Ryan Walters Recaps Purdue's Saturday Scrimmage
The first big test of Purdue's fall camp came on Saturday, as the Boilermakers had their first scrimmage of the offseason. Coach Ryan Walters was pleased with what he saw from his squad over the weekend, calling it a productive afternoon.
"I liked what I saw. We accomplished what I wanted to accomplish," Walters told reporters on Monday. "Obviously held out some guys who we already know what we're going to get from them. Wanted to give some controlled reps to some guys that we think will be guys for us, who we can count on from a production point this fall. And then let the rest of the roster show what they can do. Prove whether they need to be or don't need to be on the travel roster."
Walters' goal wasn't necessarily to put the best product on the field Saturday. Instead, he wanted to see what Purdue's depth looked like heading into the 2024 season — a main concern from last year's 4-8 campaign.
Purdue came out of Saturday's scrimmage without any major injuries, the primary goal for Walters and his staff. But the second-year coach also said he loved the effort he got from his players.
"Stayed healthy and that was the main key. Obviously, dealt with a few banged-up guys. So, to give some of our stalwart guys two days of rest was beneficial in the long term," Walters said. "Saw a lot of clean football, a lot of competitive plays made and guys playing the ball the right way — the way we want them to play. So, I was happy with the work we got."
Really, Saturday's scrimmage was no different than what Walters has seen through the first two weeks of fall camp in West Lafayette. He's been extremely happy with the competitiveness, toughness and effort the Boilermakers have given thus far.
He's also beginning to see some leaders emerge on the practice field — a really good sign as Purdue's opening kickoff against Indiana State creeeps closer.
"The thing I've been most pleased with is guys approaching each day the way we want them to approach it," Walters said. "You're not having to coach effort, you're not having to coach communication, you're not having to coach physicality. And guys are learning to compete at a high level while still taking care of each other. The way we've operated through 10 practices is definitely what our staff envisioned.
"Guys are holding each other accountable at practice. You're starting to see some leadership poke its way through."
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