Purdue Receiver Tyrone Tracy in Line for More Touches Moving Forward
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Tyrone Tracy caught eyes this offseason as a versatile, do-it-all wide receiver that flashed potential in Purdue's offense whether it be in the slot, on the perimeter, or out of the backfield.
The redshirt senior and Indianapolis native transferred from Iowa before the 2022 college football season and quickly picked up a complex offensive system for the Boilermakers while splitting time at wide receiver and running back.
Put him in a position where he can explode with designed plays in space, and Tracy becomes a difference maker.
But Tracy recorded just two touches — one catch and one run — for a total of 17 yards in Purdue's 35-31 loss against Penn State to open the season. He never really got the chance to put his stamp on the game, something that is expected to change moving forward.
"We have to try to find ways to get Tyrone Tracy the ball a little bit more in many different ways," Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said during Monday's press conference. "So that's something we could have done better."
Tracy registered his first touch as a Boilermaker in the first quarter of Thursday's matchup. As the team was looking to drive down the field, the former Hawkeye rushed for nine yards up the middle of the field to the Purdue 45-yard line. It was his only carry of the night.
The possession would stall inside the red zone, and the Boilermakers settled for a 36-yard field goal to open the scoring.
As a receiver, Tracy was targeted four times but came away with one reception for eight yards. He was utilized on passes behind the line of scrimmage and short throws that were blanketed and broken up by Penn State defenders.
"I just think he's a guy that is better when the ball is in his hands," Brohm said. "We had a couple throws to him that were not on the money. They were a little bit behind him, but you still like to figure out a way to make the catch.
"He'd be the first one to tell you that he would love to make some of those catches. We just have to get him the ball more."
Like Tracy, there have been several talented athletes to make plays in Brohm's offense during his tenure in West Lafayette. Maybe none were more impactful than former Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore when he was on the field.
Moore totaled 2,163 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns in just 20 games for the Boilermakers during his college career. As a true freshman, he earned consensus first-team All-America honors and was the 2018 Paul Hornung Award recipient as the nation's most versatile player.
Tracy probably won't be generating national recognition at Purdue this season, but what Brohm sees in his skill set is enough to compare him to Moore — at least in some capacity. It's just a matter of catering to his strengths in the offense as the season progresses.
"Maybe not exactly like Rondale, but whether that's behind the line of scrimmage or whether that's lining him up in a certain spot, figuring out a way to use others to get him open," Brohm said. "I just think he needs some more touches, and that will help our team."
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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.