Reviewing the Tape: Hazell’s First Recruiting Class

Over the next few days I am going to try and take a look at the past recruiting classes to see what Purdue and coach Jeff Brohm have to work with. Darrell Hazell was here for four seasons, so the vast majority of players on the roster are his guys. That first year, 2013, had some that committed under Danny Hope (and they are still with us as fifth year players), but for the most part that class is Hazell’s, just like the 2017 class is Brohm’s.

Today I am going to look at that 2013 class, and from it we will see why Brohm is attempting to being in so many instant impact guys. The 2013 should be leading this team right now. It should be the brightest and best on the roster after years of development. Unfortunately, it is not, and tha tis why Browhm, so far, has brought in nine junior college of graduate transfer players with the hopes of playing immediately.

2013 Recruiting Class

Rivals Ranking: 53 nationally, 10^th in Big Ten

247 Ranking: 62, 13^th in Big Ten

This was Hazell’s best recruiting class by a pretty good margin on rivals. His last three went 71, 71, 74, so 53 is a big step up for him. It had one four-star prospect (Danny Etling) but was scattered with some promising 3-star guys.

Antoine Miles – DE – 3-star – Miles had earned a starting job by 2015, but did not play last year. He had 28 tackles and four sacks to lead Purdue in 2015 in that category. I honestly have no idea why he did not play last year on a shorthanded defensive line, but he is back in the mix this year. Contributor

Austin Logan – DB – 3-star – Logan played in 10 games as a true freshman in 2013, then only a handful of games the rest of his career. He was in three games in 2014, then saw action as a special teamer and reserve last year. He made one tackle in seven games last season. Because he never redshirted he already graduated. Partial Contributor, at least graduated

Da’Wan Hunte – DB – 3-star – Hunte is Purdue’s top cornerback and is entering his second year as a full-time starter. This is the ideal process for a five year guy. He went red shirt, reserve, key reserve, then became a starter. 2017 Starter

Dalyn Dawkins – RB – 3-star – Some recruiting services has Dawkins as a fringe 4-star and he had 115 yards rushing as a true freshman in 2013. He since has had 9 100-yard games… at Colorado State, where he transferred after that season. We had an interview with his father after that decision and given the way the Hazell tenure ended, it is telling. Dawkins has rushed for over 1,700 yards and 6 TDs at Colorado State entering his final season this year. Transferred

Dan Monteroso - WR – 3-star – Monteroso did not redshirt and played as a true freshman. He even started twice, but never had a catch. In fact, he had three catches in his Purdue career, the longest being a 51-yard Hail Mary of A TD against Indiana State in 2015. He then transferred to West Liberty University in Ohio to play basketball, where he will be a senior this coming fall. After not playing for three years he averaged 18.8 points per game last season in Division II. Transferred

Danny Etling – QB – 4-star – By the end of Hazell’s first season Etling was starting at quarterback. He had over 400 yards passing against Indiana, and for a time he was considered to be the next QB in the Cradle. Well, he will be the starter in 2017… at LSU. After losing his starting job in 2015 he transferred to LSU, where he won the starting job last season. He is expected to be the starter again this year. Transferred

Danny Ezechukwu – LB – 3-star – After a redshirt year Ezechukwu has been a part-time starter and regular contributor on the defense. This year he could play as an edge rusher in Purdue’s most talented positiong (linebacker). Contributor

David Yancey – RB – 3-star – The senior from Lake Central enters the 2017 season way down on the depth chart, but he has still played some. He has 39 yards rushing in his career, 26 coming last season on nine carries. He also had 6 catches for 74 yards. He is a decent, but not spectacular, reserve running back. Contributor

DeAngelo Yancey – WR - 3-star– DeAngelo left Purdue with over 2,300 yards receiving and 20 touchdowns. He is the most likely player to be drafted in a few weeks and has at least a shot at being a contributor in the NFL. Starter, fringe all-conference

Dezwan Polk-Campbell – LB – 2-star – Technically he is still on the roster, but he has played in only nine games in his career and has seven total tackles. He didn’t even play at all last year. Deep reserve

Evan Panfil – DE – 3-star – Panfil led Purdue with five sacks last season and was a two-year starter, but never seem to be a dominant force. He was just kind of there, to be honest. He did his job and as a serviceable starter, but was rarely spectacular. Since he did not redshirt his Purdue career is over. Starter

Jake Replogle – DT – 3-star – Arguably Purdue’s best defensive player the last few years, Replogle started midway through his freshman season and never gave up the spot. It is very likely he would be a mid-round draft pick had he not given up the sport due to injuries. He has openly said his career is over and he does not wish to be drafted. Starter, fringe all-conference

Jason Tretter – OT – 2-star – He had the prototypical body of an offensive tackle and probably should be a senior starter, but he never played a down and left the program. Transferred

John Strauser – DE – 3-star – As a redshirt freshman in 2014 he was playing on special teams on the punt team and had one tackle. He has since left the program. Transferred

Johnny Daniels – DT – 2-star – He is pretty much like Polk-Campbell. He is still technically on the roster, but has barely played if at all and is not expected to do much in his final year in 2017. Deep reserve

Johnny Thompson – LB – 3-star – Thompson never played and, according to this article, likely saw his career end after two years due to concussion issues. Injury casualty

Keith Byars II – RB – 2-star – Never played a down, eventually left Purdue due to grades and is an aspiring recording artist. At least his dad was a long-time NFL player. Transferred

Keyante Green – RB – 3- star – Green is like Dawkins: another fringe four star. He played quite a bit and even started once in 2014, but has since been banished to the bench. He is still on the team, but is buried on the depth chart and hasn’t gotten a carry the last two seasons. Deep reserve

Leroy Clark – S – 3-star – Clark finished his career as a starter the past two years and was second on the team in tackles last season with 82. This was after leading the team with 88 the year before. Starter

Matt Burke – TE – 3-star – Burke never played a down in two years and has since left the program. He surfaced at the non-scholarship University of San Diego, where he is entering his final season. Transferred

Myles Norwood – WR – 2-star – Norwood was a junior last season, where he had 23 tackles and three pass breakups as a cornerback. This was after starting his career as a receiver. He has since left the team, however. Transferred

Ra’Zahn Howard – DT – 3-star – Howard was a two year starter heading into last season, but was dismissed by the team. He had to go the supplemental draft route as a result, but eventually signed with the Houston Texans. He has yet to play in the NFL. Starter

TyVel Jemison – DB – 3-star – Jemison never even made it to Purdue, as he did not qualify. He ended up playing at Grand Valley State in Michigan for awhile. Some recruiting services had him as the second-highest rated player in the class just behind Etling. Never Enrolled

So here are the final numbers for the 23-man class:

Expected 2017 Starters at Purdue: 1

2016 Starters that graduated/left: 5 (I’ll count Howard, as he would have started if he wasn’t dismissed)

2017 expected contributors behind the 1 starter: 3

Transfers: 8

Never made it to Purdue: 1

Deep Reserve/Not expected to contribute: 3

Career ended due to injury: 1

Graduated in 4 years from Purdue: 4

Players that were regular starters at at least one point: 9 (This includes Etling, who transferred)

Yes, with Etling at LSU and Dawkins at Colorado State there will be more started from Hazell’s first class at other schools than at Purdue in 2017. Da’Wan Hunte is the only player from the 2013 class expected to start for Purdue in 2017, despite there being seven left on the roster (Miles, Hunte, Ezechukwu, Polk-Campbell, Daniels, Da. Yancey, and Green). Those seven, along with the 4 players (Replogle, Panfil, Logan, De. Yancey) that will finish their careers at Purdue, so it makes 11 out of 23.

Darrell Hazell will have the same number of players from his 2013 recruiting class playing Division II basketball next season as he will starting for Purdue. This is why Jeff Brohm is desperately searching for Grad transfers and JuCos. the cabinet wasn’t just left bare, it was ripped down and set on fire too.

And this was his best recruiting class.