Purdue Football: Why Jack Plummer Should Start at Quarterback

I have wavered.

Wanting a new look.

Wanting to go younger.

But, it always comes back to the same conclusion. I think Jack Plummer should be the starting quarterback for Purdue Football this fall.

In the biggest season for Coach Brohm, I want the most versatile guy, the guy who is smart, who is a leader, who has been on the battlefield for Coach Brohm plenty of times.

Jack Plummer, who has been injured two years in a row, should be the starting quarterback with the improved offensive line to show his true ability.

At 6-5, 225 pounds, he has the stature that Coach Brohm covets at the quarterback position. But, as we all know, the to be junior can run as well.

The two time Academic All Big Ten Member just graduated with his bachelors degree in 2.5 years at Purdue University.

He has 3 more years at Purdue, if he pleases, due to last year’s Covid Waiver rule.

Yes, by the time he leaves, he could be here 6 years, there is nothing bad about that for a quarterback.

As a Freshman, he was thrown into the fire. Elijah Sindelar goes down with Rondale Moore on the exact same play. Plummer comes in and was not scared. During his freshman campaign, before his injury, he looked damn promising.

He had over 1,600 yards, 11 touchdowns to 8 interceptions as a gangly freshman quarterback.

Last year, he started the final 3 games after and injury to coach favorite, Aidan O’Connell. In those three games, Jack averaged over 300 yards per game, three 8 total touchdowns to only 2 interceptions, on 124 attempts. Yes, he averaged 40 attempts per game over those final 3 games.

To me though, there is more to it than he performed well late last season.

Lets not forget, Jack Plummer was the first quarterback that Coach Jeff Brohm went after and got him to sign. This is “his guy”, AOC was a walk-on, Burton, a transfer, the only other one that is truly his guy, would be redshirt freshman, Mike Alaimo.

Coach was quoted saying this after he got Jack’s LOI a few years ago.

“He’s got really all the qualities we’re looking for,” Brohm said of the 6-5, 220-pound righty. “For us, he’s the top quarterback in the country. We liked him from Day 1. When we got him, we shut it down. And when we were recruiting others, really he’s the one we wanted. I think he had a great senior season. He’s a guy who continues to improve. He’s going to grow into his body. He’s got great height. He’s got a good arm. He’s got a good motion. He’s got very good escapability for a pro-style quarterback. He can run. He’s smart. He’s into the game. He’s a student of it. He’s exactly what we’re looking for to get us to a higher level.”

I am one to believe that if Coach Brohm was not at home with Covid in game one of 2020, Jack would have started then as well. The staff was very quiet about QB, then on game day, Interim Head Coach, Brian Brohm went with Aidan O’Connell, which I believe is his favorite of the two.

The best thing I see of Jack though - he has taken his bumps, he has been hurt, he has been thrown into the fire on a whim, he has been announced the starter, he has been announced the back up after ending the season as a starter.

He has been through it.

He has been through ups. He has been through downs.

He has been relentless. When his name wasn’t called at the start of the season to be the starting quarterback, he did not sulk, he prepared and did very well when he became the starter again after the Aidan O’Connell injury.

Personally, I think this quarterback competition comes down to confidence. If he is the most confident, has a good summer and stays healthy - I see no reason why he will not be our starting quarterback.