Purdue DB still absent; more Saturday notes

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Reserve defensive back Evyn Cooper still isn’t with the Boilermakers, having missed the first three practices of training camp.

But clarity on the redshirt freshman’s situation might be coming soon. After Saturday’s practice, Darrell Hazell said he was scheduled to talk to Cooper later in the day.

“We’re still working through Evyn,” said Hazell, who deemed Cooper’s absence a “team decision.” “We’re going to have a phone conversation today and find out what we’re going to do. Hopefully he’ll be back when we start school again.”

How likely?

“There is a chance,” Hazell said.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Cooper redshirted last season, as he made the full-time transition to defensive back after he also played running back during his high school career in Georgia.

In the spring, he seemed to have become more accepting of the role and had started to turn the corner toward changing his seemingly vast potential in a workable product. Purdue included Cooper in its media guide and had a new head shot taken, clues that it had expected his return this season, but he’s not included on any official roster.

Cooper is the second absentee. J.C. transfer Rob Simmons isn’t in camp either, although Hazell has said there’s still a chance the defensive end could be at Purdue for the start of the semester.

A year ago, Keiwan Jones was completely off the map, having suffered a knee injury during practice that sidelined him for an extended period.

Now, the sophomore is running with the first unit, having taken the spot — at least on Saturday — from Eddy Wilson at nose tackle.

“He’s got a real chance to be good,” Hazell said. “He plays really hard with a good pad level. He’s starting to figure out offensive schemes. We’re going to need him to help that depth of the front seven.”

Jones, listed at 6-2, 267 pounds, redshirted in 2014, then started ’15 deep on the depth chart and then the ACL injury sidelined him. But he’s come back well.

“He’s done a good job of working with the doctors and the trainers in getting back,” Hazell said. “He’s a leader. He speaks up and I like where his mind is. He feels much more comfortable because of his health right now.”

Elijah Sindelar loves having a dedicated quarterbacks-only coach, like Purdue does now with first-year assistant Tim Lester.

Because now, the redshirt freshman can get answers right away, rather than having to wait for a response from a QB coach who is also the offensive coordinator.

“It’s been great, so much better,” Sindelar said. “If I have a question, like if I throw a route that might have been into double-coverage and I didn’t see it, I have a question about it. But sometimes if the quarterbacks coach is the offensive coordinator, you can’t talk to him, because he is calling the next play with the next group.

“But this way, I can run over and say ‘Coach, I thought it was this. What’d you see?’ And he can say ‘Well, the safety actually moved and switched leverage on you, so when that happens you have to go outside.’

“So it’s been extremely helpful to have Coach Lester there every time on the sideline after every play.”

Race Johnson will move from the field to the stands.

At least, he will for 30 or so hours.

The reserve cornerback is flying to Rio de Janeiro Saturday evening to watch his brother Steele Johnson at the Olympic Games. Steele Johnson will compete in the 10-meter individual platform and 10-meter synchro with David Boudia.

Hazell says Race Johnson asked early in the year, anticipating the possibility, then again a couple weeks ago, after Steele had earned a trip to the Games.

“His brother obviously has a chance to win a medal,” Hazell said. “And that’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, so we granted him permission to be away for a couple days.”

Race Johnson says he anticipates being back in West Lafayette for Wednesday morning’s practice.

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