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Today's player comes to Purdue from Maryland, my new home state!, and is touted as a physical linebacker that the coaches hope will live up to the last linebacker from Maryland (Ja'Whaun Bentley). Let's take a look shall we?
Wyatt Cook
Owings Mill, MD (McDonogh High School)
6'3" 225 pounds
Linebacker
2015 Projection: Backup linebacker
We all know that for years linebacker has been one of the more, ahem, weak positions on the field for the Boilermakers. The best way you can describe the recents starters at linebacker for Purdue is that they have big hearts. Which, don't get me wrong, is great to have but it's not the number one thing you hope for with a starting linebacker. With this last class of Bentley and Gelen Robinson the coaching staff is hoping to turn what previously was a weakness into a strength. The coaches hope to have found another solid linebacker in incoming freshman Wyatt Cook.
Cook comes from a pretty solid high school program in Maryland where he was a defensive captain. In his senior season he recorded 91 tackles, 6 sacks, and forced 4 fumbles. That's a guy who has a nose for the football. Purdue desperately needs playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. Cook seems confident that he can come in and be that guy for the Boilermaker team that is losing their linebacking captain in Sean Robinson. You have to love that confidence.
Regardless of if he's a starter I would expect Cook to see the field this season in a backup role barring some sort of injury. Purdue needs help at linebacker and it needs it know. It would be great to get a guy like Cook some reps early in the season to protect against injury and continue to build up the position. For a nice local article on Wyatt and his brother Wes Cook, who is a walk-on safety with the Boilermakers, check out this.