'Next Man Up': Purdue Football Preparing for Challenge Playing Without George Karlaftis
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue football has witnessed a surge in its defensive play throughout the 2021 season, and at the forefront of the group's newfound aggressiveness, junior defensive end George Karlaftis led the charge.
But when the team suits up for its matchup with Tennessee in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30, Karlaftis will not be present. After a three-year college career and earning a degree from a prestigious university, the defensive star is taking his talents to the NFL.
He's been a difference maker for the Boilermakers all year long. While he hasn't compiled eye-popping numbers, his contributions have gone beyond the stat sheet. But the team is working toward filling the massive gap in his absence.
"Next man up, right?" Purdue defensive line coach Mark Hagen said.
Karlaftis, an All-Big Ten and All-American talent for Purdue, recorded 39 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks this season. He's been taking on as many as three blockers from opposing teams without a single complaint.
Those kinds of things show up on film. It's part of why he's already being projected as a top-10 big in April's 2022 NFL Draft. Karlaftis is among an elite group of collegiate pass rushers that includes Heisman Trophy finalist Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan and unanimous All-American Kayvon Thibodeaux of Oregon.
They'll take their skills to the next level as well, and Thibodeaux — like several players around the country — is electing to skip the Ducks' bowl game against Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl. Hutchinson will be competing for a National Championship appearance with the Wolverines as part of the College Football Playoff.
Hagen said that he selfishly would love to coach Karlaftis for just one more game, but he made the decision that was right for him. In college football, you're not going to have players forever.
That time will always come to an end, and sometimes it's sooner rather than later.
"We all support him and are very appreciative of what he's done for Purdue football," Hagen said. "But we got to look at who we are today. There's no doubt in my mind our guys will step up and be ready to play."
The team, even without Karlaftis, has several upperclassmen that will take on a leadership role. Juniors Branson Deen, Lawrence Johnson and Jack Sullivan are all players that have seen extended playing time this season.
Those players will have to step up even more, and young lineman like redshirt freshman defensive end Kydran Jenkins will have to make their mark. They've all watched Karlaftis lead by example, and they know what it takes to prepare.
"One thing George left was with, he left us with a lot of knowledge that our young guys can use," Deen said. "They've watched him do everything he's done here, so they just kind of take that and they're just gonna have to go out and play."
There's no question the Boilermakers are going to miss having a player as physically disruptive as Karlaftis along the defensive front. But he's clearly ready for the professional level.
Hagen has raved about Karlaftis all season. He's put in the work and dominated in the Big Ten since his freshman year, when he was an Associated Press First Team Freshman All-American.
"He invested everything in being the very, very best football player that he could be day in and day out," Hagen said. "And to me, in almost 30 years of coaching, he's the best I've been around just in terms of everything that he does. From the sleep to the nutrition to taking care of his body to studying the game, studying himself, studying his opponent.
"The extra work after the lift, staying extra after practice. He's the best I've ever been around. Is that going to guarantee anything in the NFL? No, but I know he's got a lot of God-given ability. I know what he brought to the table for us this year. You can't measure it."
Without Karlaftis, Purdue is getting ready for a fast-paced Tennessee offense that ran an average of more than 73 plays per game this season. That ranks 36th among all programs in the NCAA.
"They have a lot of weapons, and then you add to that their the fastest team out there. They run more plays on average than anybody," Hagen said. "We got to play well. We gotta get lined up, we gotta get the call and we got to be ready to roll at a fast pace.
"We're trying to simulate that as best we can in practice and at the same time, get our conditioning level where it needs to be. It's going to be a big-time challenge, there's no doubt."
This season, Purdue has allowed just 20.5 points and 341.5 yards per game. Deen said they're ready to show everyone that they can be just as dominant even without Karlaftis in the rotation.
"We've got a lot of guys that have played a lot of football for us," Hagen said. "If you sit there and you listen to the noise on the outside, I'm sure people are saying, well you're not going to play as well, and they don't have Karlaftis so they can't get pressure. We've got to go out there and prove them wrong. That's the challenge as a college football team."
VIDEO: Branson Deen Talks Music City Bowl
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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.