Northwestern at Purdue: Depth Charts!

Just three days away from kickoff and we have the first official depth chart of the season. No, it does not offer any insight on who is starting at QB, but it offers some other insights.

First, here is the Offense.

OFFENSE

QB: Elijah Sindelar OR David Blough

RB: 1. D.J. Knox 2. Markell Jones. 3. Tario Fuller 4. Alexander Horvath

WR: Jared Sparks OR Terry Wright

WR: 1. Jackson Anthrop 2. Rondale Moore 3. Keyron Catlett

WR: Isaac Zico OR Jarrett Burgess

LT: 1. Grant Hermanns 2. Michael Mendez

LG: 1. Dennis Edwards 2. Shane Evans

C: 1. Kirk Barron 2. Viktor Beach

RG: 1. Matt McCann 2. Bearooz Yacoobi

RT: 1. Eric Swingler 2. Ethan Smart

TE: 1. Cole Herdman OR Brycen Hopkins 2. Darius Pittman

There are no major surprises here. Beach makes the two-deep at center as a redshirt freshman, but that is going to be all Barron except for injury or garbage time. Swingler gets the RT position and moves McCann inside to guard. The line starts three seniors and has depth across the board, which I like. Three of the reserves have starting experience with Mendez, Yacoobi, and Evans.

At the skill spots there will be a rotation among all players listed. Moore is the lone freshman, but he will play a lot.

DEFENSE

DE: 1. Giovanni Reviere 2. Semisi Fakasiieiki

DT: 1. Lorenzo Neal 2. Ray Ellis OR Alex Criddle

DT: 1. Anthony Watts 2. Jeff Marks

DE: 1. Kai Higgins 2. Robert McWilliams

LB: 1. Markus Bailey 2. Tobias Larry

LB: Cornel Jones OR Derrick Barnes

LB: 1. Derrick Barnes 2. Jaylan Alexander

CB: 1. Antonio Blackmon OR Kenneth Major 2. Kamal Hardy

FS: 1. Navon Mosley 2. Simeon Smiley

SS: 1. Jacob Thieneman 2. Brennan Thieneman

CB: Tim Cason OR Dedrick Mackey

Reviere will be getting his first career start on the end and he is backed up by one of the more forgotten players on the whole roster in Fakasiieiki. Fakasiieiki came in as a low rated linebacker and has switched up to the defensive line. Virtually nothing has been said about him in three years, so it will be interesting to see his contributions. Jeff Marks, a true freshman, will factor in at tackle.

The linebacker situation is pretty straightforward. It looks like it will be Bailey-Jones-Barnes when we go with three and Bailey-Jones when we go nickel. Elijah Ball is a freshman who could play in the nickel.

In the secondary you have redshirt freshmen still battling seniors at the corner spots. The Brothers Thieneman are solid at safety.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Punter: 1. Joe Schopper 2. Jake Herr

Kicker: Spencer Evans OR J.D. Dellinger

Kickoffs: 1. Spencer Evans 2. Myles Homan

Long Snapper: 1. Ben Makowski 2. Ryan Sadkowski

Holder: 1. Joe Schopper 2. Jake Herr

Kick Returns: 1. Rondale Moore 2. D.J. Knox

Punt Returns: 1. Jackson Anthrop 2. Rondale Moore

Hold on to your butts, Moore is on returns. We got virtually nothing on kickoff returns last year and even less on punt returns. Remember: There is a new rule this season that if you fair catch a kickoff inside the 25 the ball gets moved up to the 25.

At kicker there is a possibility Dellinger and Evans could split duties for four games and Dellinger could still redshirt, giving him two more years. They split almost evenly last season.