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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 27, ISSUE 4 11 Which Young Player Could Make The Biggest Impact In 2017? Kyle Charters Mike Mendez certainly isn't Purdue's best underclassman. He's probably not even top five (Markus Bailey, Lorenzo Neal, Brycen Hopkins, to name a few), but he plays at a position where the Boilermakers will take anyone who has a pulse. And Mendez has more than that, showing last season that he could be part of a rebuild — a significant rebuild — on the offensive line. And his performance in 2016 probably wasn't fair to him either, as he was thrust into playing left tackle, arguably the line's most critical position, even though the 6-foot-4, 305-pounder had practiced almost exclusively on the interior previously. He'll have a starting spot in 2017, barring some sort of surprising influx of offseason talent, but the question is where. Ideally, it'd be at one of the guard spots, because he's best suited for there. But he could again be pushed outside, if Purdue can't find an answer at left tackle. And if Martesse Patterson doesn't return, Mendez might be the only choice. Stacy Clardie My "2017" is going to refer to right now, the spring, when so many young guys will get reps. Those first impressions will be key. I'm not picking a guy who will make the biggest impact — Bailey, Navon Mosley and Hopkins are no-brainers — but one who could. My maybe-outside-of-the-box guess on who will make a big one this spring: Richie Worship. I know, I know. There are three guys you could argue who are ahead of him on the depth chart, namely returning starter Markell Jones but also D.J. Knox, whose absence was significantly felt last season. But Worship plays with such a physicality and a passion and offers a different element than any of Purdue's running backs. I think Jeff Brohm's offense is going to value versatility, too, and Worship can line up either as a fullback in a two-back set or as the lead guy in a one-back one. Plus, he has decent hands, and he should continue to improve in pass protection the opportunity he gets. And he should get more this spring. About The Norm Purdue's No. 68 Rivals ranking is about the norm when comparing Big Ten coaches who had not only a short re- cruiting season, but also inherited a program with a losing record dating back to 2002. Source: Rivals.com Coach, School, First Year Rivals National Team Recruiting Ranking Gerry DiNardo - Indiana (2002) 76 Terry Hoeppner - Indiana (2005) 76 Kevin Wilson - Indiana (2011) 63 Ron Zook - Illinois (2005) 53 Tim Beckman - Illinois (2012) 69 Lovie Smith - Illinois (2016) 68 DJ Durkin - Maryland (2016) 39 Brady Hoke - Michigan (2011) 21 John Smith - Michigan State (2003) 69 Mark Dantonio - Michigan State (2007) 43 Tim Brewster - Minnesota (2007) 59 Jerry Kill - Minnesota (2011) 54 Darrell Hazell - Purdue (2013) 56 Jeff Brohm - Purdue (2017) 68 Chris Ash - Rutgers (2016) 77