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VOLUME 25, ISSUE 6 49 summer. After getting up to 260 pounds in the spring, probably more a size de- picting a defensive end than linebacker, he had trimmed down to about 253 by mid-June. He accom- plished it, he says, without losing strength. "And I can move better," he said. Herman has had the opposite problem over the years, with the former high school safety trying to put on the necessary weight to play closer to the line. He might be there. The start- ing strongside linebacker, the 6-4 Herman was listed at 230 in the spring and is probably a few pounds more than that now. Last season, his first as a starter, he had 56 tackles, despite missing two games due to injury. Hudson loves him, in part be- cause the junior has the athleticism to cover tight ends down the field. It allows Purdue to play "big nickel," Hudson said, leaving Herman on the field even when the Boilermakers are expecting pass. And now he's added strength for the times he had to get in the box. "He's a much more physical play- er," Bentley said. "He's changing his body, as far as being stronger, tough- er. He already had the speed and he definitely brings athleticism. He defi- nitely gives us a leg up." Ezechukwu might have been the biggest surprise for the Boilermakers last season. After Sean Robinson's knee injury midyear, when Bentley moved to middle linebacker, the 6-2, 246-pounder moved into the starting lineup on the weakside. And Purdue barely missed a step. In fact, Ezechukwu, now a sopho- more, showed an ability to consis- tently be near the ball, having an interception, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles while starting the last six games. "I feel like I stepped up as best as I could," he said, "but it wasn't enough because we didn't get the results that we wanted. We want to win games. I still have a long way to go and I'm looking forward to it." The starting trio has grown togeth- er, as well. After being thrown in at various times last season, they've learned to adapt, with that experience likely to pay off in the near future. "We have true lineback- ers," Hudson said, "and we have a group of them that are close, are a great unit." While Bentley, Herman and Ezechukwu are likely firmly entrenched as start- ers, the gap between them and the backups narrowed, at least according to coach- es, during the spring. Hud- son says Purdue's near the point where it could put Garrett Hudson (middle), Andy Garcia (weakside) or Dezwan Polk-Campbell (strong) in the game with- out being fearful of the out- come. "At linebacker, it's the deepest six I've ever seen," said Garrett Hudson, a sophomore. "We can roll me, Garcia and Polk-Camp- bell in and not miss a step. That's the confidence I have in us." But those backup spots might be challenged in the fall. This summer, Purdue replenished in linebacker depth, bringing in freshmen Wyatt Cook, Markus Bailey, Sawyer Dawson and Tim Faison. "The younger guys all look like focused players," Ezechukwu said. "They want to do their parts to help this team win. They're good quality guys, and they respect Coach (Mar- cus) Freeman, so I feel like we added to the position." SECONDARY Williams can't help but let it out. The senior loves Leroy Clark as a safety, thinking the converted corner- back can thrive there because of his Tom Campbell Leroy Clark's shift to safety from cornerback should serve him well. Clark says he feels more natural at safety, a position he played in high school.