Purdue Signee Profile: Jimmy McKenna
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More: Jeff Brohm on Purdue signees
Jimmy McKenna was a big get for Purdue.
When he committed in June, following his second unofficial visit to West Lafayette, the 6-foot-5 offensive tackle had plenty of other suitors, big-time ones, like Michigan State and Pitt, along with about three-dozen other schools.
But McKenna chose Purdue, then signed four months later.
"We found a way to get him," Coach Jeff Brohm said. "I think he has athleticism, he has some toughness, he has versatility."
McKenna, who started at left tackle as a senior at Ohio's Avon High School and right the year before, played at about 250 pounds in '17. But by the winter he was at 265, well on his way to being a plus-300-pounder who, many think, will maintain the agility and athleticism that made him highly coveted.
Coach's Impression: Mike Elder had hope for McKenna early in his high school career.
The Avon High School coach saw a long, lanky player who had potential, but he wasn't ready to declare McKenna a potential big-time recruit until he saw him on a varsity football field.
"But we saw his sophomore year — we plugged him in our on J.V. team, and we haven’t lost a J.V. game in 57 straight, so it’s important to us — that he’s a kid who was almost there to play," Elder said, "but the physicality, the difference of an 18-year-old vs. a 15-year-old is significant, and it’s not an exception with him.
"But we put him in there at tackle (on J.V.) and never removed him from the game. And we fully expected him to start as a junior, and he did, and this year we expected him to be an All-Ohio-type player and he was.”
A second-teamer in the Buckeye state, an illustration of McKenna's solid play for power Avon and a reason why the 6-foot-5, 265-pounder had so many offers, from Michigan State, Minnesota, Pitt, Illinois and a bunch of others.
Elder thinks McKenna's agility might be his biggest strength. As a left tackle, McKenna, who also plays lacrosse at Avon, could move with quick defensive ends and was steady protecting the blindside.
Maybe that's where Purdue will use him. But McKenna could be an interior player, as well, even though that's not where he took snaps at Avon.
"He’s super athletic," Elder said. "He was a mid-fielder in lacrosse and so I think that’s the No. 1 thing that separates him from everyone else is his tremendous frame along with the athleticism and the control he has with his body. He’s a little light right now, but he’s going to easily pack on the weight. He just needs some time in (Purdue’s) culture in the weight room as well as nutrition (program). But he has a lot of potential and upside once he fills that frame out.”
Elder says McKenna will need time to develop, a redshirt year to gain weight, then another to adjust to the extra 40 pounds. But the veteran coach thinks McKenna can be at least a two-year starter.
"I don’t think Purdue would have recruited him unless they felt that way," Elder said.
Rivals.com's Thoughts: "McKenna is a good athlete for the position who needs to add weight and strength without sacrificing his movement skills. If he can play closer to 300 pounds with the added strength benefit that weight provides while still being light on his feet, he could materialize into a very nice tackle." — Midwest analyst Josh Helmholdt
What He Means To The Class: This is an important offensive line class for Purdue, both from numbers and skill perspective.
To the latter, this Boilermaker coaching staff wants mobility and athleticism at offensive tackle and this class needed to be a step in that direction.
In McKenna, Will Bramel and Eric Miller, Purdue hopes it's taken that step.
All three will need size and strength, but should those necessary steps be made, all three could come to the forefront on the depth chart relatively quickly in their careers, out of sheer need.
Purdue has to get its offensive tackle ranks under control after years of looking for stop-gap additions at the position. That's on past staffs, not this one.
— Brian Neubert
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