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I know we have two players today tha will wear the 40 jersey this season, but there has always been one No. 40 for Purdue Football: Mike Alstott. The A-Train is a legend. He was a rampaging beast of a fullback that served as the one bright spot of the Colletto years. You can’t see the no. 40 without thinking of him, and the first of today’s two players is similar.
Alexander Horvath - Fr. (RS)
Mishawaka, IN (Marian HS)
6’3”, 230 pounds
Running Back
2018 Projection: Possible Contributor at Fullback
Alexander Horvath is the latest spring game hero at Purdue. With most of the top running backs either out or seriously limited during spring practice Horvath emerged as the star. He had 14 carries for 75 yards, while Markell Jones had the only two carries among the top four expected backs for the season.
What might get Horvath playing time as a walk-on is the fact he is a grown-assed man playing fullback. At 6’3”, 230 pounds he is an absolute load to bring down. Richie Worship is bigger, but Horvath absolutely could see some time this fall as a fullback. Alstott himself was “only” 6’1” 247 in his playing days, so handing the ball off to Horvath and seeing him barrell through the line is a distinct possibility.
Ronnie Hill - Jr.
Indianapolis, IN (Cathedral, IN)
6’, 200 pounds
Safety
2018 Projection: Deep reserve at safety
Players from Cathedral are always going to get an extra look at Purdue. The football powerhouse in Indianapolis has long been a pipelinee for quality walk-ons. The pre-fall roster for Purdue has three players from Cathedral in Hill, Joe Schopper, and Malcolm Dotson. Two of them are walk-ons.
Hill was a teammate of both and won four state championships in four years for Cathedral before starting his college career at Southern Illinois. That’s quite the pedigree for a walk-on, and we might see him on special teams this season.