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porting cast will improve. That said, assessing his freshman season is a difficult one given the circumstances. Etling played his best game of the season in comeback mode against Indiana, throwing for 485 yards and four touchdowns in only the second game of the season in which he didn't throw at least one interception. "I think you're seeing a guy who's going to be a spectacular player for us," Hazell said of Etling after the season-ending loss. At the very least, the performance in Bloomington assured him he'd enter spring as the Boilermakers' clear-cut No. 1 QB, if that standing wasn't already secure. "It's not any one thing," quarterbacks Brian Neubert coach and offensive coordinator John Of the three linebackers who redshirted, Danny Ezechekwu might be the most Shoop said of Etling's next step. "He just physically ready to contribute. needs to continue to get better at everysaid. "He's got natural leadership about him, but he just thing. The more film you watch, the more you study your- needs to let that light shine and let that leadership blosself. He now has a body of work to study. Studying yourself som. He's such a respectful young man that at some points is perhaps the greatest teaching tool that there is. It's great he turned out that light out of respect to some of the older to study other quarterbacks. We love studying Drew Brees guys." and Tom Brady and seeing how they play the game." His numbers obviously bumped up by the IU game, DANNY EZECHuKWU Etling finished up having completed 56 percent of his Purdue would like to become more physical at the linepasses for 1,690 yards and 10 touchdowns against nine backer positions and the 240-some-pounder would seem interceptions. But for a myriad of reasons the offense he to be its best bet to that end among the three freshman guided finished among the worst in college football. linebackers, all of whom redshirted. But the progress of quarterbacks is typically gauged by "You know he has the body to play linebacker," linethe intangible along with the tangible. backers coach Marcus Freeman said during the season. "The way that he worked the pocket at the end of the "He's a physical football player. Those are two things that year to how he first started is night and day," Shoop said. are really hard to teach." "The way he worked the pocket in the Indiana game, it's Where Ezechukwu winds up, though, remains to be tough to do it any better. But other than that, he needs seen, at least to an extent. Right now, his body type would to continue to develop strength. He needs stronger wrists seem to lend itself well to inside linebacker, particularly and forearms and muscles that aren't necessarily the same if Purdue runs 3-4-type alignments more often, as they muscles the O-line guys will train." wouldn't require the middle linebacker to cover quite as If this is going to be Etling's offense moving forward — much ground. sophomore Austin Appleby and freshman David Blough When Ezechukwu was recruited, he was done so with will be the only other scholarship quarterbacks on campus defensive end also in mind, but as of the end of his freshin the spring and then still in the fall — coaches will want man season it looked like he'd stick at linebacker, with to see Etling carry himself accordingly. shifting alignments seemingly making that even more "He needs to become an absolute vocal leader," Shoop 32 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 3 f