Our second player on the countdown just recently received his jersey number and will be arriving on campus soon for summer workouts as an incoming freshman. He has yet to set foot on Purdue's campus as a student, but this is hopefully a name we will see plenty of in the future.
Ryan Russell - Fr.
Hometown: Carrollton, TX (Creekview HS)
Defensive End
6'5", 250 lbs.
2010 Projection: redshirt
With the depth we currently have at defensive end I think Russell will likely redshirt, but you never know. Injuries can be a tricky thing, especially with Ryan Kerrigan still somewhat uncertain for the season. Russell was one of our late 2010 additions, committing only in February just before signing day. He comes in as a lower ranked 2-star guy according to Rivals, so that is another reason I see him redshirting. Purdue won out over offers from Louisiana tech, New Mexico State, Tulsa, and UTEP for his services.
Russell had a productive senior season as he was named Creekview's defensive MVP with 62 tackles (17 loss) and five sacks. Creekview finished its season with a 5-5 record and missed the state playoffs. Creekview has a decent history of producing solid players. Oklahoma's Jeremy Beal, expected to be a top pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, hails from Creekview High. The program itself is very young, as Creekview only graduated its first class of seniors in 2001.
Russell is probably a developmental player at this point in his career, but he is still important. We'll probably see him in about two years after tons of practice time and weight room reps.