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Today we have one of the first guaranteed starters on the roster to be featured on the countdown. Bruce Gaston has played a major role on the defensive line at Purdue for three seasons. He made his debut at Notre Dame in 2010 by getting in on a safety in the fourth quarter. Now, as a senior, he needs to be a key leader on the defense.
Bruce Gaston - Sr.
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois (St. Rita)
Defensive Tackle
6'2", 303 pounds
2013 Projection: starter at defensive tackle
To this point in his career Gaston has played with a lot of great talent around him. Both Ryan Kerrigan and Kawann Short played next to him and they are both happily off to the NFL. Gaston could be that next player with a good senior year. He has the size and physical tools to do so.
Last season Bruce had 28 tackles as he played in all 13 games, with 5.5 of them coming behind the line of scrimmage. He also forced two fumbles and recovered a pair of fumbles. As a sophomore he had 30 tackles to go with three sacks, while he had 26 tackles with a sack as a freshman in 2010.
Simply put, with Short gone we need Gaston to do more. It is time for him to have a big season with the spotlight on him.