Purdue quarterback job is 'open competion'
For a second season in a row, the mystery of who will be Purdue’s starting quarterback hangs over West Lafayette.
Last year, Jack Plummer and Aidan O’Connell battled for the job in camp, with O’Connell prevailing in a bit of a mild upset. The program last had an unquestioned No. 1 signal-caller entering camp in 2019, when Elijah Sindelar was the top man.
“We'll probably give it a couple weeks into camp,” Purdue coach Jeff Brohm told GoldandBlack.com. “But, it's an open competition. But I would say, hopefully, after a couple weeks of camp, we would be able to have an internal starter.”
Is there a pecking order as the first day of camp—August 6—approaches?
“I wouldn't say so,” said Brohm. “Obviously, Jack and Aidan have played. So, they would probably get the first opportunities in there. But Austin (Burton) and Michael (Alaimo) are gonna get a chance to compete for the job.”
O’Connell started the first three games of 2020—going 2-1—before his season ended with a foot injury that required surgery and limited him this spring. Plummer came on to start the final three games of a truncated 2020 campaign.
In 2019, Plummer assumed command from an injured Sindelar and started six games before an ankle injury vs. Nebraska ended his season and required surgery. That cleared the path for O’Connell to start the final three games of 2019.
The 6-3, 200-pound O’Connell, a fifth-year senior, throws the best ball among the Boilermaker signal-callers. But he lacks speed, which limits his ability to extend plays or execute designed runs. He is 3-3 as a starter, engineering comeback wins in 2019 vs. Nebraska (off the bench) and Northwestern (starter).
The 6-5, 220-pound Plummer, a redshirt junior, has improved as a passer and also brings a better-than-you-think ability to run the ball. He is 2-7 as a starter.
Burton, a 6-2, 210-pound fifth-year senior, arrived prior to last year as a transfer from UCLA, where he started one game. He didn't take a snap last season for Purdue.
Alaimo redshirted after arriving on campus last season.
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