-When Brohm inherited the program, he inherited the least talented roster in the big ten according to 247. The players he inherited had an average rating of 81.8, 81.3, 81.7, 82.4 in their respective classes. That was good for last in the big ten, last in the big ten, last in the big ten, and 2nd to last in the big ten (Blough's class)
-The roster overall now ranks 12th in talent in the big ten just ahead of IU & Rutgers. This is with Brohm's last 2 recruiting classes averaging 86.3. That's how pitiful the talent in the upper classes are.
-If Brohm continues to recruit at his current pace, Purdue will eventually have the 5th most talented roster in the big ten when his first recruiting class turns into seniors. (Obviously not exact math with transfers, etc. but still it's easy to see the upgrade in overall talent)
-In the not very talented upper classes that Purdue currently has, injuries have plagued the ones that were it's most positive contributors. Purdue is now turning to guys in Happy Valley in front of 100,000 fans that have talent, but severely lack size & experience because of their youth. With that said, a lot of the young guys on Purdue's defense did a lot of good things today. The offense was just crippling though.
-Which leads to my biggest worry about the future success/failure of the Jeff Brohm era, the offensive line. It wasn't hard to see after last season how bad the offensive line was going to be this season. The talent just is not there. Even in Brohm's latest recruiting classes, the offensive linemen seems to be rated the lowest each year. He's gotten some bodies & the hope is when they're upperclassmen they'll be solid but we shall see. O-linemen instant impact guys are few and far between & they usually end up in run-heavy programs anyway.
-Plummer looks like he will be a really solid QB if he ever gets the time to throw. He appears to be a good decision maker (especially for a freshman), mobile, good arm strength, good size. If he doesn't get killed this year, I think the experience will be good for him when he's an upperclassmen. The skill position players around him will be uber talented.
-To sum up, other than the offensive line, I'm not worried about the future of Purdue's football program. I don't expect multiple trips to the rose bowl or anything. Other programs aren't going anywhere. I do however expect Purdue to live in that 7-5 to 9-3 range from the time when Brohm's classes are juniors & seniors in 2 years and beyond, with outlier seasons sprinkled in every now and then. Only time will tell but I still couldn't be happier with who Purdue hired to replace Hazell, despite the frustrations of this year.
