Spring check up: The special teams

The quest for more consistency and production from special teams continues for Purdue, which is on its fourth special teams coach in four seasons under Jeff Brohm. The first two special teams coaches left on their own volition: Tony Levine (left coaching) and Mark Tommerdahl (left for Texas Tech). Kevin Wolthausen “parted ways” with Purdue after last season. That brings us to Marty Biagi, who was hired in the offseason from North Texas.

THE SKINNY: Job No. 1 for Biagi: Amp up the return game. It has been listless for too long.

It was more of the same in 2019, as the Boilermakers finished 11th in the Big Ten in punt returns (5.6 ypc) and last in kickoff returns (15.8 ypc). This is sobering info: Purdue last ran back a punt for a TD in 2009 (Aaron Valentin) and a kickoff in 2013 (Akeem Hunt).

This is good news: Biagi had success in the return game while running North Texas’ special teams the last three seasons. And you have to think Biagi—a sharp mind—will conjure up ways to deploy and maximize an uber talent like sophomore Rondale Moore, who will be healthy after being limited to four games in 2019 by a hamstring injury. It seems a matter of time before Moore runs back a kick for a TD. He is Purdue’s version of Tyreek Hill.

Others who could factor into the return game are senior Jackson Anthrop, sophomore Amad Anderson, Jr., and redshirt freshman TJ Sheffield. And don’t forget about diminutive true freshman Marcellus Moore, who arrived early but participated in track instead of football. Moore purportedly has Olympic-caliber speed. He could be a wild-card.

The place-kicking could be among the best in the Big Ten with J.D. Dellinger back for his fifth-year senior season. He was honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2019 after nailing 13-of-16 field-goal attempts with a long of 53 yards. Dellinger also can make a money kick, as he drilled a last-second game-winner at Northwestern. (He hit an OT winner way back in 2016, too, at Illinois.) Bonus: Dellinger is effective on kickoffs, too, after working to improve his leg oomph last offseason. He posted 40 touchbacks on 59 kickoffs in 2019.

The punting is a bit of a mixed bag. Junior Zac Collins and sophomore Brooks Cormier each took turns punting last season. Cormier arrived from Tuscaloosa, Ala., last year and showed a muscular leg, averaging 40.2 yards on 28 boots. But he needs more consistency. Collins was the yin to Cormier’s yang, impacting primarily as a rugby-style punter. He averaged 39.0 yards on 33 punts.

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