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It is hard to say if today's player is a disappointment or not. He has been a regular contributor for four years, playing big minutes in 2013 as a true freshman at defensive end. That said, he hasn't had a huge impact. His numbers are rather pedestrian, but with a new defensive line coach that has had a ton of success with ends at Purdue he enters his final year in line to make a big impact.
Evan Panfil - Sr.
New Lennox, IL (Lincoln-Way Central)
Defensive End
6'5", 268 pounds
2016 Projection: Starter at defensive end
Panfil is coming off of his best season. He finished the year with 30 tackles and four sacks, which were the first four sacks of his career. That was enough to lead Purdue, as the lack of an overall pass rush was a glaring issue among many glaring issues. He added an addition 2.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery as his overall contributions were decent.
Evan comes from a family with a large amount of football success. His uncle won a pair of national championships in the 80s with Miami. His cousin, Jeff Panfil, was a tight end here at Purdue a few seasons ago.
As a senior with a ton of experience now is his time. Panfil is one of several players Purdue will rely to make a big jump if the 2016 season is going to be a success. He needs to be a guy (one of many) that is tires of all the losing and does something about it. We're looking for senior leaders. Panfil needs to be one of them.