The Weekly Word is GoldandBlack.com's weekly, obviously, column covering Purdue football, basketball and recruiting, as well as college sports issues, the true meaning of life, or whatever other topics might come to mind in a given week.

I've just sort of assumed that Purdue would lean toward Jack Plummer at quarterback this season, just because he was the starter before getting hurt last season, but that's a mere assumption, and one undeniable fact looms large over the reality of the Boilermakers' quarterback situation.

That's this: If Purdue felt secure with Its options at the crucial position, would it have recruited Austin Burton? Granted, there were some moving parts. Plummer was coming off injury, Paul Piferi wasn't working out — he's since moved to tight end — and depth was a open sore for a program that's needed quarterback depth as much as anyone In the country the past decade or so.

Still, Purdue signing a grad transfer in the spring wasn't a rousing endorsement for Purdue's comfort at the position.