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On offense, the line is the biggest concern after losing three multi-year starters. It'll also be missing projected starting tackle Matt McCann this spring after he had offseason ankle surgery. That leaves only Kirk Barron and Mike Mendez with any starting experience, and Barron only has one year as a full-time starter under his belt. There's little choice but for sel- dom-used players like Ja- len Neal, Grant Hermanns, Bearooz Yacoobi, Eric Swingler and Peyton Truitt and mid-year enrollee Ethan Smart to be in the mix in the spring. There are questions at receiver, as well, with the loss of the top four options. Two mid-year enrollees, D'J Edwards and Tyler Hamilton, will get an opportunity immediately, and returning players Terrance Landers and Anthony Mahoungou will need to make significant strides on the outside. Senior Gregory Phillips is probably the top option in the slot, and he has played since his first season, but he'll need to develop consistency. In the backfield, Purdue has experience with Markell Jones, Brian Lankford-Johnson, Richie Worship and D.J. Knox, returning from an ACL injury. But Jones is coming off a disappointing season, and it's pos- sible the rest of the field could push him, considering Brohm will allow everyone to audition for the main role. Tight end could be the strength — hence the opportunity for more double-tight end sets — with returning players Cole Herdman and Bry- cen Hopkins. They may form the most solid two-deep on the roster. Herdman is the team's leading returning receiver in terms of catches (35) and yards (344) and Hopkins is in terms of TDs (four). But, after those two, there isn't a single player with experience. David Blough, the Big Ten's leading passer with 3,352 yards and 25 TDs, is back, as are potential backups Elijah Sindelar and Jar- ed Sparks. That'll likely be the position under the most scrutiny, though, considering extensive experience at the position between Jeff Brohm and Brian Brohm, the specific position coach who just finished his pro career in 2015. On defense, the projected starting front line could be solid with returning players Gelen Robinson and Austin Larkin at end and Eddy Wilson and Lorenzo Neal in the middle. But this spring will Tom Campbell The first time David Blough met with new coach Jeff Brohm one- on-one, Purdue's new head coach asked the returning starting QB, "What do we have?" Brohm will get to see for himself up close this spring. GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 27, ISSUE 4 46