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Today’s player is an answer to Purdue’s depth questions at running back after losing a few transfers.
Dylan Downing - Fr. (RS)
Carmel, IN (Carmel HS)
5’11”, 220 pounds
Running Back
2021 Projection: Reserve
Downing comes to us after a year at UNLV, where he played in a pair fo games last season and had three carries for eight yards. Before that he played at state power Carmel, where he rushed for 1,346 yards and 15 TDs as a senior, leading the Greyhounds to another state finals appearance. In the championship game he had 54 yards rushing.
Downing was originally a three-star prospect before heading to UNLV, so that tells me he can be a contributor this year, especially given the lack of depth at running back. Zander Horvath and King Doerue are a clear 1-2, but Downing should be in line to get some carries. He was also a decent receiver out of the backfield at Carmel with 28 catches for 302 yards.