Purdue Football: Predicted Defensive 2-Deep for Spring Ball

Strong Safety:

1. Jacob Thieneman (Sr)
2. T.J. Jallow (Sr)

Jacob was really good here last season. A lot of people thought Jallow would come in and own this spot - but he couldn’t play pass defense this past season. Jallow adds depth, but this is Thieneman’s job.

Free Safety:

1. Navon Mosley (Jr)
2. Brennan Thieneman (So)

Mosley came on late this past season. He did a pretty decent job, his biggest issue was tackling, but that can be corrected. He will be much better in his junior campaign. I had no idea who to put as back up so, I went with blood line.

Corner:

1. Kamal Hardy (Sr)
2. Kennth Major (RS Fr)
3. Mike Little (Jr)

Kamal Hardy got an extra year with us. That is big time, as I figured we would be starting two RS freshmen here or true freshmen. Hardy had his issues, especially against Nebraska - but a year of coaching can do wonders.

Corner:

1. Dredrick Mackey (RS Fr)
2. Antonio Blackmon (Sr)
3. Tim Cason (Tim Cason)

I really like Mackey. He is a playmaker with a ball hawk mentality. I think he starts this fall as well he is really talented. Blackmon can push him for this spot. I could see Cason getting moved to a safety spot.

Linebacker:

1. Derrick Barnes (So)
2. T.J. Jallow (Sr)

The coaching staff loves Barnes. He was on majority of special teams this past year and got reps at inside backer when Bentley was injured as well as McCollum. Jallow is listed as a S/LB now, so he is there for depth.

Linebacker:

1. Markus Bailey (Jr)
2. Cornel Jones (So)

Bailey will be All-B1G. He is an absolute stud and future NFL football player. You could argue that he has been our best linebacker the past two seasons.

Linebacker:

1. Tobias Larry (So)
2. Jonah Williams (RS Fr)

Tobias Larry has put some meat on and is ready to play some outside linebacker for us. He is a sideline to sideline player and can cover a lot of ground. Williams, a walk on from West Lafayette is a physical specimen, he could contribute this year.

Defensive End:

1. Giovanni Reviere (Rs Fr)
2. Semisi Fakasiieiki (So)

Reviere has put on 30 pounds in his redshirt year. We are thin here, they even moved Semisi down to add some depth. This is a spot to watch for incoming freshman.

Tackle:

1. Lorenzo Neal Jr. (Jr)
2. Alex Criddle (Jr)

Neal has been a mainstay at Tackle. They list him at 315 now, which means he lost some weight and will be able to move better this year. Neal could be an All-B1G guy this year as well.

Tackle:

1. Ray Ellis (Sr)
2. Anthony Watts (So)
3. Keiwan Jones (Sr)

Ellis played plenty of snaps last season as a JuCo transfer. He is impressive filling his gaps. Look for him to take this job with the departure of Eddy Wilson.

Rush End:

1. Kai Higgins (Jr)
2. Jeff Marks (Fr)

I am a big fan of Kai Higgins here, he is now up to 255, he can be an effective rusher. This is the same type of role that Danny E did this past season off the edge, where he created havoc.