2 Days to Purdue Football: Elijah Sindelar & Kenneth Major

We’re 60 hours from kickoff and finally at our starting quarterback.

Elijah Sindelar - Sr. (5)

Princeton, KY (Caldwell County HS)

6’4”, 225 pounds

Quarterback

2019 Projection: Starting Quarterback

Sindelar has been on quite a journey so far and he still has two years left to play even though he already has a Purdue degree in electrical engineering. He saw a record setting high school career end with a knee injury and sat out a year redshirting as a result. He got some garbage time action as a redshirt freshman then was suddenly the game 1 starter as a sophomore. After splitting time with David Blough he took over as The Man when Blough was injured. he provided a memorable three-game stretch of beating Iowa, Indiana, and Arizona all on a torn ACL and won the job again before that injury, its rehab, and an oblique injury prematurely ended last season.

There is no question about Sindelar’s leadership. He is a two-time captain with no three straight opening day starts. Consistency has been his biggest problem. He has 2,547 yards passing and 20 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. When he has been good, he has been very good like in the Foster Farms Bowl win over Arizona. When he has been bad... we lose to Eastern Michigan (though to be fair, everyone was bad that day).

This is the first time in his career Sindelar is the unquestioned starter. Blough is gone and the backups are completely untested. This is his time. If he is healthy and protected he can have a great season. If we get the Arizona Sindelar consistently we’re in for a very good year.

Kenneth Major - So.

Hopkinsville, KY (Christian County HS)

6’, 195 pounds

Cornerback

2019 Projection: Starter at Cornerback

Last year was Major’s first year as a starter and he was pretty solid for a redshirt freshman. He started 7 of 12 games at cornerback and led the team with three interceptions. He also added 55 tackles and recovered a fumble. Purdue’s pass defense was not great last season, but part of that came from the youth of having a pair of freshmen corners. Major picked off passes against Missouri, Boston College, and Illinois and had a season high 12 tackles against Ohio State.

Major was one of three starters that missed the Music City Bowl and it showed. Yes, it is very unlikely he was the sole difference in that beatdown, but it did not help we were down one of our top corners.

Major enters this season as a definite starter and it is hoped that his experience is a difference. Year 2 at corner is almost always better anyway.