WEST LAFAYETTE − Purdue football markets itself not only as the Cradle of Quarterbacks, but also the Den of Defensive Ends.
For good reason.
The Boilermakers have a storied history of sending players to the NFL at the position.
Jake Trump, who previously worked as a defensive quality control coach at Arkansas, was brought from Fayetteville to West Lafayette to coach defensive ends.
It’s a position where Purdue suffered one of its biggest blows when Will Heldt transferred to Clemson. But the Boilermakers return a healthy CJ Madden and added three ends from the transfer portal, including CJ Nunnally IV (Akron) and Breeon Ishmail (Michigan), along with TJ Lindsey from Auburn, who was working at defensive tackle during the first spring practice.
More: What did Purdue football coach Barry Odom say following first spring practice?
3 questions with Purdue football defensive ends coach Jake Trump
Q: What is your sense of the players you have on the roster at defensive end?
A: When I got here, there wasn’t many on the roster defensive ends wise. We got one guy who was in the portal back at Purdue (Jamari Payne) and then we brought in two guys in Breeon and CJ Nunnally. I am proud of all of them in terms of their approach. … CJ Madden had about 60 snaps this past year before getting hurt. Trey Smith had some snaps. But I am excited to see what I have in my group.
Q: Is there an ideal type of athlete you’re looking for to play defensive end for this defense?
A: The good thing about the way coach (defensive coordinator Mike) Scherer and I and coach Odom, we’ve played about every scheme you could think of. We played it while we were at Missouri, at Arkansas. We had to adjust to our personnel. At UNLV, he has adjusted to personnel. So a little bit of this spring is we’re going to see where we’re at. … All the body types I have in my room, I’m into good football players.
Q: You’re coaching defensive ends at a school that is known for producing NFL caliber defensive ends. How appetizing was that to come to Purdue and coach this position?
A: You go in the lobby (or the Kozuch Football Performance Complex) and there’s a spot on the wall that’s the Den of Defensive Ends. It’s got all the history of great defensive ends that have come through here. I’m grateful to have this opportunity, but to have it at a Big Ten school like Purdue, I’m super grateful. I don’t take that lightly.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: 3 questions with Purdue football defensive ends coach Jake Trump
