MORE: Spring Football Central

He’s 6-3, 215 pounds of glistening potential. He looks glorious. And his name is Jalen Graham. The kid could be special.

Graham is an early enrollee from Cass Tech in Detroit. He's young. He's still learning. So, fans may want to pump the breaks on any All-American proclamations. Still, it’s difficult not to get ahead of yourself when discussing the potential of Graham. Even Jeff Brohm has been caught off guard a bit by the precocious Graham this spring.

“He is a guy who probably has surprised us more as far as being ready to play possibly right now,” said Brohm. “Once again, knowing all the intricacies of the defense, alignments and all those things … he knows what to do. He has length, he has great instincts, he can cover people, he is physical and we think he can be an outstanding player for us.”

Graham could be an outstanding player as soon as this fall. That’s why he’s already in West Lafayette. He wants to learn ... now. Defensive coordinator Nick Holt wasted no time putting him right in the lineup with the first team as a nickel back. Graham is running with the second-team as a safety.

“It’s going pretty good,” said Graham. “At first, everything was moving really fast. Now, everything is starting to slow down. I am starting to know my role, settling in to the nickel position. It’s getting good.”

Graham made some nice interceptions early in camp. And he has delivered some big hits, too. Watching No. 6 work in the back-end of Purdue's defense conjures memories of the program’s last oversized safety: Bernard Pollard, a 6-1, 225-pound wrecking ball who played for the Boilermakers from 2003-05 and turned pro a year early. Pollard was a second-round pick by the Chiefs in 2006 and played nine seasons in the NFL. He was famous for his big hits. Perhaps Graham can be a player of similar ilk as Pollard.

“He is flying around and he looks like a strong Mike LB,” said Holt. “What is great about Jalen is he is a very good athlete ... ”

But Graham is two inches taller than Pollard and just 10 pounds lighter … and he is just 18 years old. How big could Graham be by the time he is sophomore or junior? Could he possibly grow into becoming a linebacker?

“Coach Poin (safeties coach Anthony Poindexter) told me I’ll never be too big to be a safety,” said Graham. “But if that’s what the team needs, then I will move down to linebacker.”

For now, Graham will look to become a lynchpin in a Purdue secondary that has gotten appreciably bigger since Brohm arrived in 2017. That’s the idea. Brohm vowed this transformation would take place.

“Jalen Graham is a long, athletic body,” said Brohm. “He has made plays, he's still learning.”

Every projected starter in the defensive backfield is 5-11 or taller: CB Kenneth Major (6-0), CB Dedrick Mackey (5-11); S Cory Trice (6-3); S Navon Mosley (6-0). Graham’s freaky physique will enhance the dimensions of a Boilermaker secondary that looms large—in more ways than one. Purdue shouldn’t have issues matching up with the big, physical receivers so many Big Ten teams possess.

“We told him it was gonna be trial-by-fire, throw him out there and see what he can do,” said Poindexter. “We have thrown a lot at him, but it really hasn’t rattled him. He is gonna make his mistakes, but he comes back and plays the next play. … Keep a good attitude, and he has done that.”

Come June, Purdue will welcome another freshman who teems with potential: Marvin Grant. Like Graham, Grant looks like a linebacker masquerading as a safety, measuring 6-2, 190 pounds. Grant is a product of Martin Luther King High in Detroit, sharing a Motor City bond with Graham.

“He probably texts me about four times a week because we are from the same area,” said Graham. “I was with him this weekend. He came up for the scrimmage.”

What can we expect from the Graham-Grant tandem?

“Big plays from both of us,” said Graham.

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