What's Next for Purdue Football Following 2022 Spring Practices

Purdue football turns its head toward summer workouts leading into fall camp in August. The goal for the team is to get players back on the field while analyzing the last 15 practices from the spring.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Following Purdue football's annual spring game Saturday inside Ross-Ade Stadium, coach Jeff Brohm was asked if he felt the team had accomplished what he envisioned when it started back on Feb. 28. 

He offered a simple response, but it was one that resonated with high hopes as the program looks ahead toward its summer workouts leading into fall camp. 

"Without question I do," Brohm said. "I think we've worked hard up front on the offensive line, even though we were thin there. The key components show that they've improved a little bit and they're getting better. And there are some guys we want to continue to have to step up and do a good job."

The offensive front is certainly a question mark heading into the 2022 season, having lost a pair of starters to graduation after ranking last in the Big Ten in rushing last year. Brohm has prioritized signing multiple players along both the offensive and defensive lines to compete with the physicality in the Big Ten West. 

While there's still work to be done on the offensive line, it's been on defense that the team's coaches continuously rave about developing depth. Of course, making up for the loss of star pass rusher George Karlaftis is no easy feat, but the Boilermakers will be able to deploy a steady rotation of players to mitigate his absence in some way. 

"I think on defense we have depth, it's just a matter of certain guys emerging as playmakers," Brohm said. "Depth is good to have. At the same time, there are only 11 guys on the field." 

Playmakers on both sides of the football will begin to emerge for Purdue as the team gets its injured players back on the practice field. In the secondary, expected starters Cory Trice and Jamari Brown were unable to practice in the spring, allowing an opportunity for transfers Reese Taylor and Bryce Hampton to step in. 

On offense, the receiving corps was nowhere near full strength during the spring. Veterans Broc Thompson, Mershawn Rice and TJ Sheffield all missed practices due to injury, while Milton Wright is focused on regaining academic eligibility. 

But when Purdue gets those players back, and you throw Iowa transfer Tyrone Tracy into the mix, the Boilermakers will have a dynamic group for starting quarterback Aidan O'Connell to throw to. 

"I think we could be dangerous. We have a lot of great players from top to bottom," O'Connell said. "So we're definitely excited to get those guys back. It's been a good spring with the young guys, but we love to have our guys back. We need our guys to play and play well."

While it's been an overall successful spring for Purdue football, there is still a long road ahead until the team's season opener against Penn State on Sept. 1 at Ross-Ade Stadium. 

Getting players back onto the field will be the Boilermakers' biggest priority before August, and individual players will continue to analyze the film from spring practice to improve throughout the summer. 

"We definitely have a lot to work on, and this game shows that. We've got to just get a lot of guys healthy and ready to go for summer workouts. Hopefully August 1, we'll have everybody back at full speed. Then we've got to have a great camp."

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