WEST LAFAYETTE — It’s still early, albeit time is ticking towards Purdue football’s Sept. 4 season opener.
The Boilermaker depth chart will start to take shape this weekend after a closed scrimmage this Saturday, Aug. 15.
Head coach Barry Odom and staff are still mixing and matching, trying to find not only the right player, but the right units that fit together.
Still, after witnessing four practices, some of those depth chart questions already are getting answered.
As Purdue transitions into its second week of fall camp, here’s three takeaways from the early days of the season.
Will Purdue football start a true freshman on offensive line?
The last true freshman to start for the Boilermakers on the offensive line was Gus Hartwig, who made three starts during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Before that you have to go back to 2008 when Ken Plue started the season’s final six games at right guard.
Odom said during spring camp freshmen Rico Schreiber and Brock Brownfield would help right away.
“The guys that recruited them here, those are the types of players that will win in this league,” Odom said Monday morning. “We’ve got to get guys like that and get them in the program. So far through five days since we reported, they are right on track to where we thought they would be.”
Brownfield has emerged as a possible day one starter at left guard. The New Palestine product enrolled early and participated in spring workouts, which has set the 6-foot-4, 300-pounder in position to do something of a rarity at Power 4 programs, start their first career game on the offensive line on opening day.
Offensive coordinator Josh Henson said last Friday three offensive line positions are still up for grabs.
Is transfer Don Saunders Purdue’s best cornerback?
Hudauri Hines is a returning starter in the secondary and presumably will absorb a lot of reps at cornerback.
But Utah transfer Don Saunders is turning heads and looks like he may end up the starting corner opposite Hines.
“He gives us a tool on the outside where he has length, he has speed, he has confidence,” defensive coordinator Kevin Kane said last Friday. “Now he’s just got to go out there and he is a hungry guy. I am excited to see what he can do these next 27 days before kickoff.”
Purdue is Saunders fourth stop in his college journey, having previously played at Cal Poly and Texas A&M before Utah. Another change in scenery seems to be working well for the former All-Big Sky honoree.
Check down Ryan Browne
The latest sign of Ryan Browne’s growth at quarterback is his decision making.
Last season, the Purdue quarterback was prone to mistakes. Call it growing pains, but the experience, coupled with Browne’s offseason work and his first opportunity to go through spring camp with the current coaching staff is starting to show.
Through the early days of fall camp, Browne is quickly going through progressions and quickly looking off first targets if the play isn’t there. He impressed Henson during seven-on-seven last Friday with his rapid reads and ability to check down.
“Today was the best seven-on-sevens he’s had since I’ve been at Purdue and all he did was throw checkdowns,” Henson said. “But he was getting to them on time. Bam, bam, bam. He just moved the ball up and down the field because he knew whatever shot we were taking wasn’t open and he knew it right now.
“That function in him, i just see confidence oozing from him.”
Odom called that part of the maturing of a now experienced starting quarterback.
“Sometimes you get the ball in the playmakers’ hand and let him do some work,” Odom said.
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: Purdue football camp observations. Will a true freshman start on OL?
Reporting by Sam King, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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By Sam King, Lafayette Journal & Courier | USA TODAY Network
