Freshman tracker: Who has used year of eligibility? Who looks to redshirt?
Purdue signed a 2019 recruiting class that was hailed by many pundits as the program's best in almost 20 years.
The 26-member class ranked No. 26 in the nation by Rivals. And Jeff Brohm has had to tap into a lot of that talent this fall.
Through 10 games, the Boilermakers have played 15 true freshmen. And seven of those already have played over four games, meaning they aren't eligible to redshirt in 2019.
• DE George Karlaftis
• WR David Bell
• S Jalen Graham
• RB King Doerue
• WR Milton Wright
• S Cam Allen
• P Brooks Cormier
As a point of reference, Purdue used four true freshmen in Brohm's first season in 2017 and nine in 2018. Three freshmen played more than four games in 2017 (Derrick Barnes, Cornel Jones, KeyRon Catlett. And three did so in 2018 (Rondale Moore, Jeff Marks, Jaylan Alexander).
Following is a look at playing time for true freshmen this season.
| Name, position | Games played | Snap count |
|---|---|---|
|
David Bell, receiver |
10 |
615 |
|
King Doerue, running back |
10 |
430 |
|
Milton Wright, receiver |
9 |
307 |
|
Garrett Miller, tight end |
3 |
10 |
|
TJ Sheffield, receiver |
2 |
18 |
|
Kyle Bilodeau, tight end |
2 |
3 |
|
DaJoun Hewitt, running back |
2 |
19 |
|
Mershawn Rice, receiver |
1 |
N/A |
|
Cam Craig, line |
Has not played |
|
|
Spencer Holstege, line |
Has not played |
|
|
Kyle Jornigan, line |
Has not played |
|
|
Dave Monnot, line |
Has not played |
|
|
Paul Piferi, quarterback |
Has not played |
• Eight of the 13 offensive true freshmen have played.
• Only OT Grant Hermanns (738) and G Matt McCann (623) have played more offensive snaps than David Bell, who has played 615 of a possible 742. FYI: Rondale Moore played 753 snaps in 2018.
• David Bell leads the Big Ten with 65 catches. And that total is No. 1 among freshmen in the nation.
• No players beyond David Bell, King Doerue and Milton Wright figure to burn a year of eligibility in 2019.
• None of the four linemen have played a snap. Cam Craig appears closest to playing and still may see action in 2019. Spencer Holstege would appear to be the next most likely lineman to play.
• Because of injury, Paul Piferi is the No. 2 quarterback.
• WR Mershawn Rice has dealt with injury much of 2019.
• Freshmen have scored the last 19 TDs for Purdue. Of those, 14 have been scored by true freshmen.
| Name, position | Games played | Snap count |
|---|---|---|
|
George Karlaftis, end |
10 |
683 |
|
Jalen Graham, safety |
9 |
500 |
|
Cam Allen, safety |
9 |
217 |
|
Khali Saunders, linebacker |
3 |
29 |
|
Marvin Grant, safety |
3 |
12 |
|
Jacob Wahlberg, linebacker |
2 |
5 |
|
Nyles Beverly, cornerback |
Has not played |
|
|
Steven Faucheux, tackle |
Has not played |
|
|
Dontay Hunter, end |
Has not played |
|
|
Sulaiman Kpaka, end |
Has not played |
|
|
Crishawn Long, linebacker |
Has not played |
• Six of the 11 true freshman defensive players on campus have played.
• George Karlaftis has played 683 of a possible 737 defensive snaps. Only junior OT Grant Hermanns (738) and fifth-year senior LB Ben Holt (696) have played more on the team.
• No true freshman has been a bigger surprise than Cam Allen. The three-star recruit has emerged as a key player in the secondary.
• LB Khali Saunders has been forced into action because of attrition. Look for the staff to do all it can to retain his redshirt.
• Of the true freshmen on defense that haven't played, look for end Dontay Hunter and tackle Steven Faucheux possibly to get in.
• CB Nyles Beverly and LB Crishawn Long have dealt with injury much of this season. S Marvin Grant, too.
| Player, position | Games | Snap count |
|---|---|---|
|
Brooks Cormier, punter |
7 |
26 |
• No shock to see Brooks Cormier used beyond four games. He is second on the team in punts with 26. Purdue had a yawning need at punter. Cormier has essentially filled the role of "long-distance" punter, with Zac Collins the rugby-style option.
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