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Gold and Black Illustrated, Vol 26, Digital 2

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VOLUME 26, ISSUE 2 105 Kyle Todrank Austin Nash Nate Limmex Gavin Murray Cole Wysocki James Ford Jon Morales Nathaniel Alexander Dylan Lydy Coach Tony Ersland BY KYLE CHARTERS KCharters@GoldandBlack.com I n high school, James Ford decided he'd work out four times in a day. He woke up early to get in conditioning, then worked out individually with a coach; after school, he had a camp to attend, one that was divided into two sessions. He did them both, which was a grind, but "it was fun," he said. Perhaps. Regardless of what others think, however, it was an en- joyable challenge for Ford. And that kind of attitude is a reason why he and his eight classmates are Boilermakers, comprising second-year Purdue coach Tony Ersland's first freshman class. "I'll take mindset and work ethic every day," Ersland said. "It's a given that you have to have a minimum level of talent — you just can't compete on the same field other- wise — but once you get past that skill set or level of talent that you need, the biggest separation of these kids is their mindset, how they want to train, how they want to compete and the willingness to follow through on it." That encapsulates what Ersland is looking for at Purdue. As it happens, his first recruiting class is a big one, with nine members who at the very least will add depth in their first seasons but might also be able to crack the lineup. It includes Ford, who was ranked 16th in his class nationally at 220 pounds to end his high school career, and Nate Lim- mex, who most publications placed in their top 10 at 138. All told, the nine account for nine All-America honors and four high school state tournament titles. They hail from six states, including three from Indiana and two from New Jersey. "It's a big group for me," Ersland said. "Obviously, it's special because it is my first recruiting class, but you're also trying to set the foundation and tone for what we want the future to be from a mentality standpoint of how they're going to compete, how they're going to train day-to-day, setting the bar high and operating at a high level every day. Even the guys, when you look at a ranking or talent standpoint, we're still looking for a mindset, the work eth- ic, they'll all add to the room in different ways and I think First Class Freshman group sets foundation for years to come Tom Campbell Tony Ersland likes his first recruiting class of nine freshmen because it's dis- played the work ethic necessary to turn Purdue into a Big Ten contender.

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