Purdue will have many new faces in the backfield for the first time in many years. Devin Mockobee was a mainstay through three coaching changes and was the most consistent offensive weapon since Jeff Brohm left us for his Alma Mater. Now, Purdue moves forward with new faces and three backs, which I believe to be real contributors early on.
The Bell Cows: Fame Ijeboi and Jerrick Gibson
Purdue dove right into the transfer portal for two running backs who will be their lead backs this fall. Enter Fame
Ijeboi and Jerrick Gibson. Fame made his way south from Minnesota, and he is only a sophomore. He had an outstanding redshirt freshman season for the Golden Gophers, tallying over 400 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 4.5 yards per carry. I love to see this type of transfer for Purdue. He is already a proven commodity in the Big Ten, showing he can play in this league, and my assumption is that Purdue simply offered him a better monetary deal than Minnesota did, which is encouraging. Fame started the Spring Game as the running back. At 6-0, 210 pounds, he has the ideal size to be one of the primary ball carriers in an offense that looks to improve the run game.
Coach Odom also nabbed Jerrick Gibson from Texas. Gibson was one of the highest-rated prospects in his high school class at his position, but has served as the RB3 at Texas and is looking for opportunities to showcase his skill set. At 5-10, 220 pounds, Gibson is a powerful back who is low to the ground, but has the breakaway speed needed to run away from linebackers in the Big Ten. In his two seasons at Texas, he had over 500 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry. These two have a similar skill set, and I believe they will be the bell cows for an offense with a run-first identity.
The Wildcards: Antonio Harris and Travis Terrell Jr.
Antonio Harris was a highlight for the Purdue Offense after Mockobee’s season ended last year. The little-known player etched out a role for himself in this off-season and showed that he was explosive in the open field. Harris, like Mockobee, was a walk-on and has worked his way into becoming a good football player. The question for Harris is, can he beat out the two players listed above to receive some of the carries, as it appears those two were brought in for immediate help in the backfield? My guess is he plays many snaps during the season, since injuries always happen.
Travis Terrell Jr. is a true gadget type of player that the staff reportedly loves. At 5-9, 170 pounds, he is the jitterbug in the backfield, but he will provide explosive plays. He transferred from Jackson State. As a freshman, he was an honorable mention AP FCS All-American. He will provide a player to the offense who can move him all over the place, but he will also be a dynamic kick and punt returner.
The Expectation
I truly believe that all four of the listed running backs will make an impact on the Purdue Offense this fall. While three of the four are similar in skill set and stature, to have an effective running game, there needs to be more than one running back who can contribute in a meaningful way. For the first time in years, Purdue has depth at one of the most important skill positions on the field, as they look to establish the run in West Lafayette again.
