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ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 24, ISSUE 6 45 f backer, having started 22 games over the last three seasons, but he's never fully locked down a spot. In the spring, redshirt freshman Danny Ezechukwu was with the first unit, pushing Gilliam to the second, before the pair flipped about halfway through practices. The two Boilermakers will com- pete again in the fall, but others will join. Freshmen Gelen Robinson and Ja'Whaun Bentley, probably two of the more highly regarded newcomers, are physically developed enough to compete for positions in the two-deep. Robinson wants more. "My mentality — and what all play- ers should have — is you should want to start," the 6-1, 230-plus-pounder said. "You shouldn't be satisfied with only getting some of the reps." But whether either of the freshmen earns a starting job, or even backup snaps, their presence has been stimulating. Gilliam set a Purdue squat record during winter conditioning, a sign of how hard he's train- ing. "Like a maniac," said Hudson, whose son Garrett is a backup linebacker. "I'll give you an example, my son is training like a lunatic and it ain't because of Dad or Coach (Marcus) Freeman. He knows. Everybody knows. In re- cruiting, newcomers are (motivating)." Gelen Robinson and Bentley add depth, and so too do the younger Hudson and Collin Link, who was put on scholar- ship in the spring after the senior had a couple sacks last season. Andy James Garcia, who was hurt in the spring, and walk-on Evan Pulliam, one of Purdue's most athletic players at the position, could factor in, perhaps primarily on special teams. Now that Purdue's settled full time into a 3-4 front, the Jack, a hybrid defensive end/linebacker, becomes a critical position. Phillips, a 6-4, 260-pounder, left the spring as the No. 1, fighting off a challenge from redshirt freshman An- toine Miles. Sophomore Langston Newton, a transfer from Kentucky, could figure in, as well, although probably only in situational specific downs. But Purdue is hoping Phillips, who had two sacks among his nine tackles last season, is poised for a breakout. "He had a really good spring," Hud- son said. "We just want to see him smile more and find out if he really is liking things. That's been big. There's a lot of work that went into that, just to make sure. Here, he's from Warner Robbins, Ga., he's going to graduate. He's got the world by the tail man, so we're like, 'Hey man, let's have some fun out here.' " SECONDARY If Purdue's plan holds this season, the Boilermakers will use more man coverage in their secondary. And they'll press more at the line of scrimmage. The style tweaks are part of the ag- gressive, energetic attitude brought by new position coach Taver Johnson, and one that the Boilermakers are embracing. "A tough defense," Feichter said, envisioning his style of D. "A defense who likes to put their nose in, drive guys back, out-power people, out-physical people and out-want people, wanting the ball and not being satisfied until we get the ball back for our offense." In the defensive backfield, the Boilermakers have expe- rience on their side, with three multi-year starters return- ing, in safeties Feichter and Richards, along with Williams, a cornerback. A fourth former starter, junior Anthony Brown, filled in at safety last season after Feichter's injury in Week 2 and had 69 tackles, the most among returnees. He's slated to compete to be a starter again, although it'll be at cornerback this season. "We already kind of have a feeling of what each other is thinking," Williams said of the vet-filled secondary, "since we've been around each other for so long." But what the Boilermakers need more than anything, it would seem, is to stay healthy. And to develop depth, of which there is little as of now. Feichter could be the key to the former. The senior missed five complete games — and parts of others — last season after a bevy of injuries, including two broken hands (which he tried to play despite) and a broken leg (which he couldn't). He was back participating in the spring, giv- SECONDARY Fifth-year seniors 44 Landon Feichter* 6-0 186 S 23 Antoine Lewis 5-10 181 CB Senior 4 Taylor Richards* 5-10 192 S Juniors 9 Anthony Brown* 5-11 186 CB 22 Stefan Certa 5-11 176 CB 38 Kyle Marzec 5-11 181 S 25 Phil Taylor 5-11 190 CB 24 Frankie Williams* 5-9 185 CB Sophomores 3 Leroy Clark 5-10 175 CB 7 Robert Gregory 6-2 217 S 27 Evan Feichter 5-11 175 S 5 Austin Logan 6-0 190 S Redshirt freshmen 34 Brian Hill 6-2 205 CB 2 Da'Wan Hunte 5-10 175 CB 46 Race Johnson 5-11 175 CB 31 Tre Rowe 5-9 170 CB Freshmen 8 Tim Cason 6-1 185 CB 21 Cedric Dale 5-8 168 CB 33 Juan Jenkins 6-0 200 S 1 Brandon Roberts 6-0 185 CB * Projected starters