The hits just keep on coming for the Purdue Boilermakers. In the same week that has seen starting quarterback Elijah Sindelar diagnosed with a concussion, thus making his status for this weekend’s game against TCU questionable, Purdue is now without one of their top defensive players for the remainder of the season. Linebacker Markus Bailey was officially ruled out for the year following a knee injury during Tuesday’s practice, head coach Jeff Brohm announced.
Brohm did not confirm the specifics of the knee injury other than to confirm it requires surgery and that it will knock Williams out for the year. Surgery will be conducted in the next few weeks, according to The Journal & Courier.
Bailey, a fifth-year senior, recorded 14 total tackles in the first two games of the season, with two tackles for a loss and one sack. Bailey was Purdue’s leading tackler in 2018 with 115 tackles and was second on the team in tackles in 2017 with 89 tackles). Simply put, that is a lot of defensive production to replace for the Boilermakers.
So, who gets the task of trying to fill the massive void in the middle of the defense? For now, at least, it will be Cornel Jones, according to Brohm.
“You’re obviously going to miss your best player on the defensive side of the ball at that position but I do feel like we have capable linebackers and guys who have experience,” Brohm said. “Now you step in Cornel Jones on a full-time basis with Ben Holt and the others to spell them. I think they’ll do a good job.”
Jones has played in each of Purdue’s first two games with four total tackles.
Purdue will host the TCU Horned Frogs this Saturday night and then jump into Big Ten play in two weeks at home against Minnesota.
