The last double-digit number in our countdown is also a double player feature. One player figures heavily into our immediate future, while the other is a player that may not see the field for three years.
Michael Eargle - Jr.
Hometown: Elizabeth, NJ (Lackawanna Community College)
Cornerback
6', 165 pounds
2010 Projection: Possible starter at cornerback
Michael Eargle came to Purdue as a JuCo transfer because we needed him to fill an immediate need. As of right now he is listed on the two deeps at cornerback, but nothing has been decided yet. He, Josh Johnson, Ricardo Allen, and Charlton Williams will still all likely play at times this year. As I have written before, the fact they are so close means they are all getting better form the challenge of competition. That is why I think the secondary will surprise early on.
Eargle signed with Oklahoma State out of high school, but was forced to go the JuCo route for two years. He was also a basketball player, so those skills should translate well when the ball is in the air. He was able to go through spring practice with the team, giving him more time than some incoming freshmen. Still, Allen is a player that is pushing hard as a true freshman while Johnson and Williams have each been here awhile. Again, this creates instant depth, which isn't a bad thing. It makes the angst about the secondary overblown. Eargle was also a quarterback for a short time in junior college.
Sean Robinson - Fr.
Hometown: Springfield, IL (Rochester HS)
Quarterback
6'3", 205 pounds
2010 Projection: Likely redshirt
File the name of Sean Robinson away for the future. He is not going to play this year barring an absolute disaster at the quarterback position. He probably won't play next year, either, as long as Robert Marve is successful and stays. That means the earliest we will probably see him is 2012 when we have a fierce quarterback competition between him, Rob Henry, Russell Bellomy, and Caleb TerBush. Robinson could win that battle by then though. The three-star quarterback is both big and mobile. He was a force for Rochester this past season, who was ranked #1 for most of the year before falling in the state semifinals by a point.
I'll give Robinson credit though. He took the loss on himself. He ran the two-point conversion play in the final seconds that came up just short. He is a natural leader in every sense of the word. Something tells me that he will be a very good player for us eventually.
Boilermakings Notes:
Camp answers some Purdue questions | jconline.com | Journal and Courier
If coach is happy with the answers, so am I.
Brian Kelly talks depth chart, own width - College Football Nation Blog - ESPN
It looks like there are some interesting notes here about Notre Dame's Depth Chart.
Purdue's Werner a 6-year veteran | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star
Bob Kravitz does a tongue in cheek profile of Jason Werner