Quick glance back at the week

Media day for B1G football was this week...you all know that. Here are a few things that stood out to me:

Shavers in BG Game

-Hope and his teammates like Akeem Shavers a lot...I hope he's as good as they've observed. He need to be, in my opinion. Even if Bolden is healthy all year, he's not the biggest back and a change up who is a legitimate threat is imperative for moving the chains.

-Hope is fully expecting Robert Marve to be 100% when camp starts...that's very different from how things looked just a month ago. Kevin Pamphile is also seems to be finally improving after battling a nagging foot injury.

-Hope said about the QB situation, "For the first time since I've been the head coach at Purdue, we went into the spring game with a quarterback who had played in a college football game." That's simply not the case- Elliott played in three games as a Junior, four as a Soph and three as a Freshman. Granted, he didn't play a ton (if any) serious snaps...but he played. Plus, Marve started over half the season at Miami and threw for over 1,200 yards for the 'Canes.

-Purdue will use a two QB system as Hope sees both Marve and Henry as starter-caliber players. Plus, he likes TerBush's potential. Hopefully Robinson will be able to redshirt as it would help the depth chart quite a bit in coming seasons.

It was asked on Twitter if we could think of any teams that were good with two QBs that played regularly. I believe Carr, while at Michigan, used Drew Henson & Tom Brady, then Drew Henson & John Navarre and averaged around 9 wins/season during that period. Also, Texas used both Major Applewhite and Chris Simms under center during the same season. Sure, UM and UT had tremendous depth at nearly every position and was loaded to the gills with talent...so it's not exactly the same situation. But, it can and has worked.

At the same time, I can think of a ton of examples when it failed miserably...but it doesn't always.

-And speaking of quarterbacks who used to be part of a two-QB system, Kirk Cousins delivered a great speech at the luncheon. In it, he mentioned Purdue specifically as a place he would have liked to play...and after watching the speech (and of course watching him play), I can honestly say I wish he was wearing gold and black right now.

-IU HC, Wilson, says he hasn't watched one minute of tape from last season because he's only looking forward. On one hand, I appreciate the idea of looking to the future...probably a good idea for IU. But, as a guy who thinks attention to detail is important, watching a few hours of what happened last season might behoove the first year former OU OC.

-Joe Paterno isn't getting any younger...and while the man is simply a marvel simply because he's as active as he is at age 84, it's amazing to me how many laughs the man gets every time he speaks to the media. I guess to the 46 year veteran goes the spoils.

Quick Peek at Recruiting

-Austin Appleby still seems solid with Purdue after being named an Elite 11 QB. In spite of receiving high marks at the camp and outshining a lot of talented guys like Gunner Kiel, his rating remains at a respectable, but not noteworthy, three-stars. As he gets healthier during the season, I fully expect Appleby to do big things...and get run on by a few big programs. Danny Hope and the program really needs him to not pull a Bellomy before signing day.

-Verbals are slowly, but surely, rolling in for Hope's 3.5th recruiting class at Purdue. Along with Appleby, Hope's got a couple of solid players who have verballed, but not anybody that's highly-ranked. There is still a gaping hole the offensive line recruiting...and Hope needs to go get a few gigantic, ugly fellows in the very near future.

In the League

-Keith Smith is camping with the Lions, Kyle Adams & Dan Dierking with the Bears and Keith Carlos with the Eagles. Hopefully one or more make it to the regular season.

Of course, Kerrigan is signed with the Redskins. He got a bit dinged up yesterday, but should be healthy in the next week to ten days.

Russell Bellomy: A Study in College Football Recruiting and Human Nature

Bellomy Picks Michigan

If you were raised like me, you heard phrases like, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence."

If you've been to my house, it usually is, especially late in the summer. I take pretty good care of my lawn and my house. I put money into the upkeep, I put in time to work on things and keep them in good order. I even pay Terminix to keep bugs from getting too bad and a guy named Earl sprays my lawn so that weeds don't take it over.

But, I refuse to water the grass. Last August, we had a pretty horrible drought in Indiana...and my lawn was the color of Purdue's helmets...but without the sparkles and the shine. The grass was greener around me, and I think some of my neighbors were pretty pissed...but I didn't, and don't care. My lawn didn't die, it went dorment- that's A-OK with me.

It takes money to keep your lawn looking like a fairway. And if you don't have the money for a sprinkler system, the pain of moving a sprinkler around is infuriating, to me at least. I've got two little kids and a wife-they all need my time...and having a family costs money. So I decided my lawn isn't the utmost priority. I'm kinda pragmatic.

Like Russell Bellomy, I'd like to have a beautiful lawn. Unlike Bellomy, I've decided the costs to attain such a lawn aren't worth it for me.

The thing that's so tough about recruiting is that humans are generally fickle. Even more difficult, is generally, the younger the human, the more fickle. Bellomy had been a Purdue guy for months. On recruiting visits, much like Rob Henry a few years back, I heard he did some of the recruiting himself. But the lure of Michigan was too much for the young man out of Arlington, TX to turn down.

Make no mistake, this isn't another Roy Roundtree situation. Roundtree told Purdue coaches he was going to sign with Purdue the night before signing day. It sounds like Bellomy was honest with Purdue prior to his visit to AA (unlike Roundtree). But, like young love is fleeting, so are 'solid' verbal commitments. A prettier girl, a greener lawn, a better paying job (whatever analogy you'd like to use) has come along and Bellomy's going to pursue it.

Simply Irresistable

So you might now understand why we don't talk a ton about recruiting around here. We know it's happening, we're not ignoring it. We just don't want to get too emotionally tied to someone that might or might not ever get on campus...even then, you never know what's going to happen. Waaaaaaaaay back in November and December, Bellomy told Hope and Co. that he was solidly-committed to Purdue. He tweeted the same thing yesterday, this time to UM and Hoke. Good thing for UM that signing day is less than 7 days away, I guess.

Afterall, there's always a better lawn someplace in the neighborhood.

The Cradle's Overflowing

Sure, we have readers who think we're not paying attention to Purdue sports this summer. But, my pals at Comcast have been doing their best to derail the awesomeness that is BS. I haven't had a consistent internet OR phone, thanks to Comcrap in 10 days. So, between losing signal, I've been reading my sports updates on my iphone...and AT&T's fantastic service has allowed me to check the internet on my phone at speeds similar to my Net Zero dial up back in ought-ought.

Honestly, it couldn't happen at a better time as there isn't a ton going on around my favorite sports program. Sure, the yahoos are releasing their prognostications for this coming fall...and our Boilers are falling into their predictions of conference standings anywhere from the upper middle to the lower-third of the conference. All that's inconsequential.

But, getting a verbal from another solid QB is noteworthy. Granted, I'm not a big fan of slathering attention upon a kid who's not signed- so much can change between now and February (read as 'we need an early signing period for football')...but, Russell Bellomy has been a Purdue lean for a few months, so he seems like a pretty safe bet to come to Purdue (unless UT or another of their ilk decides to flutter their collective eyelashes at the Arlington, TX native).

The thing I'd like to look at is what this does to Purdue's stable.
If I was a betting man, which I'm not, I wouldn't put money on this happening as planned. Injuries, defections and position changes coaching changes and anything else can render this handy-dandy chart useless. Plus, I think Rob Henry will be playing another position as early as this fall...and will be a damned-good slot receiver by the time he leaves campus. But, once again, that's just an educated guess.

What we do know is that 18 and 19 year olds change their minds from time-to-time, so things can change. But we also, as a fanbase, should be very excited and pleased that a player with offers from MSU, Boise State and a ton of others thinks Purdue is the bestest of the bestest. I'd guess Bellomy will be a high-3 or low-4 star-rated recruit come mid-fall. But moreso, this kid is really smart, has a good arm, possibly better feet and plays against very good competition down in Texas...what's not to like?

What might be more interesting to note is Danny Hope's taste in quarterbacks. All five of those with the highest odds to become a starter in the next 5 years seem to be able to pass the ball well and run as the situation dictates. Run-first and pass-only QBs seem to need not apply. Plus, these types of QBs like what they see and hear from Hope and Nord.

My opinion of Hope's recruiting philosophy and results is "so-far, so-good". If the quality of players and speed of the team keeps trending the way it is, as Hope builds depth across the board, Purdue will be a team that people outside of the Purdue family won't be able to ignore.

Keep it up, Coach Hope!

Another good one...

Boiler

Danny Hope's defensive line got another strong part with the commitment of Rashad Frazier late this weekend. Frazier chose God's country over MSU, WVU, Wisconsin and others...Perhaps Hope and Co. have figured out how to leverage J Money's sweet affection as a bargaining chip with these 18 & 19 year olds, or maybe it's the new facilities and the excellent education...Regardless of what the tactic might be, something's working and slowly but surely, it seems that Hope's staff is turning the recruiting tide.

SIZABLE.

Meet Bruce Gaston, Jr. Seems like Coach Hope might be building a champ around this run-stopper.

I typically judge a recruit, before I've seen him in person, by the school he said "no" to. Check out this list.

This was Brian Kelly's first loss to Coach Hope...the next comes in September.

Flippin' sweet.

Second Football Commit in

GBI is reporting that Jeremy Cornelius, Harrisburg PA WR and DB has committed to Danny Hope. Purdue beat out Iowa and 'Cuse for his services. He's 6'3" 180# and runs a 4.45.

Jeremy is the second commitment announcement to the Purdue football program for the class of '10 in the last two days.

Look forward to seeing you play, Jeremy!

Hope Continues quest for solid receiving corps...

Not sure we're there just yet, but this speedy JuCo (RB) product is slotted as a WR when he arrives in W. Lafayette, and should help out as a wide receiver immediately...check that, he needs to help out immediately. But, he might prove to be a threat on Special Teams as well.

Carlos is a Boiler.

The more he trains, the quicker he gets...I guess

A Quick Look at the Incoming Class

Today, Purdue signed 17 players to bring the total incoming class up to 20. As you all know, 70% of the class is from the state of Florida, with only 6 players being recruited from New Jersey, Kentucky, Georgia (2), Texas and NY. This is the first time since '75 that Purdue hasn't signed a player from Indiana...and opinions are mixed if this is all positive. While I understand that Football is played year round in the Southeast, I also don't think it's great to see good players leaving the state. Players like Dakotah Tyler, Montez Robinson and Jordan Barnes come to mind first as the ones that got away...But Hope and Co. didn't see it as important to focus on Indiana.

Some theorize that a two-star Florida player equates to a three-star Indiana player. I don't know if that's necessarily true, but as IU recruited heavily in Indiana, we will get to see how the two states compare in the next four years. IU's recruiting class ended up being ranked 58 (65 according to Scout) and Purdue's comes in at 74 (63 according to Scout)...pretty even. And honestly, according to star ranking, neither is anything to write home about...but I like a lot about this incoming class for Purdue.

Speed was obviously a focus as Purdue boasts of eight players that run a sub-4.5 40 yard dash...five of those in the 4.4 range. But does that speed come at a cost in the fact that many of these guys will need a redshirt year to bulk up? Perhaps...but whether they're physically ready or not may not matter as Purdue will probably need to get at least a few of these receivers on the field right away.

Here are some of the guys that I think have a good chance of seeing the field in the fall of '09:
-Ishmael Aristide CB
-Dwayne Beckford LB ('08 carry over)
-Gabe Holmes TE
-Al-Terek McBurse RB
-Antwon Higgs DE
-Eric McDaniel DT
-Xavier Reese WR
-Eric Williams WR (slot)

My hope is no more than this are needed and can be redshirted...but my guess is that won't be the case...and I am positive one or two of the 4.4 players will end up playing special teams someplace.

Conversely, here are the players that I think will redshirt:
-Antavian Edison
-Cody Davis
-Trevor Foy (I think Hope sees him as an O-lineman a la Matt Light)
-Rob Henry (I actually hope he is able to redshirt; he has huge upside)
-Kevin Pamphile (only played organized football for one season)
-Chris Quinn
-Najee Tyler

Granted, this is all vast speculation based on articles and videos...so I could be very wrong. But I am already excited to see what the new guys can do.

J Money Heading to Indiana...other notes

I saw this and thought of J Money right away.

J's coming into town for the bi-yearly BS meeting which centers around the Purdue v. UM contest. Special thanks to Travis at Off the Tracks for selling his corporate seats to us!

Any Day Now
With signing day less than a week away, a couple of note-worthy players on Purdue's board have yet to make their decision:

-Sterling Griffin WR
-Michael Buchannan LB
-Sam Barrington LB
-Quan Fletcher LB
-Wesley Tate RB

My gut tells me Griffin and Buchannan will be Boilers...But my gut also is perpetually telling me to make residence in the South to have access to warm Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I guess I'm saying, take my hunch with a grain of salt...or delicious icing; whichever suits you.

There ar also rumors of a few secret recruits and Barnes possibly switching...yet again to the Boilers. Question is at this point, do you really want a kid who has this much of a problem making decisions? I'd lean towards no, at this point...especially if Buchannan or another LB takes Hope up on his offer.

The Shirt off of Our Backs
If you're a Paint Crew member and you like free stuff, look for us outside of Mackey before the UM game...We might be able to help you stay clothed during the second semester; for free no less!

Losing Momentum?

We discussed this over a week ago- Purdue was not on terra firma with Shayon Green, a linebacker prospect out of Georgia. Well, during the weekend, Green made it official as he switched his verbal to Miami. In other recruiting news, Jordan Barnes decided to verbal to Oklahoma State during his in-home visit by OSU's coaches. That said, his committment sounds less-than-convincing, at least to me. When asked if he committment prior to meeting Purdue's entire staff, Barnes responded

"Yeah, I did and then I talked to Purdue and they had me thinking about some things so right now I'm really not sure which way I'm going to go with this so it's been a stressful weekend,"

Maybe Gundy is using some pressure tactics or perhaps Barnes is placing the pressure on himself. Regardless, this one seems like it might not be over, just yet.

But if it is, Hope and company might put the full-court press on Quan Fletcher, who I've never seen play, but want as a Boiler just so I can say "Quan" each week in the fall.

We all know recruiting is an up-and-down business and nothing's truly done until the kid's signed...and even then, you might want to wait until they're on campus before you count on their services. As in any business, the follow-ups are key and the relationships built during the recruiting process is paramount. Only the kid and the coaching staff really know how those aspects of the process have gone...the rest of us are merely speculating.

At 18 & 19, we were all a bit fickle...but at 15, & 16 & 17, it's even worse. My hope for my alma mater's football and men's basketball teams are that guys that want to be Boilermakers end up in West Lafayette...and those that don't, decide not to waste everyone's time.