Markell Jones

While Jones headed Purdue's running attack by a wide margin -- rushing 153 times in 2016 -- he totaled just 616 yards and four scores on the ground during his sophomore campaign. However, shoulder issues starting in October likely had something to do with his yards per carry average cratering from 5.2 as a freshman to 4.0 in 2016. He returns for his junior year as the clear favorite to head the rushing game again in 2017, but with a new face leading the team. Coach Darrell Hazell was let go following the campaign and new head coach Jeff Brohm joins the fold after a successful 11-3 campaign with Western Kentucky. Brohm runs an up-tempo, balanced offense that should provide Jones with more opportunities on the ground. The leading rusher for the Hilltoppers last season (Anthony Wales) carried the ball 237 times for 1,621 yards and 27 touchdowns. That bodes well for Jones considering the Boilermakers ranked 125th of 128 teams in rush attempts last season. However, Purdue's overall outlook for 2017 suggests that the Boilermakers may find themselves trailing frequently, which could result in them abandoning the run late in games. Still, Jones has shown to be a reliable pass catcher out of the backfield, contributing 32 receptions(37 targets)for 215 yards last season and he stands to see similar volume as a junior. He should see an increase in his backfield workload under the new system and his productivity should be on the upswing with the shoulder injury no longer an issue.

Jones was one of the very few bright spots for Purdue last season as he rushed for 875 yards and 10 scores on 168 carries (5.2 YPC), which put him in the top 10 among freshman runners in 2015. His most impressive outing came against one of the best teams Purdue faced last season in Michigan State, rushing for 157 yards and two touchdowns on just 22 carries, which averaged out to a whopping 7.14 YPC against a defense that gave up just 3.62 YPC on the year. Purdue’s outlook doesn’t look a whole lot better heading into 2016, even if they lead the conference in returning starters, but Jones should take a step forward as a sophomore.