Defensive End
#8 – CJ Madden: Jr. – 6-4, 275 – Ellenwood, Ga. (Georgia)
Game 1: Solo 2 – Ast 1 – Total 3 – Sacks/Yds .5/1- TFL/Yds 0 – QBH 0
Game 2: Solo 0 – Ast 0 – Total 0 – Sacks/Yds 0 – TFL/Yds 0 – QBH 0
#91 – CJ Nunnally IV: Sr. – 6-3, 265 – Douglasville, Ga. (Akron)
Game 1 Stats: Solo 1 – Ast 0 – Total 1 – Sacks/Yds 0 – TFL/Yds – QBH 1
Game 2: Solo 2 – Ast 0 – Total 2 – Sacks/Yds 2/18 – TFL/Yds 2/18 – QBH 0
Defensive Tackle
#13 – TJ Lindsey: R-Fr. – 6-3, 310 – Little Rock, Ark. (Auburn)
Game 1: Solo 2 – Ast 1 – Total 3 – Sacks/Yds
0 – TFL/Yds .5/2 – QBH 0
Game 2: Solo 1 – Ast 1 – Total 2 – Sacks/Yds 0 – TFL/Yds 0 – QBH 0
#40 – Ian Jeffries: So. – 6-4, 303 – Southaven, Miss. (Arkansas State)
Game 1: Played No Stats
Game 2: Solo 1 – Ast 0 – Total 1 – Sacks/Yds 0 – TFL/Yds 0 – QBH 0
Nose Guard
#97 – Jamarrion Harkless: So. – 6-3, 345 – Lexington, Ky. (Frederick Douglas)
Game 1: Solo 0 – Ast 4 – Total 4 – Sacks/Yds 1.5/1 – TFL/Yds 2/4 – QBH 0
Game 2: Solo 0 – Ast 1 – Total 1 – Sacks/Yds 0 – TFL/Yds 0 – QBH 0
#18 – Demeco Kennedy: So. – 6-2, 305 – Lexington, Ky. (Frederick Douglass)
Game 1: Sol 2 – Ast 0 – Tck 2 – Sks/Yds 0 – TFL/Yds 0 – Int/Yds 0 – BrUp 0 – Blks 0 – QBH 0
Game 2: Played no Stats
Defensive End
#23 – Trey Smith: So. – 6-4, 255 – Apopka, Fla. (Illinois)
Game 1: Solo 1 – Ast 0 – Total 1 – Sacks/Yds 0 – TFL/Yds .5/2 – QBH 0
Game 2: Sol0 1 – Ast 3 – Total 4 – Sacks/Yds .5/3 – TFL/Yds .5/2 – QBH 0
#58 – Breeon Ishmail: So. – 6-4, 270 – Cincinnati, Ohio (Michigan)
Game 1: Solo 1 – Ast 0 – Total 1 – Sacks/Yds 0 – TFL/Yds .5/2 – QBH 0
Game 2: Solo 2 – Ast 0 – Total 2 – Sacks/Yds 2/18 – TFL/Yds 0 – QBH 0
Thoughts
The stats are somewhat skewed because the Boilermakers ran 76 plays on offense, and the defense was only on the field for 60. There were limited opportunities to put up stats, but CJ Madden got shut out, and according to PFF, he had an awful 2.9% pass rush win percentage. That has to get better, or Purdue has to find a better option as their primary rush option. We’ve heard about Madden’s ability, but it doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t follow him to the field.
The said can be said for Trey Smith, who had a 4.0 pass rush win percentage, but at least Trey got the quarterback on the ground once. Again, there were limited opportunities and Southern Illinois tried to protect their offensive line with the run game, but the pass rush will need to be better against USC. The good news is they will have plenty of opportunities.
CJ Nunnally IV looked like the best defensive end on the team, and it wasn’t particularly close. The most experienced defensive end on the roster came through with a 15.4%-win percentage. He was credited with a team-high 2 sacks and 1 quarterback hurry. The defensive depth chart is far from set in stone, and Nunnally IV is looking to make a move. If nothing else, he’s established himself as the first pass-rush option off the bench. It’s possible the coaching staff saves him for when they want a little extra off the edge.
The interior defensive line was even more bereft of stats than the edge rushers, but that’s to be expected. One of their main jobs in this defense is to eat up blocks and let the linebacker flow to the ball. This is another position where the stats don’t tell the entire story. Chops Harkless had the second-highest grade in terms of run defense, according to PFF.
PFF was not impressed with TJ Lindsey on Saturday. His overall rating suffered because of some tackling issues, and he hasn’t been as explosive in the pass rush game as I would have hoped coming into the season. This is another spot to keep an eye on. Purdue needs better production next Harkless because, in theory, Chops requires a double team, which should free up the defensive tackle.
The bench options evolved against Southern Illinois, with Demeco Kennedy moving to nose tackle and essentially splitting time with Chops. He’s the guy they put in the game when they’re looking for more of an interior pass rush from the nose. Meanwhile, Ian Jeffries picked up 16 snaps, and PFF was impressed with his small sample size. He ended up with the highest overall PFF grade for interior defensive lineman because he was the best pass rusher of the bunch.
Linebacker
#16 – Mani Powell: Sr. – 6-2, 230 – Columbus, Ohio (UNLV)
Game 1: Solo 4 – Ast 0 – Total 4 – Sacks/Yds 1/8 – TFL/Yds 1/8 – QBH 0
Game 2: Solo 3 – Ast 2 – Total 5 – Sacks/Yds 0 – TFL/Yds 0 – QBH 0
#10 – Alex Sanford Jr.: Jr. – 6-1, 232 – Oxford, Miss. (Arkansas)
Game 1: Solo 2 – Ast 0 – Total 2 – Sacks/Yds 0 – TFL/Yds .5/2 – QBH 0
Game 2: Solo 1 – Ast 0 – Total 1 – Sacks/Yds 0 – TFL/Yds 0 – QBH 0
#5 – Charles Correa: So.- 6-3, 230 – Kuli’ou’ou, Hawaii (UNLV)
Game 1: Solo 4 – Ast 0 – Total 4 – Sacks/Yds 0 – TFL/Yds 1/1 – QBH 0
Game 2: Solo 2 – Ast 3 – Total 5 – Sacks/Yds .5/3 – TFL/Yds 1.5/6 – QBH 0
#6 – Sanders Ellis: So. – 6-2, 240 – Nashville, Tenn. (Tennessee State)
Game 1: Solo 1 – Ast 2 – Total 3 – Sacks/Yds .5/2 – TFL/Yds .5/2 – QBH 0
Game 2: Played no Stats
Thoughts
The roles in the defense are starting to define themselves on the field. Mani Powell is playing the role of the run-stuffing middle linebacker. He had the best run defense grade on the team according to PFF and the second-highest tackling and pass rush grade, but wasn’t great in coverage.
Charles Corea wasn’t as good in the run game, but was significantly better in coverage. He’s the guy that’s going to pick up running backs coming out of the back field and cover the middle zone while Powell noses around the line of scrimmage looking for runs to sniff out.
Coach Odom used this same linebacker dynamic to great effect at UNLV last season.
Alex Sanford appears to be the first linebacker off the bench. He picked up 12 snaps and graded out well for a second-string linebacker. I was a little surprised Sander Ellis only picked up a few snaps on special teams.
Secondary
Nickel
#24 – An’Darius Coffey: Sr. – 5-10, 203 – Winona, Miss. (Memphis)
Game 1: Solo 1 – Ast 1 – Total 2 – TFL/Yds .5/2 – Int/Yds 0 – BrUp 0 – QBH 0
Game 2: Solo 2 – Ast 2 – Total 4 – TFL/Yds 0 – Int/Yds 0 – BrUp 0 – QBH 0
#1 – Smiley Bradford: So. – 6-0, 195 – St. Louis, Mo. (East St. Louis)
Game 1: Snaps 18 – N0 Stats
Game 2: Solo 2 – Ast 1 – Total 3 – TFL/Yds 1/1 – Int/Yds 0 – BrUp 1 – QBH 0
Cornerback
#0 – Tony Grimes: Sr. – 6-2, 195 – Virginia Beach, Va. (UNLV)
Game 1: Solo 0 – Ast 1 – Total 1 – TFL/Yds .5/2 – Int/Yds 0 – BrUp 0 – QBH 0
Game 2: Solo 2 – Ast 0 – Total 2 – TFL/Yds 0 – Int/Yds 0 – BrUp 0 – QBH 0
Cornerback
#4 Hudauri Hines: So. – 6-1, 200 – Indianapolis, Ind. (Franklin Central)
Game 1: Solo 1 – Ast 1 – Total 2 – TFL/Yds .5/2 – Int/Yds 0 – BrUp 0 – QBH 0
Game 2: Solo 2 – Ast 0 – Total 2 – TFL/Yds 0 – Int/Yds 0 – BrUp 1 – QBH 0
#12 – Ryan Turner: Jr. – 6-0, 195 – Broward County, Fla. (Boston College)
Game 1: Solo 1 – Ast 0 – Total 1 – TFL/Yds .5/2 – Int/Yds 0 – BrUp 0 – QBH 0
Game 2: Solo 0 – Ast 2 – Total 2 – TFL/Yds 0 – Int/Yds 0 – BrUp 0 – QBH 0
Strong Safety
#9 – Myles Slusher: Sr. – 6-0, 195 – Broken Arrow, Okla. (Colorado)
Game 1: Solo 2 – Ast 0 – Total 2 – TFL/Yds .5/2 – Int/Yds 0 – BrUp 0 – QBH 0
Game 2: Solo 4 – Ast 0 – Total 4 – TFL/Yds 0 – Int/Yds 0 – BrUp 0 – QBH 0
#7 – Crew Wakley: Sr. – 6-0, 202 – Sandy, Utah (BYU)
Game 1: Solo 3 – Ast 0 – Total 3 – TFL/Yds .5/2 – Int/Yds 0 – BrUp 1 – QBH 0
Game 2: Solo 2 – Ast 1 – Total 3 – TFL/Yds 1/1 – Int/Yds 0 – BrUp 0 – QBH 0
Free Safety
#21 – Tahj Ra-El: Sr. – 6-2, 208 – Charlotte, N.C. (Memphis)
Game 1: Solo 7 – Ast 0 – Total 7 – TFL/Yds 1/3 – Int/Yds 0 – BrUp 0 – QBH 0
Game 2: Solo 2 – Ast 0 – Total 2 – TFL/Yds 0 – Int/Yds 0 – BrUp 0 – QBH 0
#2 – Richard Toney Jr.: Sr. – 6-0, 195 – Arlington, Texas (TCU)
Game 1: Snaps 5 – No Stats
Game 2: Snaps 1
Thoughts
The corner rotation is clear. Grimes is going to go the distance, if possible, with Hines getting roughly double the snaps of Turner on the other side. Those are Purdue’s top 3 choices at corner, and the only guys that are seeing the field at the position. There wasn’t much to do against Southern Illinois. The only real lapse in coverage came from Mani Powell losing a back at linebacker, the corners didn’t lose focus.
The safety rotation also looks set heading into the third game. It’s another three-man rotation with Tahj Ra-El eating up all the snaps at free safety with Slusher playing about twice as many snaps as Wakely. Ra-El led the team in tackles on Saturday but didn’t grade out particularly well in the run game according to PFF. Meanwhile, Slusher was the lowest-rated regular in the rotation. He especially struggled in coverage, allowing four receptions on four targets and giving up a secondary high of 54 yards. PFF didn’t like what Wakely did in coverage either, allowing two receptions on three targets. Purdue will need better from that position against USC.
Nickel safety An’Darius Coffey received the highest overall PFF grade when it came to the safeties. He had a team-best coverage and tackle grade, which is interesting because he allowed four receptions on six targets, but those receptions only went for 11 yards.
Smiley Bradford got more run in this game, logging 23 snaps to Coffey’s 54. It looks like Purdue is solid in terms of nickel defenders, and that’s a key component of the defense.
