OT: Belleville HS Product and Purdue WR Deion Burks in the Portal
Hopefully us jerks don't post 20% of all portal players but this is a local kid who was a good player for Purdue. 15th ranked player out of Michigan with mostly MAC offers but he has flourished in the B10.
With Roman and CoJo done after this year, an experienced player would be great. Unfortunately he is not a grad transfer.
Burks led the Boilermakers with 47 catches for 629 yards and seven touchdown receptions in 2023, and had 63 catches, 804 yards and seven scores across his three seasons in West Lafayette. The explosive pass catcher was Purdue's top option on the outside, but will now search for a new home.
Purdue's wide receiver corps has taken a hit from departing transfers in the last week, with Burks joining TJ Sheffield and Mershawn Rice in leaving the program, but the redshirt sophomore is the biggest departure to date.
For reference Johnson had 33 rec for 503 and Roman 40 for 648. We are not the most attractive option for WRs in terms of loads of catches but there is an immediate spot for a veteran player.
p.s. Purdue already has 11 players in the portal!
https://purdue.rivals.com/news/purdue-wide-receiver-deion-burks-to-enter-ncaa-transfer-portal
November 28th, 2023 at 12:16 PM ^
Well he's not a grad transfer, so....
November 28th, 2023 at 12:23 PM ^
/end thread
November 28th, 2023 at 12:40 PM ^
Yeah, unless he's on track to graduate in three years, it's going to be nearly impossible to get an academic junior into Michigan and not lose a bunch of credits and subsequently his class standing.
November 28th, 2023 at 12:17 PM ^
Am I the only one who likes the pipeline of studs we have?
We only throw like 7 times a game anyway.
November 28th, 2023 at 12:21 PM ^
Username checks out ;)
Our 3rd leading (non TE) receiver is one Donovan Edwards both in catches and yards. We can hope all we want about prospects but aside Semaj who averaged about 1.5 catches a game we have no proven production. Tyler Morris aside Indiana had a few 1-2 catch games. WRs usually pop by their sophomore year in some regard.
Would like a program like Michigan to have a clear #1 veteran and let the unproven guys figure it out behind them.
November 28th, 2023 at 12:23 PM ^
My hope is that JJ comes back and becomes fully realized as a passing QB. Our run game will likely take a hit next year anyway so why not open the offense up and let JJ cook?
November 28th, 2023 at 12:39 PM ^
Kalel Mullings and Ben Hall might have something to say about that.
November 28th, 2023 at 1:16 PM ^
I doubt he comes back, anyway. But it's only with a scenario like this that I can conceive it.
November 28th, 2023 at 12:25 PM ^
We've definitely got solid guys for next year with Tyler Morris and Semaj Morgan having already produced and some positive signs from Fred Moore and Karmello English. The problem with those guys is that they're all approximately 6' or shorter aside from Moore, who's only 6'1. We need a true outside receiver who can make some contested catches. That could be Darrius Clemons, but he's got 4 catches in two seasons, so that's a heck of a gamble.
This issue is mitigated a bit by having a high-level pass catcher at TE in Colston Loveland, but it would be nice to add a bigger WR to next year's roster. That being said, Burks doesn't really fix that either. What we really need is a Cornelius Johnson replacement. Where that comes from, I don't know.
November 28th, 2023 at 12:41 PM ^
What's going on with Clemons? Wasn't he supposed to be that guy?
November 28th, 2023 at 12:25 PM ^
Next year we'll have:
- Darrius Clemons
- Tyler Morris
- Semaj Morgan
- Fred Moore
- Karmello English
along with some walk-ons and guys who haven't really contributed too much. In addition we'll bring in Freshman I'Marion Stewart & Channing Goodwin (who is a 4 star and teammates with Jadyn Davis) and we are still not technically out of it for a couple guys who we have some slim chance could be persuaded to commit/flip in the 24 class - Nitro Tuggle, Gatlin Bair (who is basically a '26), and Jordan Shipp, another teammate of Goodwiin/Davis. Not likely we'll swing those guys but still outside chance.
My guess is we'd roll with those guys. Would much rather see us use the portal for CBs, Lineman, and a QB if JJ leaves.
November 28th, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
if we pull off getting Gatlin Bair, i'll lose my mind. The kid looks stellar
November 28th, 2023 at 1:11 PM ^
I would also be very pleased to get Bair, but they say he's going on a 2-year mission trip.
November 28th, 2023 at 1:35 PM ^
Yeah, but he's functionally a 2026 because of his mission.
November 28th, 2023 at 12:42 PM ^
I’d never heard of Nitro Tuggle before this comment, but now I’m convinced that Michigan needs him on the team based on name alone.
November 28th, 2023 at 1:56 PM ^
He's a highly ranked WR from northern Indiana committed to Georgia. He's also a teammate of Jo'Ziah Edmond. His high school, Northwood, lost in the state championship game Saturday. My brother went to their Semifinal game, and said both players were really impressive.
November 28th, 2023 at 2:28 PM ^
It kinda pisses me off that my name isn't Nitro Tuggle.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:22 AM ^
Thats funny. What's not funny though is there will be zero studs to throw to if they dont get this passing game going again.
November 28th, 2023 at 12:26 PM ^
Going 4-8 in the worst B1G West ever, losing your best offensive player to the portal and now the conference is doing away with divisions and adding 4 programs that are all way bigger than Purdue. I'm just calling a spade a spade, but Ryan Walters is fucked.
November 28th, 2023 at 12:32 PM ^
I wouldn’t be surprised if Brohm reached out to him…
November 28th, 2023 at 12:34 PM ^
It couldn't happen to a classier coach. But seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if he heads back to the state and plays for Sparty.
November 28th, 2023 at 12:44 PM ^
"Unfortunately he is not a grad transfer."
That right there is all I needed to hear to not get any hopes up about this kid coming here.
November 28th, 2023 at 1:24 PM ^
Hausermann & Josiah Stewart were not grad transfers and they made it in here.
November 28th, 2023 at 2:21 PM ^
a player that has one semester or 3 semesters on campus should be reasonably easy to get in. a Player with 5+, not so much.
November 28th, 2023 at 1:23 PM ^
I don’t know about Burks but the Tashi kid from Southfield A&T definitely should get a look. He’s 6’2” and looked good against Belleville in the title game.
November 28th, 2023 at 1:31 PM ^
I'd rather see Darrius Clemmons and Freddie Moore get a chance, along with the kid from Alabama....
November 28th, 2023 at 1:38 PM ^
Purdue is a very solid academic instution, maybe it wont be so difficult to trasnfer?
November 28th, 2023 at 1:45 PM ^
my understanding of the problem has nothing to do with the academic standing of the U, but rather of the 1:1 class conversion at UMich in whatever department he's joining. So for example if he was a history of criminal justice major at Purdue, but no such major exists at U of M, when they go through his classes at Purdue and try to find a 1:1 match at UM to port the credit over, many of those classes wont' match and thus the credits don't transfer.
November 28th, 2023 at 2:07 PM ^
We didn't admit Nojel Eastern in basketball from Purdue. I was also not really upset we didn't as I would have to repeatedly watch one of the ugliest free throw shots I've ever seen.
November 28th, 2023 at 5:40 PM ^
Redshirt sophomore. Zero chance he can come here.
November 28th, 2023 at 11:07 PM ^
I say we grab him to help lure that Bellville quarterback.