Apologies to #85, Mr. Ryan Morris, as real life has gotten in the way of the Hammer & Rails writing crew. We are now 84 days away from Purdue football, but you are still #85 in our hearts, Ryan.
Ryan Morris - Fr. (RS)
Hometown: Barnegat, NJ (Barnegat)
Tight End
6'5", 240 pounds
2013 Projection: Reserve at Tight End
Morris comes to beautiful West Lafayette out of New Jersey where he was named First Team All-Ocean (sign me up) as a tight end. Morris' stat line from his senior year may not be gaudy (23 catches for 357 yards, two touchdowns) but he faced double teams on a consistent basis, as most 6-foot-5 manchildren do, leading to a limited amount of opportunities. Morris also showed his versatility by recording 37 tackles on the defensive side of the ball as a senior while also graduating with four letters in basketball and two in track.
He enters the 2012-2013 season as a redshirt freshman after entering his freshman year as the No. 20 tight end recruit in the country. Morris figures to play a reserve role again this year with Justin Sinz as the likely backup to Gabe Holmes, followed by a pack of Carlos Carvajal, Sterling Carter, himself, and the always a wildcard Patrick Bade. However with his size and large frame, Morris could potentially work his way into an ideal red zone target if given the chance. He struggles a bit getting off the line and beating the jam, especially for a player of his size, but given his body control and size Morris should in time turn into a productive tight end for Purdue.