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35 days to Purdue Football: Ja’Quirius Smith

The redshirt freshman could be a key contributor in 2019

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: APR 06 Purdue Spring Game Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

It is always interesting to see what guys coming out of a redshirt year will do, and that is what we have in today’s player.

Ja’Quirius Smith - Fr. (RS)

Lakeland, FL (Lakeland HS)

6’2”, 220 pounds

Linebacker

2019 Projection: Contributor at Linebacker

Smith comes from one of the most successful programs in the state of Florida and one that gave us a multi-year starter a few years ago in Will Lucas. He even saw some very limited action last year, appearing in two games and even getting a tackle against Auburn in the bowl game. The new redshirt rules allowed him o hold on to his redshirt, too.

Smith was officially the final signee in the 2018 recruiting class and is a very athletic linebacker. After bulking up a bit he could be a rising start this season, especially since we could use him for valuable depth at the position. I think he could be one of the top contributors coming out of redshirt this year.