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GoldanDBlack express • volume 24, express 24 • 22 "Things are just clicking faster," Etling said. "We're really just building instead of try- ing to rebuild. We're starting to build off what we've already done. I feel a lot more comfort- able under center calling the plays, going through my progressions with the line rush- ing at me. "The next step is to grow off what I had last year and to continue to develop learning defenses and not focus so much on learning on offense because I've got that down now, so really going to shift that to understanding defenses and who's coming with what and to build on my own confidence." GettinG a break After getting the majority of the first- team reps at tailback in the no-pads practices in Week 1, Raheem Mostert will be more of a spectator this week. Football isn't the focus with the NCAA Indoor Championships on Friday and Saturday. "He won't do a thing for us except take mental reps," Hazell said. "We'll loos- en him up and that's about it." Mostert is coming off two Big Ten championships in the 60-meter and 200-meter events. Without Mostert and with Brandon Cottom banged up, there's a chance Purdue could boost reps for redshirt freshman Keyante Green, who was get- ting snaps with the second-team of- fense last week. Akeem Hunt was Purdue's starter last season and got some No. 1 snaps last week, but he worked some as a slot receiver. a chance In search of a pair of starting offensive tackles for the fall, Purdue used senior Jack DeBoef on the left side and sophomore J.J. Prince on the right with the No. 1 offense last week. Jason Tretter and Joey Warburg are the other two options. But not all of the inside spots are secure. Cameron Cermin worked with the first- team offense at right guard on Friday, in place of late-season starter Jordan Roos. "Everything looked like we were going to the right people. Knowing what to do is Part 1, knowing how is Part 2, doing it is Part 3," Shoop said of the O-line after the first day. "We know what to do and how to do it. We probably didn't always do it, but we're off to a good start." adjustinG Redshirt freshman Antoine Miles is learning a new position this spring, getting work at the team's Jack hybrid spot. With Ryan Russell back at defensive end as a senior, Miles has been working as Pur- due's No. 1 Jack when the Boilermakers' go to a three-man front. "It's something that caught me by sur- prise. Coach came and told me. It's some- thing I've never done before, so it's a new thing," Miles said. "After having your hand down for your whole life, standing up is kind of different. "But I feel like if I get the mental part of everything down first, I should get set rolling." Miles played end with the scout team last season. Hazell considered moving Miles to linebacker last year but kept him on the line. Now, the Boilermakers are hoping to take advantage of the 248-pound Miles' ver- satility. "He's athletic enough to stand up and play," defensive coordinator Greg Hudson said. "We've got to protect him with what space we put him in. But he's athletic enough. He's still a true freshman, so he's in shock right now with everything that's going on with the tempo and the speed and the intensity. He's playing a little catch up." Gaston impresses Seventeen NFL scouts were on hand last week to put former Purdue players through testing and drills on the school's pro day. Defensive tackle Bruce Gaston thought he had an especially good day, running an unofficial 4.96-best 40, getting 34 reps on bench press and registering a 34-inch verti- cal jump, among reported results. Compared to players who participated in the Combine, Gaston would have ranked third in the bench and tied for 12th in the vertical. His 40 time was in the top 5 percent of typical defensive tackle performances at the event. "I just wanted to prove that I'm an over- all great-sized defensive tackle, good motor, has the speed and the strength. I just wanted to prove that I'm the overall package," Gaston said of his goals for the day. "I wanted teams to be like, 'We need him.' That's what I want- ed to instill in their minds. So hopefully I did that." Despite competing in the NFL Combine, cornerback Ricardo Allen attended Purdue's pro day with hopes of bettering some of his results, especially in the 40. He did that in sev- eral tests, including getting 37 inches in the vertical and running a 4.52 in the 40. "Regardless of the Combine, I was going to come out there and try to increase times," he said. "Why wouldn't you ever want to take a second chance to try to do better? It was my second chance to improve on the things I did down there and I think I did pretty well." Offensive lineman Kevin Pamphile im- pressed in at least one facet: His 4.94 40-yard dash time would have been the second-fast- est for guards at the Combine, per director os Tom Campbell After getting the bulk of the reps at No. 1 tailback in the first week of spring practice, two-time Big Ten track champion Raheem Mostert will take a break as he prepares for the NCAA Indoor Championships.