WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Football concluded its third week of practices with its first scrimmage this spring.
Cornell Ford, Purdue's assistant head coach/wide receivers coach, took his first media availability with the Boilermakers after following head coach Barry Odom from UNLV. Ford was joined by wide receivers Arhmad Branch and Jesse Watson after the group had an encouraging first scrimmage.
"I thought we started off pretty well and made a few big plays down the field which is nice to see," said Ford. "Some critical perimeter blocking got better… The group is moving in the right direction, we just need to take bigger steps now."
The 16-member receiver room features 11 returners and five transfers, creating an opportunity for Ford to open a competition for playing time.
"The competition in that room is from the top to the bottom," said Ford. "Every day is about competing and who wants the job. We keep track of catches, drops, mental errors and big plays. It'll all shake out in the end, and the playmakers will rise to the top."
Watson, returning for his redshirt freshman season, says the group continues to work together while getting accustomed to the new system.
"We've been working more as a unit and holding each other accountable," said Watson. "We like to always study the plays together to make sure we don't go out and have mental mistakes on the field."
Branch, a sophomore, heads into his third season in West Lafayette and just his fifth year playing football after not starting until 11th grade. With the late start, Branch understands the dedication necessary to compete at the collegiate level.
"When I first got here, my football IQ was really low," said Branch. "They have definitely helped me learn the defenses, but it's also been about learning the playbook… In your free time you have to sacrifice some things. Instead of playing video games all the time or watching YouTube, I get in the playbook. That's the biggest thing I changed that's helped me a lot."
The Boilermakers return to the field on Tuesday for the first of three practices next week.
Cornell Ford, Purdue's assistant head coach/wide receivers coach, took his first media availability with the Boilermakers after following head coach Barry Odom from UNLV. Ford was joined by wide receivers Arhmad Branch and Jesse Watson after the group had an encouraging first scrimmage.
"I thought we started off pretty well and made a few big plays down the field which is nice to see," said Ford. "Some critical perimeter blocking got better… The group is moving in the right direction, we just need to take bigger steps now."
The 16-member receiver room features 11 returners and five transfers, creating an opportunity for Ford to open a competition for playing time.
"The competition in that room is from the top to the bottom," said Ford. "Every day is about competing and who wants the job. We keep track of catches, drops, mental errors and big plays. It'll all shake out in the end, and the playmakers will rise to the top."
Watson, returning for his redshirt freshman season, says the group continues to work together while getting accustomed to the new system.
"We've been working more as a unit and holding each other accountable," said Watson. "We like to always study the plays together to make sure we don't go out and have mental mistakes on the field."
Branch, a sophomore, heads into his third season in West Lafayette and just his fifth year playing football after not starting until 11th grade. With the late start, Branch understands the dedication necessary to compete at the collegiate level.
"When I first got here, my football IQ was really low," said Branch. "They have definitely helped me learn the defenses, but it's also been about learning the playbook… In your free time you have to sacrifice some things. Instead of playing video games all the time or watching YouTube, I get in the playbook. That's the biggest thing I changed that's helped me a lot."
The Boilermakers return to the field on Tuesday for the first of three practices next week.