For Purdue Quarterback Aidan O'Connell, Maximizing Strengths is an Advantage
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue fifth-year senior quarterback Aidan O'Connell believes he is a different player than a year ago. He may have won the starting job in 2020, but it's a new season with a new team.
O'Connell has been around the program since 2017, having joined the team as a walkon. He's had his fair share of sitting back, constantly working on his strengths and chipping away at his weaknesses.
In this year's rendition of the Boilermakers' quarterback battle, maximizing what he does best might give him an advantage.
"I think I know my strengths well. I'm not under the impression that I'm gonna beat anyone with my athleticism," O'Connell said after Saturday's practice. "But I try to do what I do, as good as I can."
O'Connell has nine games of playing experience under his belt, including the first three matchups of Purdue's 2020 campaign. However, he's split time with junior quarterback Jack Plummer dating back to the 2019 season.
And while it was O'Connell who started last year as the starter, Plummer finished as the signal-caller after a foot injury forced him to have season-ending surgery.
The highs and lows of a starting quarterback are what he keeps in the back of his mind. That experience serves as confidence.
"The game reps are so priceless. And when you're in the game, the bullets are flying. The fire is hot," O'Connell said. "It's different in practice. You mess up as a quarterback, you're not going to be physically punished. But in the game, you are literally physically punished if you mess up."
The Purdue quarterbacks may not take blows from opposing defenders in practice but every glaring mistake is a setback in the team's quarterback race.
The coaching staff studies every play made on the field, whether a pass or a run. It could be a deep touchdown pass or a blatant misread leading to an interception. The determining factor is going to be who is the most consistent in the spotlight.
"We're always looking for the best decision makers, the most accurate throwers, the toughest guys. And they got to prove that every single day," Purdue quarterbacks coach Brian Brohm said. "We try to vigorously grade every single rep they take in practice. I'm pretty open with what grade they're getting and telling them where they stand every single day."
The Boilermakers continue to split repetitions for the quarterbacks on the roster, and they'll ride the hot hand as the season inches closer. O'Connell is determined to do all he can to start under center against Oregon State at Ross-Ade Stadium on Sept. 4.
"This is what have you done lately business," O'Connell said. "So you got to do it every day. And you're gonna have bad days, you're gonna have good days, but yesterday's forgotten. We're focused on today and then the next day after that."
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.