The race to be the No. 1, No. 2 quarterback
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He often is the most popular man on campus. No, not the Domino's Pizza delivery guy. We’re talking about the backup quarterback.
This year at Purdue, it is a nagging question. And—hold onto your toque—the race to be the No. 1 clipboard holder for projected starter Elijah Sindelar is draped in a bit of drama. Really.
Who will it be?
Sophomore Nick Sipe?
Redshirt freshman Jack Plummer?
“I think they will get plenty of opportunities," said Jeff Brohm. "And we will take a hard look at them. They have both worked hard.”
Or, perhaps it will be sophomore Aidan O’Connell? (Early enrollee Paul Piferi isn't ready for this battle.)
“I would not sleep on Aidan,” said co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brian Brohm. “He has some tools, he is smart and he works his butt off. I would never count him out.”
Fascinating.
The last two seasons, the pecking order at the top of Purdue’s quarterback depth chart was pretty clear: David Blough and Sindelar were 1 and 1A, or 1A and 1.
It was a hot debate on who would be “the man,” since the day Jeff Brohm arrived in West Lafayette in 2017. Because of injury and performance, the starting job ping-ponged between Blough and Sindelar the last two years, leaving the other to be the caddie—and an experienced one, at that. It was a comforting situation for the staff to know it had a capable backup standing adjacent to Brohm each Saturday.
Now? The new No. 2 man will have a thin college resume. Very, very thin.
Sipe is the only contender to break the seal on his career, but the 6-4, 215-pound Villa Park, Calif., native has seen just mop-up duty playing in a blowout win (at Illinois) and a blowout loss (at Minnesota) in 2018. The nephew of Brian Sipe has thrown and completed one career pass for a scant three yards.
Sipe looks like George Blanda compared to Plummer. But know this: Brohm hasn’t been shy about heaping praise on Plummer, the 6-5, 215-pound Gilbert, Ariz., native who redshirted last year. And now could be the time for Plummer--who enrolled early last year--to make a move. Is he the quarterback of the future, the one-day face of the program? Hmmmm.
Sipe and Plummer each got lots of reps in last year’s spring practice, when Sindelar (knee) and Blough (ankle) were each coming off injuries.
“They probably will get less reps than they did last year,” said Brian Brohm. “Last year, they both got a ton a reps with the way the quarterback position worked out with the injuries. They need to be crisp and sharp when they are in there. They all need to be on point when they get their three or four reps in a period. They need to be good reps.”
Given Sindelar’s injury history—he played through a knee injury at the end of 2017 and missed the last 11 games of 2018 dealing with an oblique issue—it’s vital Purdue has a backup signal-caller it can count on. His time may come sooner rather than later.
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Redshirt freshman Jack Plummer may have the brightest future of anyone in the backup quarterback battle.
“I see a lot of promise between Sipe and Plummer,” said Sindelar, who threw just 44 passes for 283 yards with two TDs and three picks last season after hitting 187-of-329 passes for 2,099 yards with 18 TDs and seven picks in 2017. "They do a good job and they both are gonna push me because I need them to push me and I will push them. Everyone is gonna strive to do the best they can. I see some good stuff. We definitely need to improve because it’s up to us to run the offense. We can’t make anymore mental mistakes as a unit.”
Sipe’s approach this spring?
“It’s always coming in and trying to get better every day,” he said. “Make sure you watch the film, learn from your mistakes, try to work hard in the weight room. Its an all-encompassing effort each day trying to put together the best days you can.”
Plummer knows the opportunity that’s at his feet.
“I am just trying to build and get better every day, try to go out and compete and do my best,” he said. “That’s all I can really do.”
And then there is O’Connell. The 6-3, 220-pound sophomore from Lincolnshire, Ill., joined the program as a walk-on in 2017. And he hasn’t stopped impressing.
“He has done a heck of a good job,” said Brian Brohm. “He had good bowl practice. He is right in there competing with those guys. He is smart, No. 1. He is a good decision maker. He throws the ball really well. Has good clean mechanics throwing the ball and he is accurate throwing the ball and he has a good, quick release. He has done a lot of good things out here.”
The backup quarterback derby will continue through the conclusion of spring practice, which culminates on April 6 with a game--and likely into fall camp. Until then, let the battle to be the No. 1, No. 2 man rage on.
