Pigskin-covered mail bag

When is the last time you saw a wide receiver group with the talent we may have next year with Rondale Moore, David Bell, Amad Anderson, Jr., Milton Wright and the other receivers who redshirted last year in addition to the incoming true freshmen?

South Grant

I have been watching Purdue football for over 40 years, and I NEVER can recall Purdue having a fleet of receivers like this. How much fun will Jeff Brohm have drawing up plays with Moore and Bell working together? Don't forget about TJ Sheffield and Mershawn Rice, who both redshirted in 2019 as freshmen.

Look for incoming freshman Maliq Carr to get on the field right away. He is a 6-5, 215-pound freak who could become a tight end. Diminutive speedster Marcellus Moore and Collin Sullivan--also incoming freshmen--could be factors, too, in 2020. Finding a legit top six-to-eight receivers to play won't be an issue. How will Purdue find time for all of this talent? Nice problem to have.

We have a tough schedule in 2020, along with some pretty obvious talent gaps along the lines and at linebacker. If Jeff Brohm’s team wins only five games next year, do you think he starts to feel pressure?

ChiBoiler07

Yes, it is a tough schedule. Purdue opens at Nebraska, then comes home to play Memphis (a 10-win team) and Air Force (a 10-win team) before trekking to Boston College. Purdue has to go 2-2, right? It would be nice for the program to get off to a good start for once. Brohm still hasn’t won an opener (Louisville, Northwestern, Nevada). And Purdue has opened 1-3 in each of the last two seasons and began 2-2 in 2017.

As far as pressure if the Boilermakers get only five wins … I don’t think so. The Purdue brass is all in on Brohm and what he is doing. The school has invested very heavily in Brohm and it needs him to succeed. Fans may grumble if Purdue wins just five games in 2020, but the administration won’t flinch. Now more than ever, the school leaders will back Brohm, especially with a looming Ross-Ade renovation to fund.

How has Jeff Brohm's job changed moving into Year Four relative to the first three years of a rebuild?

BroughamBomber

Getting to a bowl each of Brohm's first two seasons was a big surprise to me. He overachieved, when you consider the train wreck he inherited. This past season, Purdue probably would have earned another bowl bid if not for myriad injuries.

Now, as Purdue hits Year Four under Brohm, I think expectations are rising. They have to, right? Most of the roster will be players Brohm has recruited. He has been given a war-chest of resources to succeed. The program should be hitting its sweet spot the next 3-4 years. A bowl game--a decent bowl game--will be expected in 2020, but I don’t think Purdue will be ready to seriously contend for the Big Ten West.

But, who knows? Purdue was in the thick of the race late into the 2018 season. So, maybe the Boilermakers will be a big-time surprise team next season. But, again, at the least: A nice bowl bid should be expected in a seven-to-eight win season. A six-win season and postseason trip to Detroit wouldn't be very satisfying.

Do you have any feel for the comfort level Jeff Brohm has in the quarterbacks currently on the roster?

PurHack

I know Brohm always wants competition. Why? Because it makes everyone better. With Elijah Sindelar’s status unknown, the QB room could use a veteran arm. Could a grad transfer QB be coming? Hmmmmm. Purdue also is still recruiting prep signal-callers (Hello, Malik Hornsby!). As it stands, Purdue will enter 2020 looking like this at QB:

Jack Plummer, So.

Aidan O’Connell, Jr.

Paul Piferi, RSFr.

Michael Alaimo, Fr.

Again, we are waiting word on if Sindelar will use his sixth season of eligibility. Should Sindelar not return, the need for a veteran arm would become big.

Including the 2020 class, which linebacker on Purdue's roster do you think has the highest upside?

BoilerData

Good question. Linebacker hasn’t been a position of strength since Jeff Brohm’s first season in 2017 when the likes of Ja’Whaun Bentley, Markus Bailey, T.J. McCollum and Garret Hudson led the way.

Purdue has 2020 commitments from Kydran Jenkins, Ryan Brandt, Clyde Washington and Ben Kreul. In 2019, the program inked Khali Saunders, Crishawn Long and Jacob Wahlberg. Only Saunders saw a decent amount of action but still retained his redshirt.

Honestly, none of those linebackers are highly touted. So, it’s tough to get a feel on who could be the best since they all are developmental prospects. I guess I would keep an eye on Saunders since the staff felt good enough about him to play him in 2019 when injuries took a toll on the spot. I like Wahlberg, too. Tough kid who could be an anchor on the inside one day--if he doesn't grow into a defensive end.

Is it time to just bite the bullet and go back to scheduling cupcakes to ensure a bowl game, even if it means lower attendance?

Dr_billy_badass

I think I am with you. I don’t mind playing one Power Five team a year. But there is NO reason for Purdue to be playing Memphis and Air Force. There is NOTHING to be gained. Win, and the nation shrugs its shoulders. Lose, and you get mocked. And do you think Purdue fans are eager to see those teams? No. Neither is a marquee brand. But both certainly can beat the Boilermakers. Purdue should either schedule big dogs—Pac-12, SEC, Big 12, ACC—or schedule cupcakes. No more Group of Five schools outside of the MAC. For where Purdue is at as a program, winning matters. Who it beats isn't so vital. This isn't a program on the cusp of a national title. My ideal non-league schedule would look like this:

1. Power Five foe

2. MAC foe

3. FCS foe

Grass or plastic?

mk_peters

That’s easy: God's green grass is the only surface the glorious sport of football should be played on. Period. I recall a time in the 1980s when Ross-Ade Stadium was the only grass surface in the Big Ten.

Who do you project at right guard based on what is on the roster right now?

Bullwhip Griffith

Now this is a question from a TRUE fan! Of course, Matt McCann was the right guard in 2019, but he is graduating. I think the best young lineman is true freshman Cam Craig, who got his feet wet in the IU game at left guard. I think he will start there in 2020. Right guard? It's more of a "power" position. Keep an eye on juniors DJ Washington (coming off injury) and Mark Stickford, who started the final seven games at left guard. Sophomore Jimmy McKenna is another name to watch. But know this: A grad transfer could come in and take the job.

Do you anticipate any changes to the coaching staff for next season?

purdue51983_a_yahoo.com

Interesting question. Jeff Brohm has had staff change following each of his first two seasons. All parties have left on their own: Tony Levine, Mark Tommerdahl, Derrick Jackson. Brohm hasn’t fired anyone. At this point, I don’t see any attrition … but you never know. If anything happens, it probably will be after the early signing period, which begins December 18.

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