The Lost Boilers: How Are The Transfers Doing?

We all know that Purdue is struggling from a lack of talent this season. Some positions have more depth than others, but in some spots, like on the offensive line and at receiver, we could use more. Unoftunately, some players have left the program to ply their trade elsewhere. There are several players still going at other schools, so I thought I would do some research and see how they are doing.

Dalyn Dawkins - RB - Colorado State - Dawkins has been gone a while, as he played during Hazell’s first season and had 115 yards rushing on 32 carries and 84 yards on 9 receptions. He was a true freshman 4-star from Louisville Trinity back then, but left after the season and his dad told us why, offering some early warning about Hazell.

His dad e-mailed me again tonight to give me an update. In 2015 he ran for 867 yards and 2 TDs as a redshirt sophomore at Colorado State. Last year he rushed for 919 yards and 4 scores. Through eight games this season he is having the best year of his career. He is 15th in the nation with 897 yards and 5 TDs. That included a 76-yard TD run on Saturday agaisnt Air Force.

He is on pace to finish with more than 3,000 yards in his career, which, had he stayed, would have him in the top four all-time at Purdue. He has also added close to 600 yards receiving total in his career.

Finally, his dad, who was a college teammate of Jeff Brohm at Louisville, had this to say:

Purdue is currently in great hands with Coach Brohm. Jeff & I played together at Louisville. He was my QB & we both put up numerous big time plays with me( all-purpose RB) being his favorite target.

Danny Etling - WB - LSU - After sitting out in 2015, Etling was named the starter last year at LSU and held on to the job through this season. It has been an okay year. The Tigers are 6-2 before facing Alabama this week, with losses to Mississippi State and Troy. They are very deliberate on offense. In eight games he has just 1,452 yards passing, but nine touchdowns against a single interception. For comparison, he threw for 485 yards in the 2013 season finale at Indiana.

He now has more than 6,000 career passing yards and a modest 36 touchdowns against only 18 interceptions. He also added a rushing touchdown this past weekend agaisnt Mississippi.

Dan Monteroso - G - West Liberty (Division II) - Monteroso is still playing in the fifth year of his college experience, but in a completely different sport. You see, Hazell burned his redshirt in 2013, but barely played him at receiver. In three years he caught three passes for 68 yards and a touchdown, with the TD coming on a 51-yard hail mary at the end of the first half against Indiana State in 2015. He also had two rushing attempts for 1 total yard.

This is where it gets fun. Before last season he left the program to go to West Liberty University in Wheeling, West Virignia. Because you get five years to play four seasons and he was a pretty good high school basketball player he ended up in a major role for their basketball team. Last season he averaged a team-high 18.2 points per game. He also averaged 5.6 rebounds and more than an assist per game. His team was 28-4, but lost 96-95 (OT) to Wheeling Jesuit in the first round of the Division II tournament.

They finished last season ranked 7th and he was a third team Division II All-American. He was his conference’s Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year and an Academic All-American. He technically graduated from Purdue in 3 years and is in year of pursuing a post-graduate degree in education. He enters his final basketball year this season as one of the most highly touted Division II players in the country. West Liberty is ranked 17th to start the season and he is a preseason All-American.

Oh, and in his one football season he had left? He played football last season too before basketball and led his team with 57 receptions for 944 yards and 14 TDs. Now, imagine if Hazell had redshirted him 2013 and he had stayed through this current season when we need receivers.

Tim Faison - LB - Independence Community College - Faison still had three eyars of eligibility left when he departed Purdue before this season, and he decided to go the JuCo route to impress other programs to get back to the FBS level with some immediate playing time. His team is 7-1 and ranked 5th in the nation in the JuCo ranks. He has 41 tackles, 2 for loss, to rank 4th on the team.

Malik Kimbrough - WR - Midwestern State - Kimbrough was Hazell’s late secret weapon addition before last season as a punt and kickoff returner. It didn’t work. He had a 45 yard TD reception at Illinois, but that was about it as he wasn’t even returning kicks by the end of the year. With one year left he departed before this season and is currently at Division II Midwestern State in Texas, where he has not played. I am not sure if he is injured or what.

Johnny Daniels - DT - Arkansas Pine Bluff - Daniels was used very, very little in his four years at Purdue. Hazell shuttled him between the defensive line and offensive line and he saw action in exactly one game. Purdue degree in hand, he is using his final year at Arkansas-Pine Bluff at the FCS level.

Daniels is at least playing now. Pine Bluff is 2-6, but he has played in every game and he has 23 tackles and half a sack.