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f o o t b a l l : d e p t h c h a r t Defensive End 1. Greg Latta 91 6-6, 265, Sr. 12 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 1 PBU* Purdue might have to live with the good and the bad from Latta, hoping the former outweighs the latter. The second-year Boilermaker is still a raw football player, having played only a season at JUCO. But his athleticism could turn into production — and perhaps needed pass rush — at one end spot. 2. Jules Williams 48 6-3, 243, Jr. DEfense Defensive Tackle 1. Ryan Watson 92 6-3, 294, So. 2 tackles* After Bruce Gaston, the second tackle spot is up for grabs, particularly with Brandon Taylor having missed the spring with a ankle injury. Watson, along with Michael Rouse III, got plenty of opportunities to win a spot on the depth chart, maybe even as a starter. It'll be decided in the fall. 2. Brandon Taylor 55 6-1, 295, Sr. Defensive Tackle 1. Bruce Gaston Jr. 90 Defensive End 1. Ryan Russell 99 6-2, 303, Sr. 26 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2 FR, 2 FF* Gaston's been named a first-team All-Big Ten member by one preseason publication. Can he live up to that expectation? Like other DTs before him, he'll have to become an every-down player, but he has the potential to do so. 2. Michael Rouse III 97 6-5, 275, Jr. 30 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 FR* Russell certainly looks the part, being a quarter shy of 300 pounds with athleticism to boot. But that's not always equaled playmaking ability off the corner. Only a junior, he still has time to develop that kind of production. Phillips could battle for a starter role on the other side. 2. Jalani Phillips 89 6-4, 295, So. 6-4, 260, Jr. Weakside Linebacker 1. Will Lucas 45 Middle Linebacker 1. Joe Gilliam 39 Strongside Linebacker 1. Sean Robinson 10 2. Andy James Garcia 6 2. Jimmy Herman 29 2. Armstead Williams 31 5-11, 230, Sr. 66 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 1 int., 2 PBU, 2 FR, 3 FF* If only Lucas could even out his performances, eliminating the inconsistencies, then maybe he could turn into the player he'd like to be. But that's been a familiar refrain for a few seasons. He'll need to better execute assignments if he wants to retain the starting spot from Garcia and others. 6-0, 220, R-Fr. Cornerback 1. Ricardo Allen 21 5-9, 186, Sr. 44 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 sack, 1 int., 3 PBU, 1 FF* Allen was down in 2012 but certainly has put in the work to get back on the right track. Injuries have set him back, with an ankle problem both last season and during the spring. He, like many of his defensive teammates, missed the spring game, but he's on the right track to be healthy in the fall. 2. Normondo Harris 1 6-0, 180, Sr. 6-1, 227, Jr. 53 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 PBU, 1 FF* By the end of spring, Gilliam had shown significant progress, making more of the instinctual plays that are needed from a middle linebacker. And that's good for Purdue, which needs better play from the interior of its D. Herman showed playmaking ability, running from sideline to sideline in the spring, but needs to get bigger. 6-4, 215, R-Fr. 6-3, 223, So. Free Safety 1. Taylor Richards 4 Strong Safety 1. Landon Feichter 44 Cornerback 1. Frankie Williams 24 2. E.J. Johnson 7 2. Anthony Brown 9 2. Antoine Lewis 26 5-10, 192, Jr. 47 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 6 PBU, 1 punt blk.* Richards says he feels more comfortable in the defense now after having spent a full season as Purdue's starter in 2012. And he had a fine, although not spectacular, year. Greg Hudson's defense, which allows safeties more freedom to go make plays, could turn Richards into a standout. But we'll see. 6-1, 185, Jr. 6-0, 189, Jr. 76 tackles, 2 TFL, 4 int., 3 PBU* Feichter's gone from walk-on to second-year starter at safety. Not only that, but he's shown to be more than just a stopgap until someone better comes along. Feichter is fearless, taking on bigger offensive players near the line of scrimmage often. Brown got a lot of first-team reps in the spring and will be in line for PT. 5-11, 185, So. Key * 2012 season statistics RED: Change from post-spring game projection GBIprint.com GoldandBlack.com 6-3, 240, Jr. 27 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 3 PBU* Greg Hudson says Robinson is the kind of player you'd want in a pick-up game: hard-nosed and versatile because of his experience playing offense, too. But it's D that has his focus, and he's improving. If he can get a little quicker this summer, then he could be poised for a breakout year. 5-9, 186, So. 45 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 int., 11 PBU* Williams wasn't a starter a year ago — at least regularly — but got starter-like snaps. That should help him as he moves to a bigger role now. His 11 breakups a year ago are impressive, but he'll have to mature from his rookie mistakes due to hyper aggressiveness. Those, however, should be correctable with experience. 5-10, 193, Jr. — Kyle Charters Gold and Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 6 • 61