Purdue Starting Quarterback Aidan O'Connell Remains Driven to Compete in Spring Practice
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — As Purdue football begins its preparation for the 2022 season, there is no uncertainty at the quarterback position.
Aidan O'Connell, who returns to the program for his sixth season, is the starter. There isn't an open competition on the way, but he continues to practice every day as if his spot is on the line, even in the spring.
It's something he's used to, something he enjoys doing, and it's a reason why he is respected by his teammates and coaches as a leader for the Boilermakers.
“I'm penciled as the starting quarterback right now. Things can change overnight, so my job is my job as long as I play well,” O’Connell said. “So I have to continue to play well. It takes a lot of hard work, takes a lot of effort, takes a lot of extra work. And I love to do those things, so it doesn't seem like a burden.”
O'Connell is already replicating just what made him so successful in 2021 when he led Purdue to a 9-4 record, the program's first nine-win season was the first since 2003.
His mastery of the playbook, coupled with his poise and precision, often overshadows any athletic disadvantages when compared to other players.
“Aidan, I think is playing at a high level," Purdue offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brian Brohm said. "Very accurate, has a full understanding of the offense, great leader. There are not any great weaknesses. Athleticism, he's always going to work on that. There's going to be a ceiling to how good that can get.
“But all those other attributes that we're looking for in great quarterback play, he's been displaying that. Just gotta keep continuing to be consistent, keep continuing to be a leader and to rub off on all the other guys out there on the field.”
Last season, O'Connell started in just eight games completed 315 of 440 passes for 3,712 yards while tossing 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His 71.6% completion percentage for the year was the best in program history.
During Purdue's 48-45 overtime thriller against Tennessee in the 2021 Music City Bowl, O'Connell passed for a record 534 yards and five touchdowns. His 75-yard bomb to wide receiver Broc Thompson in the first quarter was also the longest in a Music City Bowl.
The team is witnessing the carryover of O'Connell's incredible late-season run several months before the season opener at Ross-Ade Stadium in September.
“He's playing as good as he's ever played,” Brohm said. “You can tell that season last year gave him a lot of confidence in his ability and in his place in this offense. Knowing that he's the guy I think will be beneficial to him. To have a full offseason with being the guy that everyone looks towards, being the leader of the team. And I think he's gonna do great in that role.”
High expectations as a veteran quarterback and a leader for Purdue is driving O'Connell to continue practicing with a competitive mindset.
After coming into the program as a walk-on and slowly working his way up to the starting role over the course of his college career, the hours of hard work and dedication are all O'Connell has come to know.
And it's made him the player he is now because of it.
“I want to compete and try to be the best and prove that I'm that way,” O’Connell said. “It's an everyday type of thing. It's not turn it off and turn it back on. It's every day you gotta prove it.”
Stories Related to Purdue Football
- CAM ALLEN LOOKS TO IMPROVE LEADERSHIP: Senior safety Cam Allen is embracing his increasing leadership role for Purdue football and is utilizing spring practice to better himself and his teammates. Allen led the team with four interceptions a season ago. CLICK HERE
- RON ENGLISH FOCUS GOES BEYOND SCHEMES: Co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Ron English will call the defense for Purdue during the 2022 season. CLICK HERE
- JEFF BROHM DISCUSSES FIRST DAY OF SPRING PRACTICE: Purdue football completed its first day of the 2022 spring practices Monday, and head coach Jeff Brohm met with the media to discuss his thoughts and what to expect moving forward. CLICK HERE
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.