MORE: Spring Football Central
Who is No. 3?
It’s a question many spring football practice observers pose. A roster check reveals the eye-catching guy wearing David Bell’s old number is Tyrone Tracy, a wideout transfer from Iowa who flashes time and again.
“A lot opportunity here,” said Tracy. “I think that the type of offense Coach (Jeff) Brohm has allows for receivers to make a name for themselves. Obviously, David Bell went here. He had a huge impact on the offense. When he left, that opens up a lot of touches. So, I like the opportunity.”
Tracy has the talent and experience to take advantage of that opportunity for a Boilermaker offense in search of playmakers.
Not only will Tracy have a great opportunity, but the move to Purdue is a homecoming of sorts for the Decatur Central High grad.
He was the Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year in 2017, finishing his high school with school records for receiving yards in a season and a career. And he became the first player in Decatur Central history with more than 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
But when it came time to pick a school, Tracy didn’t pay Purdue much heed back in 2017. Instead, he opted for Iowa.
“Iowa kind of showed me a little bit more love than Purdue,” said Tracy. “Iowa won most of the time. I also thought I had a better opportunity at Iowa. Looking ahead, I'm happy I'm Boilermaker.”
His family is, too. Trips to West Lafayette are much shorter than the drives to Iowa City.
“They traveled to Iowa,” he said. “They came down there to see me. They never missed a home game. They were always there. So, my family, they're my backbone. So, I know they’ll be here. They're very excited that I’m here, too.”
Purdue is happy to have him. This is an offense that needs playmakers with Bell gone a year early to the NFL and the status of receiver Milton Wright murky as he tries to become academically eligible.
Tracy not only is getting reps at wideout—especially with Mershawn Rice, Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen, T.J. Sheffield and Broc Thompson out with injury and Wright focusing on academics—but Tracy also is getting carries out of the backfield in an effort to augment an often listless ground game.
"Tyrone has worked really hard this spring," said Brohm. "He's going to be doing multiple things for us. He's strong, he's played a lot of football. We've just got to get him up to speed in what we're running, what we want to use him in the backfield on and see what he's good at and find ways to give him the ball. I just think he's a strong, veteran player that wants touches and we want to try to give some touches.”
Departed Jackson Anthrop filled a running back/receiver role in 2021 that staffers envision for Tracy this fall.
“I think he's at least Jackson,” said running backs coach Chris Barclay. “He's got to get at least six or seven carries a game. And he's got some real tools to work with. He's got a lot of running back in his background.
“And the thing I like about him is he's sturdy. He's a 205-pound kid, and he's got good speed. He's got good hips. He's got some twitch and some instincts. He's natural back there. It's just a matter of kind of getting him back into the flow, getting in there more frequently where he kind of dusts the cobwebs off of some of his game. He's done a really good job to this point. We're excited about him.”
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The 6-2 Tracy—who played running back until he reached high school—is intrigued by his dual role.
“I think my skill-set, I'm just very versatile, I can do a lot of positions,” he said. “And then my football IQ is pretty high. I try to take that upon myself to know the playbook and understand it at a high level and play at a high level. So, when a coach asks me to run a certain route or play a certain position, I'm able to do that to the best of my ability.”
Tracy had his moments as a Hawkeye, making 66 receptions for 871 yards and five touchdowns and running 16 times for 93 yards and two scores the last three seasons after redshirting in 2018. But he never became entrenched and got lost in the shuffle. Tracy started 16 of the 38 games he played for the Hawkeyes, including four of the first five in 2021. He finished last season with 15 catches for 106 yards and a TD.
The move to Purdue is a rebirth for Tracy, reuniting him with Indianapolis-area youth football teammates Broc Thompson and Reese Taylor. Each is a transfer like Tracy, with Thompson coming from Marshall and Taylor from Indiana.
“He’s a mature kid,” said first-year Purdue wideouts coach Garrick McGee. “So, even though he may not have played a lot of football, his personality and his demeanor is more of a mature, settling demeanor. And I think that's what he brings. He has a voice that they're all listening to. There are multiple leaders in the (receivers) room, but he has stepped in without even playing and you can tell he's going to fill a leadership role.”
And hopefully make a lot of plays, too.
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