53 Days Until Purdue Football: Gus Hartwig

Gus Hartwig

Senior

Zionsville, Indiana - Zionsville High School

6’5 310lbs

Offensive Line (Center)

Up next on the countdown to the start of the 2023 football season is Gus Hartwig. Hartwig has appeared in thirty total games as a Boilermaker and has made twenty seven total starts in his career. He is coming off a knee injury in the Northwestern game that cost him to miss the final three games of the season (Indiana, B1G Championship Game, & Citrus Bowl) and appears as though he is on pace in his recovery from the injury.

What was determined to be an ACL tear in that late season game against Northwestern is typically a nine month recovery and it would be almost exactly nine months (actually nine months and two weeks) to start the season. If Hartwig does trot out as the starter against Fresno State, it wouldn’t be a miracle but it would certainly be a surprise considering the injury and timetable. More than likely, Hartwig will miss the first few games and come back for the start of the conference season.

Hartwig, when healthy, will give the offensive line a major boost from an experience and ability standpoint. He is one of the better centers in the country having been placed on the 2022 Preseason Rimington Award Watch List that goes to the nation’s best center in college football. Hartwig will likely hear his name called in the 2024 NFL Draft as a late round pick as he can also play guard at the next level.

Projection:

Starting Center (when returning from injury)

NEXT UP: #52 Preston Nichols

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