Old National Presents: Deep Dive: Purdue camp practice No. 18

It’s informative, it’s analytical, it’s opinionated, it’s the Deep Dive, a look at today’s football practice.

• Purdue treated today as a Monday in-season practice. It was just 12 periods long on a chamber of commerce day in West Lafayette. Good day to play hacky sack on the Purdue mall between classes, if that’s your thing. (It’s not mine.)

• Barry Odom made official what had been obvious to most program-watchers for weeks: Ryan Browne will be QB1. It took 18 practices and two scrimmages … and here we are, exactly where most of us thought we’d be when camp commenced on July 31.

• I’m guessing Purdue was hoping to keep it quiet to gain a competitive advantage and make Ball State prepare for multiple guys.

• This quote on Browne from OC Josh Henson speaks volumes:

“Great leadership qualities every day,” said Henson. “His intangibles are phenomenal, especially only being a part of the team for three or four months in the relationship he’s developed with the team, and his ability to lead them. Because you have to earn the respect for them to allow you to lead them in a way that he does, because he’s vocal about it, and he’s intense about it. And that’s to me one of the best parts about him, and who he is as a leader on the team, and who he is as a quarterback.”

• So, who is QB2?

“We have told them, I’m not going to address that, because we honestly feel like we have a 2A and 2B,” said Henson. “There will be a first guy to go in, and I’m not doing a cop out on that. We really feel that way. Those two guys have really improved a lot.”

Seems obvious Malachi Singleton is 2A and Bennett Meredith is 2B.

• Is there much of a stylistic difference between Browne and Singleton? Some feel there’s a different style of scramble, pocket presence, running style, throwing ability. To me, it’s subtle.

• Henson worked with noted QB whisperer Lincoln Riley at USC before coming to Purdue. What did he learn from Riley?

“I think for the quarterback standpoint, obviously one of the things that people may not know about Coach is just, he drills down, he vets. I mean, when we get to a Saturday, every play that’s on that sheet has been gone over time after time after time again, until we know we put our quarterback in a really comfortable position to execute that play and the entire offense. So, that’s the one thing I would probably say I took from Coach that I think he’s excellent at.”

• The two “hardest playing” defenders the first two weeks in camp, according to DC Mike Scherer: An’Darius Coffey and Stu Smith.

“We got metrics that we judge it off of,” said Scherer. “So, you know, there you go. Two of the nickels were the hardest playing people on defense over fall camp. So, if you can do that, we’re going to put you in position to do what you do.”

The other hardest worker? LB Mani Powell, per Scherer. Told you yesterday you’re gonna like No. 16.

• Most experienced part of the D?

“In terms of games played, games started,” said Scherer. “No question, the secondary has the most.”

This was a horrid secondary in 2024, ranking last in the Big Ten vs. the pass (252.7 ypg). Also last in yielding 9.2 yards per attempt, 27 TDs and a 65.9 completion percentage. Oh, and Purdue had a Big Ten-low four INTs. Just an absolute abomination. Only one way to go, right?

• Who will kick off? TBD.

“I feel we got two quality guys that their legs are really good,” said special teams coach James Shibest. “That is a good thing in the fact that whoever the starting field-goal kicker is, the other guy may be able to kick off and be able to save legs for a long season. So, I feel good about Seth Turner and Spencer Porath, both of them right now, and we really haven’t determined that to this point.”

My guess: Porath handles field goals; Turner kicks off.

• Heard AC/DC’s “Problem Child” today at practice. Great old, deep cut from the Bon Scott era. Kudos to practice DJ Joe Carter on that. A+. Carter is part of a large “Arkansas mafia” now working in West Lafayette.

• Purdue will be back on the practice field tomorrow morning for a “Tuesday” practice. Mock game in Ross-Ade on Saturday. Classes start Monday … and it’s GAME WEEK!