Purdue's four most explosive players

In continuation with the Fourth of July theme, GoldandBlack.com chose Purdue’s four most explosive players on the gridiron. Explosive can look many different ways on the football field, but these four Boilermakers will make their presence felt because of their athletic ability.

DEVIN MOCKOBEE

It’s hard to imagine a quicker rush to stardom than Devin Mockobee experienced in 2022. The redshirt freshman walk-on from Boonville, Ind., began the season fourth on the depth chart, but an injury to King Doerue helped provide Mockobee an opportunity. Both literally and figuratively, he ran with it. His big breakthrough came in Minneapolis when a 68-yard run helped seal the deal for Purdue to take down a top-25 Golden Gopher team.

A few weeks later, Mockobee ran the ball 30 times for 178 yards as Purdue hung on to win a shootout against Nebraska. Another highlight came at Illinois, where Purdue picked up another ranked win behind Mockobee’s 132 total yards.

Mockobee closed the 2022 season with 968 yards rushing, setting the freshman record at Purdue. A seemingly unlikely hero at the beginning of the year, Mockobee’s future in West Lafayette looks particularly bright, especially after he earned a scholarship from new head coach Ryan Walters.

DEION BURKS

Following a redshirt in 2021, Deion Burks put together a modest freshman campaign in 2022, pulling in 15 passes for 149 yards. In Purdue’s 2022 offense, the slot position’s depth limited his number of reps, but fans saw a glimpse of his high-level speed.

After an injury scare late in the Citrus Bowl against LSU, Burks projects as a player who could break out for the Boilermakers this season. Offensive coordinator Graham Harrell’s air-raid passing scheme should suit a player like Burks well, as the system is predicated on getting the ball into playmakers’ hands with space around them.

Harrell spoke highly of Burks in spring practice, saying, “He’s so fast, so explosive sometimes. Early on we had to talk to him about you’re rushing things. Understand what we’re trying to do. We don’t need you to get there crazy fast. We need you to get there when the quarterback wants you there.”

In an offense that lacks a proven top wideout, Burks may benefit from real opportunity to step up and make plays on Saturdays this fall.

GARRETT MILLER

Purdue suffered a big blow ahead of the 2022 season when Garrett Miller suffered a season-ending knee injury in fall camp. The athletic tight end showed legitimate flashes in 2021, including his eight-catch, 74-yard performance against a top-five Michigan State team. Many felt that Miller would break out in 2022 prior to his injury, particularly in a tight end tandem of himself and Payne Durham.

Could Miller be Purdue’s top draft-eligible prospect this year? It’s entirely possible, if he can show the same athleticism he offered prior to his knee injury. NFL teams covet tight ends with versatile athletic ability, and that’s precisely what Miller offers. This season, he should see plenty of opportunity in the passing game as the clear top tight end. Though air-raid systems sometimes choose four-wide sets over utilizing a tight end, there’s no doubt that Purdue wants to get Miller involved plenty. Is he Purdue’s top pass-catcher overall?

NIC CARAWAY

Nic Caraway came to West Lafayette with much fanfare after a late rise in the recruiting rankings as a high school senior. As a freshman in 2022, he largely lived up to that hype, getting reps at a reasonably deep position for Purdue. The Texan appeared in all 14 of Purdue’s games, recording 22 tackles, including a pair of sacks.

This year, Caraway is poised to burst onto the scene as the next great Purdue pass rusher. Though technically billed as an outside linebacker in Walters’ defense, Caraway will receive plenty of chances to go get the quarterback. In fact, Walters’ unique defensive scheme could put him in an even better position to break out.

Athlon Sports and Phil Steele each named Caraway to their fourth-team All-Big Ten lists in their preview magazines this year. If all goes well, however, it wouldn’t be a complete shock to see Caraway finish higher than that.