The Total Package: Purdue Freshman Wide Receiver Milton Wright Can Do it All
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Freshman wide receiver Milton Wright is the total offensive package. The Louisville, Ky., native had a standout year at receiver for Purdue in 2019, averaging 16 yards per completion. With one season under his belt, Wright has been described by the coaching staff as one of the hardest workers in practice.
“The great part about that young man is he comes to work every single day,'' Purdue wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard last week. "That’s one thing you never have to worry about.”
In his high school days, Wright led Christian Academy of Louisville to an unblemished, 15-0 season in 2018. That year, he pulled in over 1,000 yards, and tallied a shocking 21 touchdowns. That was enough to crown him as Kentucky’s 2A Player of the Year, and name him as a four-star recruit by ESPN.
As a Boilermaker in 2019, the freshman had 288 yards in receptions with one touchdown. Purdue relied on young receivers like Wright to get the job done after being faced with a slew of injuries.
But that’s not what he’s known best for. Against Wisconsin last season, Wright showed off his play-making ability with a 37-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brycen Hopkins. That’s the first time a non-quarterback has thrown a pass that long for Purdue since 2001.
“I think about it a lot,” said Wright to the media last week. “I’m like oh, that’s Brycen Hopkins. He’s in the draft now.”
Wright told reporters that he’s focusing on size and catching ability this spring. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound freshman is one of the tallest receivers on the roster, and size will only help his physicality this spring.
“I was a little too small last year. So honestly [my goal is] to get a lot bigger, which I’m achieving,” said Wright.
Wright will play a bigger role this spring with the absence of fellow freshman David Bell, who will be rehabbing until the spring. Bell has been in the limelight as of late, after being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. This came after his 1000+ yards and 8 touchdowns in the fall.
Rondale Moore's return to the offense this spring means that Wright will have to share the field more than he did last fall. The two shared the field at the beginning of the season, but after Moore's injury, Wright needed to play the role of slot receiver. It's up to wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard to find a permanent fit for Wright's wide range of skills.
