Quick Count: Purdue training camp, Practice No. 5
Purdue held its fifth practice of camp on Tuesday, ending a few minutes earlier than it had in the first four.
But conditions in the morning session were near-perfect, temperatures in the low 70s with low humidity. Following are Jeff Brohm's thoughts:
• Center Kirk Barron was back at practice on Tuesday after missing the previous three practices due to a pulled hamstring on opening day.
Grad transfer Shane Evans had been getting first-team repetitions in Barron's place. But the offensive line isn't yet set. Tuesday, Brohm said Purdue is rotating players between the first and second teams, presumably on the right side. There, Bearooz Yacoobi and Eric Swingler had been working with the 1s exclusively at guard and tackle, respectively, with Matt McCann and Dave Steinmetz as the backups.
But McCann and Steinmetz might be mixing in now.
"We're rotating them right now. A lot of guys are splitting reps with the 1s," Brohm said. "It's a competition. I don't know who's going to step up. I do like the fact that we have more capable bodies, but I would like for somebody to step up and take ownership and say, 'Nah, this is my job and the other guy can spell me.'
"But we've got to get them better."
• Corey Holmes is in the group of wide receivers who have missed time due to injury.
The transfer was on the sideline Tuesday; Jarrett Burgess and Malcolm Dotson also have missed time.
"We've got a handful of receivers with hamstring issues who are not in practice," Brohm said, "so we'll get them back as fast as we can."
• The loss of C.J. Parker, a reserve safety who suffered a torn ACL on Thursday, brings down Purdue's numbers in the secondary.
There are only three scholarship safeties, but a fourth — Jacob Thieneman — is pushing for a starting role.
"(C.J.) had a decent understanding of what we were doing, so it's unfortunate he won't be on the field with us," Brohm said. "But we've got capable bodies — not a lot of experience — but they have to prove it every day in practice and make sure come Game 1 they're able to function and function at a high level."
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