Purdue's George Karlaftis, David Bell Named to PFF's Top 101 College Football Players of 2021
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue juniors George Karlaftis and David Bell were not only some of the best players in the nation at their respective positions during the 2021 season, but they were among the top players in all of college football.
Karlaftis was ranked the No. 23 player in the country, according to the Pro Football Focus College 101. Bell came in at No. 55. Both players will represent the Boilermakers at the next level after declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft.
5️⃣ + 3️⃣ = @PFF_College Top 101
— Purdue Football (@BoilerFootball) January 13, 2022
23. @TheGK3
55. @DB3LL
All-American Boilermakers! pic.twitter.com/da6Zvo5y8M
Here's what PFF had to say about each of Purdue's star players:
PFF Review of Purdue DE George Karlaftis
"Karlaftis — who was born in Athens, Greece — is the 'Greek Freak' of college football. He is one of the most powerful defensive ends in the country, and he pairs that strength with arguably the best hand usage in the class and an explosive get-off that makes life tough on opposing offensive tackles. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound Boilermaker showed a lot of promise as an underclassman and maximized his full potential as a true junior, as evidenced by his 90.6 pass-rush grade this season."
PFF Review of Purdue WR David Bell
"Bell came into 2021 with big expectations after a couple of promising years as an underclassman, and the Boilermaker lived up to the billing. He earned 77.3 and 76.2 PFF grades as a true freshman and sophomore, respectively, and then recorded an 86.9 PFF grade in his 2021 campaign. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound wide receiver has fared far better against single coverage this season while displaying top-notch body control. Bell has also been more of a threat after the catch, with 25 broken tackles on 93 receptions."
Stories Related to Purdue Football:
- BIG TEN RELEASES REVISED 2022 PURDUE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE: The Big Ten released the approved 2022 football schedules for all 14 conference programs. Purdue will have six home matchups coming off a 9-4 season in 2021 that featured a 48-45 victory over Tennessee in the Music City Bowl. CLICK HERE
- KARLAFTIS DECLARES FOR THE NFL DRAFT: In three years with the Purdue football program, star defensive end George Karlaftis tallied 97 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and 14 sacks. Karlaftis is one of the top defensive end prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft. CLICK HERE
- BELL DECLARES FOR THE NFL DRAFT: In three years with the Purdue football program, star wide receiver David Bell tallied 232 catches, 2,946 yards and 21 touchdowns. Bell was named the Big Ten Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year and is one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft. CLICK HERE
Become Part of the Boilermakers Country Community!
- Follow D.J. Fezler on Twitter: @DJFezler
- Follow Boilermakers Country on Twitter: @sports_purdue
- Like and follow Boilermakers Country on Facebook
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.