With Mockobee fully embedded in the program, Love brings toughness to the position and the Boilermakers, according to Conrad.
“All the things that I believe in, that coach Walters believes in, is Reggie Love. He is tough as nails. He is, in my opinion, an every down box running back. He can do the dirty work for you. He’s quicker than you realize, a bit more burst, but he has more to his tank,” Conard said.
And, as for Mockobee, he admits having bulked up in the offseason, fans will see a difference in how he runs and attacks defenses.
“I’ve always had that kind of mentality to want to run through guys, but obviously I didn’t have the size to do that last year or the year before. So, I think it’ll make a very big difference with the weight that I have this year, to actually be able to run how I was more comfortable running, versus trying to get away from stuff,” Mockobee said.
There’s no ‘battle’ between top Purdue running backs
While it would be easy to say there is a competition between Mockobee and Love, all three admit that is not the case.
Conrad said both Mockobee and Love are starters.
“There is no battle. Mockobee is that guy, but if you pay attention to who I am, they’re both starters. I know that’s what it says in the ledger, like it doesn’t matter to me. I mean, if we call the play that was preferential to Reggie for the first call, Reggie is gonna be starting,” Conard said.
For Love, he knows there is a need to bring his best every day.
“It lets you know that you got no time to slack,” Love said. “I got a saying, ‘compete out of love rather than envy’ and I feel like that’s what we do a good job of. You know, everybody knows when those guys make a play, we got to make plays too. So it just bring everybody along.”
And, Conrad is optimistic both Love and Mockobee will be able to not only make plays, but help Purdue football pick up wins.
“That’s the great thing about the guys I got is they just want to win. You know, they have their own similar goals, but they both know who they are and what we need them to be,” Conard said.
Who will be the third back for Purdue football?
With Mockobee and Love combining for a 1-2 punch, the question remains, who will the Boilermakers lean on to be the third running back in a crowded room.
Purdue football coach Ryan Walters has made it a point several times during fall camp to say he was looking for a third option. Conrad agrees.
In the fold is freshman Jaheim Merriweather and redshirt freshman walk on Elijah Jackson.
Conrad said both are talented and have been fighting to emerge as the third running back.
“The third running back you got to put in the game, you want him to be explosive. You want to be able to trust him. And at some point, if he has to carry the load, he can,” Conrad said.
Conrad said what makes Merriweather special is his athletic ability and length, but notes the freshman has to be consistent.
“He’s getting there. He is processing the game much better and he’s slowing it down. His mental mistakes are becoming less and less, now it’s a matter of being able to play at the tempo we need you to play at consistently,” Conrad said.
As for Jackson, Conrad said he has exceeded all expectations this fall.
“He’s came out and had a fantastic camp, but obviously he’s 5’8″, 190 pounds. So you got to be smart about how you use him. But he’s an explosive little dude. He’s got ‘it’, now it’s a matter of being confident in all situations,” Conard said.
Purdue football opens the season Aug. 31 at home against Indiana State.
