He's a LB. And he means business. Meet DaMarcus Mitchell
MORE: Training camp coverage
Literally and figuratively, DaMarcus Mitchell needs to be a major part of the Purdue defense in 2020.
The 6-3, 270-pound JC transfer was a key offseason addition at linebacker for new coordinator Bob Diaco.
“DaMarcus is fast,” said fellow Boilermaker junior linebacker Jaylan Alexander. “He's a nice player. The more we practice, the more he's gonna be a dominant player in the Big Ten.”
Teammates and staffers got a look at Mitchell during the eight spring practices Purdue was able to get in before the pandemic shuttered school in early March. And by all accounts, Mitchell turned heads when he could be seen playing an outside linebacker spot in the defense of Diaco.
“He has me playing outside linebacker, which is the CAT,” said Mitchell after a practice last week.
The CAT spot plays to the boundary in Diaco’s base 3-4 defense. Mitchell can put his hand on the ground when the defense morphs to a 4-3 look, which Diaco says will happen often for unit that’s looking to make improvements in many areas.
Purdue ranked 12th in the Big Ten last season in long scrimmage plays allowed (10 yards or more) with 176. The Boilermakers yielded 211 (12th in Big Ten) in 2018 and 184 (12th) in 2017. That trend must reverse.
Purdue also must generate more big plays. In 2019, the Boilermakers were 12th in the Big Ten in sacks (23.0) and 10th in tackles for loss (72.0), while ranking 12th in the league vs. the run (192.5 ypg).
“So far, drastic improvement has been made in giving up big plays and that's a big theme is to make sure we eliminate those while at the same time, changing things up and stopping the run and not giving up too many yards of easy completions,” Jeff Brohm said after Saturday's scrimmage.
Another key to success: Generating more turnovers. Only two Big Ten teams generated fewer turnovers last season than Purdue’s 15. The Boilers were even worse in 2018, ranking last in turnovers gained with 14 after finishing seventh in the Big Ten with 21 in 2017, Brohm’s first season in West Lafayette.
It’s hoped the arrival of Mitchell will help—big-time—on a linebacking unit that also should feature Alexander, senior Derrick Barnes and sophomore Jalen Graham, among others.
“DaMarcus Mitchell is a tangibly gifted player and he's a tough guy and he likes playing football and he's animated and fun loving and the guys have welcomed him as a new guy into their locker room and brotherhood,” said Diaco after a practice last week. “And that's been fun to watch and be a part of. And like everybody else, he’s not going to add anything necessarily more or less than of the other players. He has certain gifts and traits and we're excited he's part of the unit.”
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Mitchell matriculated to Purdue from Southwest Mississippi C.C., where he was a three-star recruit by Rivals.com. Mitchell finished 2019 with 71 stops after playing running back as a freshman in 2018.
“I'm a linebacker, I'm 260 pounds,” said Mitchell, a native of Thibodaux, La. “And I can move around.”
Mitchell also can dance.
“I’ve always been a football player, but I also was able to sing and dance,” said Mitchell. “I knew I wasn't going anywhere (with singing and dancing). That was my passion, singing and dancing. I could dance, very good.
“I knew I wasn’t gonna be a dancer, I knew football was in my heart. So, I just followed through with it.”
Next up: The season opener vs. Iowa on Oct. 24. What type of a player can Boilermaker fans expect?
“I'll just say wait till the 24th,” said Mitchell. “I feel that I'm going to be an asset to the team. And not just me, all the other linebackers that's behind me.”
“I feel that I'll be more than prepared to take on Iowa. And the whole defense will be more than prepared to take over, too.”
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