MORE: Spring Football Central

Five practices are in the books. Now, Purdue will be off for spring break. The team won’t reconvene until March 18. But Jeff Brohm isn’t going anywhere.

“Nope,” he said. “My kids’ spring break doesn’t line up with mine.”

So, instead of sunny on white sands or playing shuffleboard on a cruise ship, Brohm will spend his spring break assessing his team’s early work. What’s he think so far?

“I feel like we have made some progress in two weeks, which has to happen,” he said. “Our guys have worked hard. I think they understand we have a long ways to go.”

Entering spring drills, Brohm had a to-do list. Among the top jobs was to develop the interior of the offensive line and find a pass rush. It has been a bit of a mixed bag thus far.

“I’ve seen some disruption to the quarterback,” he said. “That is a sign that the d-line is getting better and it’s a sign we have a ways to go on the offensive line. I think there has been improvement. The want-to is there, the desire to get better is there, we just have to utilize all the spring practices we have, all summer and all fall and get these young guys confident they can go out and play fast.”

The d-line has turned some heads, especially freshman end George Karlaftis. But Brohm may lay awake at night worried about the center position. Projected starter Viktor Beach, a sophomore with minimal experience, has seen scant practice time this spring because of injury. He didn't practice at all this week.

“Viktor has a back issue and it’s disappointing,” said Brohm. “He hurt it awhile back. We got him out to practice (early on this spring) and he wasn’t feeling like he was ready to go. So, we are gonna have to give him a lot more time to heal as much as we can.

"We needed him to get experience and get out there and play, so that’s what we are losing out on. But, we need to get him healthy. He is going to have to utilize every day he can once he gets healthy to get ready to go because he is a guy we would like to count on to be our starting center if we can get that done.”

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Elijah Sindelar is the unquestioned No. 1 signal-caller, a position he never has been in while at Purdue. He knows the spring is when he can brand himself more as a leader and set the tone for fall camp.

“I am actually happy so far with the progress we have made with the young guys and how we compete offensively and defensively,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of good competition and I think there are some players stepping up that will play quite a bit for us that maybe weren’t thought of originally, but they are showing out a little bit.”

A big key for the 6-4, 225-pound Sindelar: Health. He played in just two games in 2108 because of oblique and knee issues. He played the final 3.5 games of 2017 with a torn ACL in his left knee. He had surgery after the season, but the knee was cranky last season.

“My knee feels great, actually,” he said. “I am able to run and scramble, I am moving up in the pocket and taking off, getting 30, 25 yards or so.”

The fifth-year senior also says his arm is fine. No doubt, watching him in practice, Sindelar is throwing lasers … and with accuracy.

“My arm feels great,” he said. “I don’t have any problem with my arm. The velocity is there. The lower-half and torque with my hips is looking good The only thing I actually was thinking of earlier today with my knee, the only thing that makes me hesitant is if it is a cold game and the defense is on the field for a while and all of sudden I am getting tight because it’s cold and I have to go full speed. That’s the only time. We are stating to think of things to do in those times to make sure I am warm and don’t have to worry about it.”

The good news: Sindelar won't have to deal with cold game-time temperatures for a while. Until then, he can focus on developing chemistry with his wideouts, who he says are battling hard among themselves.

"You see that a little bit with our receivers knowing that the (touted incoming freshmen) are coming in this summer," he said. "I am happy with what the offense is showing and where we are going, running the ball and throwing the ball. Do we have a lot of work? Absolutely, but I like where we are at right now."

Purdue has had some good tight ends over the years. And, Brycen Hopkins be the program’s best since Tim Stratton. The 6-5, 245-pound fifth-year senior looks poised for a big send-off, especially with Cole Herdman gone. Hopkins is the clear No. 1 man.

“At this point, my biggest emphasis is getting healthy,” he said. “Once healthy, I can 100 percent each play. I am taking advantage of the reps I am getting.”

Is there a lingering health issue for Hopkins, who was third on the team last season with 34 grabs for 583 yards and two TDs?

“Just some muscle stuff in my back I had to get taken care of from past seasons,” he said. “Nothing to worry about.”

Hopkins is part of a small position group this spring that also includes junior Darius Pittman and redshirt freshman Payne Durham.

“He is gonna be a real good player,” Hopkins said of Durham, who is 6-5, 255. “He has some moxie to him and swag that he carries around. It’s kinda what everyone knows him for. He is just a character. He coms to practice ready to play, lowers his head and gets nice and dirty.”

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