Veteran Purdue receivers hear the footsteps of the touted incoming freshmen
All of the Purdue receivers know what’s coming.
They have heard the hype.
They have seen the highlight clips.
They know the names.
David Bell, Milton Wright, TJ Sheffield, Mershawn Rice. The names roll off the tongue of most Boilermaker fans. It’s an awesome foursome of freshman receivers that will hit campus on June 9, the day the Class of 2019 is slated to check into their digs and begin informal workouts with the squad.
Purdue never has landed a group of wideouts of this caliber. And co-offensive coordinator/receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard is constantly in the ear of veteran receivers Jared Sparks and Jackson Anthrop about how the new guys are aiming for them. Do they get sick of the constant reminders?
“I do,” said Sparks. “But at the end of the day, I don’t get tired of it because I am jealous. I get tired of it because … Look, Shep, I know they’re coming, leave me alone. I’m excited. We need more playmakers. We want that environment. That’s going to make everybody better.”
That’s the goal. Competition improves everyone. And competition at every position is needed for this program to take the proverbial next step in its development in Year Three of the Jeff Brohm era.
“There will be a learning curve for those guys,” said Shephard. “It is pretty steep.”
No doubt, Brohm’s playbook is quite a bit thicker than the high school playbooks the touted collection of Purdue wideouts were accustomed to studying. And translating all of those Xs and Os on the field with crisp precision is another step, as well. Another dynamic? Work ethic. Who among the incoming group is gonna really grind for an opportunity to make an impact like Rondale Moore did last season?
The 5-9, 180-pound Moore set a standard for true freshmen at Purdue regardless of position last season when he had a smashing debut that saw him make 114 catches for 1,258 yards (11.0 ypc) with 12 TDs. It caused jaws to drop across campus … and the nation. After missing the first spring practice on Monday, Moore hit the field on Wednesday and Friday, and he looked to be in midseason form. Does he have anything to fear from the ballyhooed newcomers?
“Absolutely not,” said Shephard. “Not one bit. He is motivated by wanting to be the best in the history here. We wants to make you all put three banners on the wall (inside Mollenkopf, where the school's All-Americans are honored). He isn’t worried about accolades. He just wants to be the greatest.
“He already wants to watch film of (first opponent) Nevada and watch their defense. He is hungry for more, I told him I didn’t know if he could catch 114 next year. He said 'you're crazy.' I am gonna catch more. That is the kind of guy he is, and that is how I want him to be.”
Moore is a frightening combination of speed and explosiveness. Still, with this influx of talent, it’s difficult not to wonder if Moore’s 2019 numbers might be muted—at least a bit—by the touted newbies.
These new kids are gonna expect some balls thrown their way. And none more so than David Bell, the alpha among the Big Four newcomer wideouts. He is a four-star product out of Warren Central High in Indianapolis, one of the biggest recruits in recent Purdue history who was the Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year. It is presumed by many program watchers that Bell will start at an outside receiver spot the moment he buckles his chinstrap in June.
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“Hopefully, they come in and work really hard and learn the playbook extremely fast so they can be with the ‘ones’ and ‘twos,’ ” said Moore. “I think they will be given every opportunity to play early. If they ball Day One, they can take some stress off me.”
Moore says he stays in touch with the 6-2, 180-pound Bell the most among the new wideouts.
“He is really eager to learn,” said Moore. “That is great, because we all know he is a serious talent. It will be fun to show him some things on the field.”
While Moore’s spot in the lineup isn’t in peril, Sparks has something to worry about, which is why he wants to use a big spring as a springboard to fall camp and all the looming competition.
“They need to push us,” said Sparks, a 6-1, 210-pound junior who made 28 catches for 274 yards and no TDs last season. “If you are scared of competition, you shouldn’t be playing the game, period. I love it. Bring it.”
Jackson Anthrop, a 5-11, 185-pound junior, also must up his game after falling to just eight receptions for 54 yards and no scores a year after leading the club with 47 grabs for 423 yards and five TDs.
“He is making some bigger plays,” said Shephard, who has been impressed by redshirt freshman Amad Anderson, Jr., this spring. “We are giving him some opportunities to be on the outside a little bit to see if he can compete. It’s hard to compete with a guy (Moore) who caught 114 passes and take his (inside) spot, but he is doing his part. I promise you he has his lunch pail and hard hart and his steel-toed boots and comes here to work every day.”
And if Anthrop or Sparks need any motivation, Shephard is in their ear. What exactly does he say?
“You’re soft,” Sparks said. “It’s little things like that he knows will get us mad. He knows how to push each person. He is very strategic.”
Stay tuned. The competition at wideout is just beginning.
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