58 Days to Purdue Football: Branson Deen

Today we feature a player that has long been a key cog on the defensive line up front.

Branson Deen - Sr. (5)

Indianapolis, IN (Lawrence Central HS)

6’2”, 280 pounds

Defensive Tackle

2022 Projection: Starter

Deen has had quite a career so far. He was part of the 2018 recruiting class and, like so many defensive linemen do, he redshirted in his first year. Since then he has become a stalwart on the defensive line.

In 2019 he played in nine games as a reserve and finished with 8 tackles. During the 2020 season he was a regular starter and finished with 12 tackles, including a sack against Rutgers that resulted in a safety.

Last season was Deen’s best yet. He finished with 26 tackles and three sacks. He was instrumental in the upset of #2 Iowa, where he had five tackles and 1.5 sacks. He also forced a fumble at UConn.

Deen enters the year as an entrenched starter, and you want as many of those as possible. He will be a major asset upfront.