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evaluate these guys and you have to make these decisions," running backs coach Jafar Williams said. "I've got eight or nine running backs that I had to make decisions on and I feel like at the time he just wasn't ready mentally or physically. At times, I see him (showing he's) a little bit older than the other guys." Byars' standing in the running back hierarchy could change quickly, of course, beginning this spring if the son of former Ohio State star and NFL player Keith Byars has made progress over his freshman year. The well-put-together 5-10, 200-plus-pounder certainly isn't the Boilermakers' fastest back, nor is he its biggest. But he might be enough of a combination of the two. "I think he's a little bit more elusive than you think he is for somebody of his size and his stature," Williams said. LEROY CLARK Due to Purdue's numbers at cornerback, where it's slated to return just four players on scholarship, Clark is probably going to be counted in some capacity in 2014 after playing as a freshman in 2013. The Miami native played in 11 of Purdue's 13 games, between defense and special teams, and finished with 17 tackles. "He's played well," secondary coach Jon Heacock said late in the season. "He's had his freshman moments … but like I try to tell him, he's out of freshman moments. We're done with freshman moments. But he plays really, really well at times and every now and then he reverts into being a freshman and he's not allowed. We just can't have it." The 5-10 DB certainly can't be now, as he'll join just upperclassmen Frankie Williams and Antoine Lewis as returning corners who played last season. Purdue seems to like Clark's potential, in particular his intangibles, the very things that allowed him to pass over others in training camp for a shot to play right away. "He's mentally tough and physically tough," Heacock said. "He has to learn the discipline, the part of being in college where every guy you play against is great. You can't cheat. You just have to continue to grow and become a veteran, and yet he's not ready to become that yet. But he's very mentally and physically tough. That's what I like about him the most: He's hard-nosed. He'll hit you, tackle you and really compete. "He competed early and showed he could play. I think 30 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 3 Tom Campbell Running back Dalyn Dawkins' season started quickly, then fizzled. He needs to get bigger in the offseason. the big thing for freshmen is to be able to do that mentally and physically. If you're not mentally and physically tough in this game then it will eat you up. I think he is." JOHNNY DANIELS The raw young defensive tackle was an obvious redshirt choice from Day 1 and a big body who Purdue will look to find a place for long-term, whether it's as a nose tackle, a 3-4-style end or conceivably even an offensive lineman. "I've seen a lot of enthusiasm from Johnny and I know he has the potential to be a good player for us," defensive line coach Rubin Carter said. "He's still learning the game of football. I think his best football is still ahead of him. He's been doing all the right things in getting in the weight room and competing against upperclassmen when he goes against those guys and getting some good quality reps. And being on the scout team gives him a chance to be developed and work on his fundamentals, his techniques he's going to need to be able to play on this level." f