Options run deep for Purdue's receiving unit
Purdue has several positions that are worrisome as it prepares for the 2021 season. But receiver isn’t one of them.
Even with Rondale Moore off to the NFL a year early—as expected—the Boilermakers' situation at wideout remains good. Very good. Just ask wideout coach JaMarcus Shephard.
“I learned that we got some guys out there who have the opportunity to really be impact players,” said Shephard after the third spring practice on Wednesday. “These guys are out there, and they've learned their playbook very well throughout this offseason already.
But there are areas that can improve. Chief among the technical issues, according to Shephard.
• Getting better in and out of cuts.
• Being physical at the line of scrimmage.
Players like redshirt freshman Maliq Carr and sophomore T.J. Sheffield have put in the work in the offseason, according to Shephard. He also has been impressed with sophomore Mershawn Rice, who has battled injury most of his two seasons on campus.
“These young guys have taken it upon themselves, these guys have really taken it to heart,” said Shephard. “The playbook is important. And they are showing it on the practice field.”
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One player who already knows the playbook well is junior David Bell. With Moore limited by a hamstring issue for the second season in a row last year, the 6-2, 205-pound Bell assumed the role of alpha dog. And, he excelled.
Bell finished 2020 No. 1 in the Big Ten in receiving yards per game (104.2). His eight TD grabs also paced the league, while his 53 catches were No. 2. This came on the heels of a 2019 debut season that saw Bell make 86 grabs for 1,035 yards and seven TDs en route to earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.
“Looking great,” Shephard said in response to how Bell is looking. “Fantastic. Running faster. He's getting stronger. He's David Bell, man. I'm just gonna tell you that he just knows how to make plays. I mean, that's just what he does. There’s nothing different about his playmaking ability that is going to show up in spring ball. He just does that."
But even Bell has things to work on, right?
“There's some subtle tweaks that we need to make in his game,” said Shephard. “I talked to one NFL receiver coach today and he is talking about catching the ball with his hands vs. catching the ball with his body, and things of that nature. So, obviously those are things that we're making strides on. I think he made strides this past year with that.”
Fellow junior Milton Wright will be the perfect complement to Bell. The 6-3, 195-pound Wright showed improvement last season in making 24 receptions for 305 yards and two TDs.
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After Moore, Bell and Wright, production fell precipitously in 2020, as no other wideout had more than five catches. And Amad Anderson, Jr. (Temple), and Jared Sparks (Louisiana Monroe) have left via the portal. Still, the options remaining teem with potential.
Sophomore TJ Sheffield could be in line to fill Moore’s spot in the slot.
“We got a lot of guys competing at that slot position,” said Shephard. “With (true freshman) Deon Burks being out there. Obviously, Jackson Anthrop. I like to call him my blanket. He’s been around for so long, it’s like a child who has had a blanket for their entire life.
"And T.J. Sheffield is competing his tail off at that spot, as well. So, the good thing about it is we're capable of moving guys around, and giving the other players the opportunity to get in that slot position, as well. Maliq Carr, obviously, David Bell. These guys are all getting a chance to be in that slot position."
Anthrop is back for a sixth season as a “super senior,” one of four on the roster. He is like a coach on the field and strong leader who will carve a role.
“The thought process (of coming back) kind of started back when I first injured my shoulder in camp last year,” said Anthrop. “Coach (Jeff) Brohm kind of extended that to me because we didn't know how quick I would come back. I (came back) a little bit sooner than a lot of people expected.
"But just because it was like a shortened season, didn't really get the best ending to a collegiate career, and I knew there was a lot of opportunity coming back next year. So, that was some of the things that led to making that decision.”
No wideout may be more intriguing than Carr, who still wants to try to join Matt Painter's basketball team at some point. But for now, Carr is focused on becoming a better wideout. And he's spending a lot of time watching film of wideouts like former Detroit Lion Calvin Johnson.
“It has helped me a great amount,” said Carr. “My releases have come a long way since I came on campus.”
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