2011’s 10 Most Important Purdue Football Players: #8

The Boiling Point: Purdue’s Dwayne Beckford checks in at No. 8 of TheBoilingPoint.com’s list of most important football players for the upcoming season.

No. 8 Dwayne Beckford
Year: Junior
Position: Linebacker
Number: 3
Key stat: He jumped from 34 to 84 tackles from freshman to sophomore season.
Analysis: The linebacker position hasn’t exactly been the greatest strength for the Boilers in recent years.  The most experienced player at the position, Joe Holland, hasn’t really been that impressive. He has stated recently that in the past he hasn’t read plays right, missed tackles and needs to get stronger. I agree Joe. This is where Beckford comes in.

After a big jump in playing time resulting in many more tackles, Beckford seems poised for a breakout year.  There is no better year to do so. With Holland the most experienced and Will Lucas potentially being the most talented, Beckford combines both of those traits to make a pretty formidable linebacker. Rarely do you ever see him take a play off. He needs to be a leader for the younger linebackers that will join him in the starting rotation next year. I believe Beckford has the talent to be one of the better linebackers in the Big Ten, and will start to show that this year for a linebacking corps that desperately needs a playmaker.

This is part of a daily series that will continue with No. 7 on Sunday. Again, these are the most IMPORTANT players for this upcoming season, not necessarily best. Make sure to check back to follow the list. Also, do you agree or disagree? Let us hear your thoughts.

Complete list
No. 10 Carson Wiggs
No. 9 Akeem Shavers
No. 8 Dwayne Beckford