13 Days to Purdue Football: Terrance Landers & Gelen Robinson

As we close in on the end of this countdown we have a freshman and the perennial “breakout player” to review.

Terrance Landers - Fr.

Dayton, OH (Dunbar HS)

6’4”, 200 pounds

Wide Receiver

2016 Projection: Possible redshirt

Landers doesn’t need to play this season, but I kind of hope he does. He is the big, tall, talented outside receiver that can give opponents fits. He was an all-state selection in Ohio last season and possibly one of Purdue’s best recruited players for 2016. Iowa, Oregon State, and Pittsburgh were all after him and Purdue was able to land him.

Landers had 919 yards and 12 touchdowns last year in high school, but he was also one hell of a basketball player. He averaged 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.7 steals for Dayton Dunbar, one of the better Ohio basketball schools. He was a 1,000 point scorer in his career that could likely hold his own in Mackey Arena.

Gelen Robinson - Jr.

Schererville, IN (Lake Central HS)

6’1”, 275 pounds

Defensive End

2016 Projection: Starter at Defensive End

If Gelen Robinson is really a 4-star recruit this is his year to dominate. As the son of possibly our greatest basketball player ever, expectations were naturally high from day one. He was a state champion in wrestling twice and nearly won the discus twice, but he came to Purdue as a highly touted defensive end.

The first two seasons have been lackluster. He has 31 tackles and 3.5 sacks, but has made more headlines for a pair of arrests and for “having problems with his motor”.

This tells me that Randy Melvin needs to bury a boot in his ass. Already, he came into this fall as third string with “motor issues” and a new coach trying to motivate him. He has all the talent in the world, but it is clear that his give-a-shit is broken.

I don’t care how talented he is: if he has effort issues he shouldn’t be playing. I want him to succeed though. I would love for him to become the beastly defensive end I know he can be.