ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 25, ISSUE 3 57
f
body (for his size), but it's not a sustainable quick body
yet."
Purdue signed three high school linemen last season,
all of which sat out this season as redshirts.
Head coach Darrell Hazell has spoken
particularly highly of guard Martesse
Patterson, who was forced into red-
shirt this season as a partial academic
qualifier. Hazell said the massive interior
lineman — he was listed at 6-3, 310 upon
enrolling but the disconnect between list-
ed weights and reality is often significant
— can be "special."
As with Clements, but maybe not quite
to the same extent, Patterson must be
mindful of conditioning.
"He's got a real quick body, though,"
Bridge said midseason. "He can really roll
and has snap with his hips. He's got good
balance but he's out of shape, tremendous-
ly out of shape. He needs to work himself
into shape, but he has power, athletic abil-
ity and balance. "
Tackle Bearooz Yacoobi's body
type is the opposite.
He's tall, lean and long, 6-5 and 280
pounds (upon enrollment) with a frame to
hang a great deal more bulk onto.
Yacoobi was considered early for a chance
this season to become the rare true fresh-
man offensive lineman to play, due to a need
at the position prior to Hedelin becoming
eligible, but sophomore Cameron Cermin's
emergence allowed Purdue to redshirt him.
"He's got great length," Bridge said. "He's
got great intelligence, but the game hasn't
slowed down for him yet. It's moving fast,
and he needs it to get a little bit more at his
pace. He's physical, he will attack, and his
pass protecting techniques need to improve.
But he is a guy we are really excited about to
have here. He's going to help us."
There were moments, too, where Purdue
was preparing freshman center Kirk Bar-
ron to potentially be hurried to the field, as
starter Robert Kugler dealt with some inju-
ries early in the season. But Kugler never missed a snap
that impacted Barron and Cermin showed he could han-
dle center should another one be needed.
Brian Neubert
A former basketball player, Will Colmery has enough athleticism and he
spent the last year getting bigger and stronger.
