Karlaftis, Neal pace "tough, physical" defensive line

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The potential is intriguing.

There's sophomore George Karlaftis and fifth-year seniors Lorenzo Neal and Anthony Watts. And don't forget about sophomores Brandon Deen, Jack Sullivan and Lawrence Johnson. Plus, there's a raft of redshirt freshmen looking to make a mark for a defense transitioning to a 3-4 base under new coordinator Bob Diaco.

"The group overall, tough, physical," said new defensive line coach Terrance Jamison after practice on Monday. "Guys who love football is what you expect coming back to the Big Ten."

Jamison was recruited to Wisconsin out of high school, but injury shortened his career and he worked as a coach while a student. That has spawned him to a rising career. Jamison coached the d-line at Air Force in 2019. He was at Texas Tech in 2017-18 and Florida Atlantic (2014-16) working with the defensive line.

How good can Purdue's defensive line be in 2020? Jamison got a look at the unit during Saturday's scrimmage.

"We definitely have some things we need to work on," said Jamison. "But we got better. It was another opportunity to get out there and practice and rep our calls. And we approach every practice that way, to try to get point 00.1 percent better. And that's what we saw after the scrimmage."

One thing this unit needs to improve at: getting to the quarterback. In 2019, Purdue was just 12th in the Big Ten in sacks (23.0) and 10th in tackles for loss (72.0). And Purdue needs to be better vs. the run after ranking 12th in the conference (192.5 ypg) in 2019. If a defense can't slow the run, it's difficult to have success. And it all begins up front.

Good news for a defense transitioning schemes and coordinators: Neal is rounding into shape. He can he a big asset--literally and figuratively.

“He's getting better every day,” said Brohm after Saturday's scrimmage. “He’s got to continue to push forward, get in the best shape he can. I think that's going to be the most important thing for him, is getting in the best physical condition he can so that he's ready to play as many snaps as we can utilize him because he can be a productive force.”

Neal underwent knee surgery after the 2018 season and didn't play a snap last season. And he practiced sparingly. The 6-3, 325-pound Neal could be a force in the middle of Boilermaker line in 2020.

"Guys like Lorenzo," said Jamison. "We are glad to have him back. He's healthy, getting reps, getting back into the rhythm. It's been great."

Don't forget about Watts, one of the most underrated players on the team. He is a rambunctious 6-4, 300-pound tackle who is capable of playing on the nose. Watts is a tough guy who fought through injury last season. Purdue needs him to excel.

"He's one of those guys that's tough," said Jamison. "He's an experienced player. He's played a lot of snaps here for us. You know, he brings a lot of experience to the table. We're excited to have him."

What's next for George Karlaftis?

The sophomore is the bellwether of this burgeoning unit. The 6-5, 270-pound Karlaftis arrived amid great hype from nearby West Lafayette High School. And he didn’t disappoint as a true freshman in 2019.

Karlaftis earned Freshman All-American honors after ranking first among Big Ten freshmen in sacks and 11th overall in the conference with 7.5. He was third in the league in tackles for loss with 17.0. Football is important to Karlaftis, and his work ethic reflects that.

"He loves football," said Jamison. "He's a guy that always wants to come in and find out how to improve his game. And that's one of the things I expected coming back to the Big Ten, guys that love football. It's all about ball, it's all about the trenches in the d-line room. He shows up to practice, always wants to get better. And, you know, he keeps working himself to improve every single snap he's out there."

What role will Karlaftis play in the new defense?

"It'll be a similar-type role (as last season)," said Karlaftis. "Not to give away too much, but it'll be a very similar role. We're 50-50 three down/four down (line). And that's not very different from what we did last year. It won't be a drastic change from what I've been doing."

A key question: Who will play the end slot opposite of Karlaftis?

"We've got all of our guys ready to go," said Jamison. "Got George, like you mentioned. Sulaiman Kpaka. We've got Jack Sullivan. Got KJ Stokes, to name a few. Got Branson Deen. Anthony Watts. Really, all of our guys are rotating in and getting a lot of reps for us."

Deen is a guy to watch for a line that will play as much 3-4 as it does 4-3 in 2020 under new coordinator Bob Diaco.

"He's very skilled for the defensive line position," said Jamison. "He's a guy that can do multiple jobs for us. I'm sure you guys have seen in the past. He's played in multiple roles, whether it be inside and outside because he has the skill sets and the capability and also the capacity to do those jobs."

There is no shortage of promising youngsters along the defensive line, one of the more intriguing positions on the 2020 defense.

Included in the roll-call are redshirt freshmen Sulaiman Kpaka, Lawrence Johnson and Steven Faucheux—a four-star recruit. Sophomores KJ Stokes and Jeff Marks along with junior Robert McWilliams are veterans who need to take the proverbial next step.

"He's a big guy," said Jamison of the 6-5, 300-pound Faucheux. "He's a guy who can cause some trouble on the inside and really cause a nightmare for an opposing center or an opposing guard, sometimes a tackle."

Have the true freshmen caught Jamison's eye?

"Absolutely," said Jamison. "Greg Hudgins and Bryce Austin both. Greg's a big guy. He's physical. He brings a lot to the table at the line of scrimmage. He sets the line of scrimmage. He resets the line of scrimmage, excuse me. Bryce Austin. Not only is he physical, but he's athletic, as well. He has short-area quickness. So, that's very key up front, especially on the inside."

Could they play in 2020?

"Anybody can play this year, the COVID year," said Jamison. "So, we try to prepare everybody to be prepared and get in the mix.

"We've got 12 (linemen) on the roster. We've got to get everybody ready. Ultimately, we'd like to rep seven (in games)."

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