Purdue will soon make decision on QB, but unlikely to announce; notes

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Purdue might know its starting quarterback for the opener soon.

It’s unlikely, however, to tell anyone.

Junior David Blough returned to practice on Sunday, fully cleared to do so, Jeff Brohm said, but might not yet be ready to start against Louisville. If not him, then likely sophomore Elijah Sindelar, who has taken the majority of first-team repetitions since Blough strained his throwing shoulder Aug. 12.

During his press conference Monday, Brohm said Purdue would likely decide in the next “day or two,” but it’s unlikely to let anyone else know.

“I think we’ve gotten to the point with it now that sometimes you just don’t want to alert the opponent to which guy you’re playing,” the first-year coach said, “and we really don’t know for sure either.”

Blough, who strained his shoulder while diving for a pylon during a scrimmage, practiced Sunday but was limited in reps, Brohm said. Yet Brohm said the returning QB — if Blough starts, it’ll be the first time Purdue has had the same quarterback take the first snaps of back-to-back seasons since Curtis Painter nearly a decade ago — had a good practice.

“I do want to make sure he’s healthy,” Brohm said. “Any quarterback that’s a competitor will tell you he’s feeling great, so you want to really make sure you find out how is he feeling. Can he get back to feeling fully comfortable in his abilities and also, where he can make sure the injury doesn’t happen again? We want to make sure we do enough research and ask enough questions that when we put him on the field, he’s healthy and ready to go.

“With that said, if he’s healthy and ready to go, David’s going to be in there and playing for us. But we want to make sure we feel comfortable with that, and to this point, Elijah has done a very good job.”

It would be Sindelar’s first career start. The big 6-foot-4, 230-pounder played in five games as a reserve last season, and in less-than-ideal situations, threw three interceptions in only 32 attempts.

But Sindelar put himself in position for success, Brohm said, by having a solid training camp.

“Even before David’s injury, we had a plan to play more than one quarterback at times,” Brohm said. “And to make sure that if certain guys are ready to play, that we gave them an opportunity.

“Also, with (No. 3) Jared Sparks and his ability to do different things (athletically), we’re going to carry a package for him every game, whether we get to it or not remains to be seen. But he definitely gives us a different element.”

• Purdue lists all five of its running backs as co-starters, putting an “or” between each on the depth chart.

But they are listed in an order, perhaps telling of their standing: Tario Fuller, Markell Jones, D.J. Knox, Richie Worship and Brian Lankford-Johnson.

“I think right now, Tario Fuller has had a very good camp. Markell Jones has had a very good camp,” Brohm said. “I feel very good about those guys.

“D.J. Knox can do some good things for us. He plays hard, he runs hard. Richie Worship has been very consistent. He’s a good blocker, a strong runner, short-yardage, goal-line situations. Brian Lankford-Johnson, he’s a guy who has some speed and breakaway ability that maybe some of the others don’t have, to that degree. When you spread the field, he can do some things and give you an element.

“I think we kind of have an idea of how we can utilize these guys. I think to a certain degree, all will play, but we’ll see how it goes and which play more.”

• Navon Mosley is Purdue’s nickel back.

The sophomore rose to the top of a few challengers for the position during camp, probably taking advantage of his experience last season. The 6-foot, 190-pounder played his last four games at nickel in 2016, making two starts, after starting eight previously as a true freshman at free safety.

“I see him being the fifth guy in the game at this point,” Brohm said. “He’s had a very good camp and he’s getting better.”

• Lorenzo Neal and Eddy Wilson are listed atop the chart at one defensive tackle position.

It's noteworthy, because Wilson has been the starter and is assumed to be one of Purdue's best defensive players.

“We want to make sure that we’re playing a lot of defensive linemen,” Brohm said, asked whether Wilson was in good standing or whether Neal had made a positive move. “You have to do that. You have to be at least two deep, if not more, in order to play competitive physical football the entire game. So where they start doesn’t really matter to me. I’m sure it matters to them. I would like to see somewhat equal reps for the most part, but whoever is hot or playing well, giving great effort may play a little bit more.

“At that position, we have the ability to rotate. I feel good about both guys. It is important that they understand it’s about the team, it’s about playing your tail off every single week and making plays, and that’s what we want to see from all of them.”

• Purdue will start its holdovers at wide receiver rather than the challengers brought in during the offseason.

Seniors Anthony Mahoungou and Gregory Phillips are slated to start at the outside spots, with redshirt freshman Jackson Anthrop in the slot.

J.C. transfer Terry Wright is listed as a co-starter with Anthrop.

Graduate transfer Corey Holmes is Mahoungou’s backup — interestingly, as is quarterback Sparks — while J.C. transfer Isaac Zico is the backup to Phillips. Rookie KeyRon Catlett is a 2 in the slot, listed behind Anthrop and Wright.

“The guys at the top of the depth chart, they understand what we’re doing more,” Brohm said. “They don’t make the silly mistakes right now. The guys below them, at times, have showed some good playmaking skills, but they’re just green, as far as knowing everything and being consistent in that. Would I like to think we’re going to get better in that and feel more comfortable? Yes, and I think that will happen, but I have to see it on the game field.

“There’s more depth and we’ll be able to rotate guys in. Whoever is hot and whoever is doing a good job may play a little bit more. But the fact that we have more possible weapons there will help us and it will motivate to play hard, be into it and do their job.”

• Other notes: Jones is listed as one of Purdue’s primary kick returners, along with Knox. … Anthrop is the No. 1 punt returner, backed up by Zico. … J.D. Dellinger and Spencer Evans are listed as No. 1 place-kickers, bringing the possibility that Purdue could use both on game days, as Brohm previously suggested might be a possibility. Evans is the kickoff specialist. … Antoine Miles, who overcame academic hurdles during camp to be eligible, is the backup defensive end to Austin Larkin. ... Eric Swingler is listed as the backup LT, after he had been the starting right tackle through spring and the start of training camp. Ethan Smart is listed as the reserve on the right, although Swingler can play both positions.

Brohm was an assistant at Louisville under Cardinals’ coach Bobby Petrino.

And several of Purdue’s assistants have had stops there, as well.

So there are some similarities in the ways in which both teams operate, which might necessitate Purdue changing things up on game day.

“We’ve got to make sure signals of communication are presented in a way that our guys know what they’re doing but the other team doesn’t,” Brohm said. “Those are somewhat challenges, because the staffs are very familiar. But with that said, we have some different styles, different ways to do things.

“It’ll come down to the players playing on the field.”

The Boilermakers will honor former Purdue player, coach and administrator Bob DeMoss with a helmet decal this season. It reads “DeMO” in gold lettering over a black circle.

The Purdue great, who died on July 23 at the age of 90, is credited with helping to develop early QBs and establish Purdue’s reputation as the “Cradle of Quarterbacks.”

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