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ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 25, ISSUE 3 47 f WANTED: PLAYMAKERS Anthrop, Akeem Hunt, maybe Raheem Mostert and Knauf. That's where the list stops for "big playmakers" on Purdue's offense in 2014, and two of those guys won't be back in 2015. The Boilermakers desperately need to identify more. The young receivers, especially, will need to make tre- mendous strides this offseason, in physicality, route-run- ning, hands and general knowledge of the offense. Trae Hart may be fast, but can he make a catch in traffic? Hasn't shown it. Greg Phillips may be a ridiculously hard worker, but can he run the perfect route when the QB needs it? Cameron Posey may be a precise route-runner, but can he get separation off the line to make a big third-down catch? It'd also be really nice if DeAngelo Yancey can snap out of his doldrums and become the player coaches thought he could be when he arrived two seasons ago — don't forget then Hazell said Yancey could be a Sunday guy. He wasn't even a Saturday guy by the end of 2014. Yancey got benched in favor of Phillips and saw his snaps cut significantly. It was a strong message that absolute- ly needed to be sent, and now it needs an equally strong response from probably the most physically gifted receiver on the roster. If Yancey can do that — if he decides to do more than the required, to watch film with the quarterbacks, to realize he doesn't have a lot of time left — he could be a difference-maker for the offense. Purdue needs Notre Dame DeAngelo Yancey, not Nebraska Yancey. In the backfield, the Boilermakers will get a influx in at least numbers with this recruiting class, but of the players currently on the roster, it looks like redshirt freshman D.J. Knox could be the closest to a playmaker. He showed a nice burst and general te- nacity while working as the scout team running back and perhaps most impressive about that was he nev- er let up and always finished runs, even though he never got rewarded with any game snaps on offense. But is he big enough to take a consistent pounding? Can he be an impact player? Those are the kind of threats this offense needs. "In order to be successful, you need guys that can make plays when they're around people," Hazell said after the loss to Indiana. "That's very important." KEEP STANDARDS HIGH There should be no more adjusting to the demands of Hazell and his staff. After two seasons, players largely have bought in to the philosophy and disciplined approach, the focus on academics, the accountability to teammates and the insistence on effort. Now, players need to more consistently rise to meet those expectations. "There are no surprises. They know what to expect," de- fensive coordinator Greg Hudson said. "I think there's a lot of understanding now of what the standard is and what you need to do to be an 'A' player and getting As. Our 'A' players can't get Bs and Cs, they just can't. It's a critical phase for us from here on out — we've got to get bigger and stron- ger. We have to." j www.MeetYouAtArnis.com LAFAYETTE • INDIANAPOLIS • GREENWOOD Visit one of our 18 Indiana locations Meet You At Arni's TM Celebrates Purdue's Student-Athletes SERVING BOILER FANS FOR 50 YEARS World Famous Pizza, Salads, Sandwiches Austin Appleby Redshirt Sophomore, Major in Management Appleby, a quarterback from North Canton, Ohio, was one of 20 football players to be named Academic All-Big the Big Ten announced on Dec. 10. Seventy-one Purdue student-athletes received Academic recognition eclipsing last fall's total of 64 and 2012's total of 46. To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, student-athletes must be letterwinners, in at least their second year at their institution and carry a grade-point average of at least 3.0. Football and women's cross country led the way for the Boilermakers with 20 honorees for football and 19 for women's cross country. Women's soccer followed with 16, men's cross country had 11 mem- bers recognized and the volleyball team had five. The football team's total is up four honorees from last fall, while women's cross country is up three.