WEST LAFAYETTE − Throughout fall camp, Purdue football coaches thought they had two solid choices at center.
Then a third emerged.
Bradyn Joiner, a sophomore who transferred to Purdue from Auburn, ended up being the Boilermaker snapping the ball to Ryan Browne in Saturday’s 31-0 win over Ball State.
“He was not in position, I would say, a couple weeks in through fall camp,” Purdue offensive coordinator Josh Henson said. “As time went on, he really started making some big jumps and improving.
“Maybe the best thing he did, he’s just been super consistent with his snaps.”
With Purdue’s first offensive line unit during the fall, Purdue tried both Giordano Vaccaro, who was last year’s the best offensive linemen in Canadian college football at University of Manitoba last season, and Ethan Trent.
Trent started at right guard and moved to center for three plays late in the first half when Joiner temporarily exited.
Early in fall camp, Purdue has snapping woes out of shotgun. Henson said that was rarely the case when Joiner was at center, helping the Auburn transfer emerge as a starting-caliber middle of the offensive line.
Joiner ended Saturday as Purdue’s highest graded offensive lineman, according to Pro Football Focus.
On Purdue’s final series of the first half without Joiner in the game, Purdue surrendered a sack on first down and rushed for no gain on second down, ultimately punting after a three-and-out.
“That position is really hard and the way we are doing things from the communication standpoint, there’s a lot on that position,” Purdue head coach Barry Odom said of the center. “His continuity with he and Ethan and (left guard) Jalen (St. John) and the interior three, I think the more and more they’re together there, it’s going to help.”
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: He was a late bloomer in camp. Saturday he was Purdue football’s best offensive lineman
Reporting by Sam King, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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