Graham Harrell has the receivers to run his offense this season. Expect things to look significantly different.
Last week, I wrote about Purdue’s dramatic increase in ON PAPER talent (click here if you want to read it) this season over last. This article is somewhat related, but more focused on roster management than talent procurement.
It’s not that Purdue didn’t have talent at wide reiver last season, it’s just that the talent was physically small. Jeff Brohm left the incoming staff with 2 somewhat experienced slot receivers and an oft injured, rarely played flanker. The options for Hudson Card and Graham Harrell were limited and the throwing windows were tight. Not only that, but it’s tough to throw a wide receiver screen when most of your receivers are smaller, or the same size, as the defensive backs covering them.
Prior to Purdue, Harrell made a career out of throwing to physical receivers and utilizing the quick wide receiver screen game. He attempted to bring in someone who fit that mold out of the portal, but 6’3”, 220-pound FAU transfer Jahmal Edrine blew a tire in fall camp and missed the season.
To appreciate how big losing Edrine was last season, you need to look at the leading receivers under Harrell.
Graham Harrell’s Leading Receivers During His Career as O.C.
2023 – Purdue
Deion Burks – 5’11, 195
47 receptions, 629 yards, 7 touchdowns
2022 – West Virginia
Bryce Ford-Wheaton – 6’3”, 200
62 receptions, 675 yards, 7 touchdowns
2021 USC
Drake London – 6’5”, 210
88 receptions, 1084 yards, 7 touchdowns
2020 USC
Drake London – 6’5”, 200
35 receptions, 502 yards, 3 touchdowns
2019 USC
Michael Pittman Jr. – 6’4”, 225
101 receptions, 1275 yards, 11 touchdowns
2018 North Texas
Rico Bussey Jr. – 6’2”, 190
68 receptions, 1017 yards, 12 touchdowns
2017 North Texas
Michael Lawrence – 5’10, 190
62 receptions, 819 yards, 4 touchdowns
When given the option, Harrell likes to throw the ball outside to big receivers. Even when Michael Lawrence led North Texas in receiving in 2017, he was eclipsed by Rico Bussey Jr. in 2018.
Purdue’s problem wasn’t just that their leading receiver was a slot receiver, it’s that their number 2 receiver, TJ Sheffield is also under 6’0” tall and 200 pounds. Abdur-Rahmann Yaseen had good size at 6’2”, 200 pounds, but Harrell and company ran into the same problem as the previous staff with Yasseen; he couldn’t stay on the field. Full credit to Yasseen, on the few occasions when he was healthy, he was a solid technical receiver capable of finding a hole in the zone, catching the ball, and getting down. Oddly enough, that’s what I want in my slot receiver, not the only functional receiver on the roster over 6’0” tall.
Moving on to 2024
The wide receiver room was given a complete makeover this offseason. Deion Burks got a pay bump to play in the slot for Oklahoma. TJ Sheffield entered the portal before the season and now plays for UConn. Abdur-Rahmaan Yasseen took his talents to USF, and several Brohm holdovers that rarely/never produced left the program.
In their place is a new, and significantly larger, cast of characters.
Purdue Receivers over 6’0” in 2024
Jahmal Edrine – 6’3”, 215 (returning for injury)
C.J. Smith – 6’3”, 195 (transfer from Georgia)
Jaron Tibbs – 6’3”, 215 (Sophomore)
Leland Smith – 6’4”, 220 (JuCo Transfer)
Tra’Mar Harris – 6’1”, 180 (Freshman)
De’Nylon Morrissette – 6’1”, 200 (UGA Transfer)
Kam Brown – 6’1, 185 (UCLA Transfer)
In a strange turn of events, Purdue went from having nothing but slot receivers to potentially needing a slot receiver in 2024, although I think the staff will be happy to choose between Jayden Dixon-Veal and Kam Brown, or potentially put a bigger receiver like Tibbs in the slot to further confound the defense and improve perimeter blocking.
If/When Everyone is Healthy, Purdue will go from an undersized receiving squad in 2023 to an NFL sized receiving squad in 2024. Check it out.
2024 Predicted Depth Chart (When Everyone is Healthy)
Boundary – C.J. Smith – 6’3”, 195
Field – Jahmal Edrine – 6’3”, 215
Slot – Jayden Dixon-Veal – 6’0”, 190 or Kam Brown – 6’1”, 185 or Andrew Sowinski – 6’0”, 205
2023 Season Opening Depth Chart
Boundary – Deion Burks – 5’11, 195
Field – Abdur-Rahmaan Yasseen – 6’2”, 200
Slot – TJ Sheffield – 5’11, 190
Keep in mind, the 2024 team has significantly more depth at both the Boundary and Field spots. Smith is slated to miss the first game of the season against Indiana State for precautionary reasons (he’s working through a pulled hamstring), but unlike last season, when Purdue had no replacement for Edrine on the roster, there are plenty of capable guys that fall into the traditional “boundary” category this season.
Why Does This Matter?
In today’s age of specialization, different receivers play different roles in the offense, when one of those roles isn’t filled, it limits the offense. Burks did a nice job at the boundary, playing out of position, but Card needed to drop the ball over the top and land it on a postage stamp to hit anything deep. As good as Burks was last season, he didn’t win many 50/50 balls (or Dabo Swinney called jump balls when Mike Williams, Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross played at Clemson, 80/20 balls).
I mentioned Clemson above because I also write about the Tigers, and they are a good example of why having big receivers matters.
When the Tigers were in their offensive prime (hopefully they return there this season), Watson and Lawrence were throwing to big guys with Velcro hands like the above-mentioned Williams, Higgins, and Ross. As soon as Watson or Lawrence saw one of their big receivers singled covered, or as soon as a safety bit on a play fake, they let the ball go. It didn’t matter if those guys were open because they didn’t need to be open. Higgins was so good at using his 6’4” frame to stretch out of bounds that Clemson would often get an auto first down anytime they wanted with an out-route to the sticks. Lawrence didn’t even have to throw the ball in-bounds to get a completion. As long as he put it somewhere close Higgins or Ross were going to pluck the ball out of the air and drag their toes.
Big receivers make the quarterback and offensive coordinators job significantly easier because it cuts down on the need for precision from the quarterback, and sometimes precision is hard when you’re being chased around by 300-pound men intent on ending your afternoon early.
Everything had to work for Purdue to get the ball to Burks deep to the boundary. The protection had to hold up, the safety had to stay in the middle of the field, and Card had to drop in a pass over the top. Those perfectly lofted balls required to get Burks the ball can now be back shoulder routes if the defense overplays the 6’3” Smith (or whoever is playing the boundary spot). The safety, while still a consideration, isn’t going to swoop over at the last moment and outjump Smith for the ball. In fact, it’s going to be hard to keep the safety deep to the boundary with Edrine regularly getting the ball on the field side of the formation and punishing corners with his physical playing style.
Speaking of Edrine, this season, by all accounts, when the ball is in the air, it belongs to him. Even when he’s covered, he’s open because he’s going to find a way to make the catch, and if he doesn’t make, the defensive back isn’t making it either. That’s a significantly different playing style than we saw last year from the smaller and less assertive Yaseen.
I haven’t even mentioned De’Nylon Morrissette yet, but physically, he’s better than anyone Purdue had last season. This team has options that Card and Harrell simply didn’t have access to last year, and it’s going to make calling plays and playing quarterback significantly easier.
Card’s going to be able to let the ball fly a little more instead of having to stand in the pocket and hope for separation. The ball can come out quick on slant routes to the big guys because the defensive backs won’t be able to fight through Edrine like they could fight through Burks and Sheffield. The outside quick flip to a big receiver on 3rd and short was a favorite for Harrell at one point in his career, and I anticipate seeing it a good bit this year. Very few corners are going to tackle Edrine short of a first down if he needs two yards.
Walters and Harrell promised “basketball on grass” and now they have the guys to run it. I’m optimistic that results will follow.