Boilermaker season, players
recieve high rankings
By Keith Thomas
Editor
in Chief
Despite Purdue's first football game being just
less than three months away, the first wave of preseason football predictions
have began to surface.
Although Purdue lost record setting quarterback
Drew Brees and the majority of his offensive line, preseason prognosticators
still anticipate the Boilermakers have a solid team and a good season.
When The Sporting News announced their preseason
predictions last week, the Boilers were near the top of several categories,
perhaps the most prestigious of which was Purdue's Joe Tiller-led coaching
staff as the top crew in the Big Ten Conference. In addition, The Sporting
News ranks Purdue 25th in the nation in its first top 25 poll. The publication
also picks Purdue to finish in third place in this year's Big Ten race,
behind Northwestern and Michigan, respectively.
With 10 starters returning to what was already
a successful defense, a lot of the preseason hype points to the Boilermaker
defenders. The Sporting News, which ranks all schools specific units
on offense, defense and special teams in addition to ranking individuals,
picks Purdue's defensive line to be the second best in the conference
and 10th best in the nation.
According to defensive end and returning starter
Akin Ayodele, garnering some preseason recognition is nice, especially
when it reflects the hard work of the past season.
"It's great; it's a compliment to the program,"
said Ayodele, who is picked by The Sporting News as a preseason first
team All-Big Ten. "It definitely shows that we do have some athletes
at Purdue."
As far as his defensive line being recognized —
Lindy's ranks it as the fifth best unit in the nation — Ayodele
said he knows they have the athletic ability to shock some people.
"It's still not enough," said Ayodele, who's picked
individually by Lindy's as Purdue's MVP, a first team conference selection
and the fifth best defensive end in the country. "We still want to be
known as the top D-line and the top team in the country.
"We're not the typical D-line, we're not 6-4, 280
(pounds), but we definitely compensate with our speed and our agility."
Along with Ayodele, defensive tackle Matt Mitrione
received several individual picks thus far. Mitrione is picked by The
Sporting News as first team-all conference and the ninth-best defensive
tackle in the country. Sophomore safety Stu Schweigert was to be first
team All-Big Ten as well, by The Sporting News and by Athlon. The Sporting
News also believes Schweigert is the nation's fourth-best free safety.
Senior tight end Tim Stratton is the highest touted
player on offense this season, picking up several preseason predictions
as the one of the nation's top tight ends.
In addition to being picked as a preseason first
team All-Big Ten selection by The Sporting News, Lindy's and Athlon,
Stratton is believed to be the nation's second-best tight end, according
to Lindy's. The Sporting News picks Stratton as the fourth-best tight
end nationally.
Although Ayodele said that when publications take
notice of Purdue's program enough to rank them nationally, he and his
teammates know best what they are capable of.
"If I were to have my way, I'd pick us to win (the
Big Ten) again," said Ayodele. "You still have to go out on the field
and make plays."
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