Senior receiver Posey caps solid spring with playmaking game
Whether it’s slipping past his man off the line and then finding the perfect spot past the safety or using his hands to beat press coverage and snatch a slant or finding a zone to settle into and easily gathering in a pass, Cameron Posey seemingly can do it all for Purdue.
And, finally, he got a chance to prove it this spring with starting slot Danny Anthrop gone.
Posey’s five-catch, 60-yard, one-touchdown performance Saturday for the Gold team was indicative of the kind of spring he had: An incredibly solid, productive one that included game-breaking plays.
“I think I’ve had a good spring,” Posey said afterward. “The whole offense has done really well this spring and we’re starting to come together. I think I’ll have a role this year just to be a consistent receiver playing in the slot and just try and be as reliable and as consistent as I can for David (Blough) or whoever the starting quarterback is. We have a lot of receivers in the room. We have five seniors who we’re all comfortable with and think they can all do great things.
“I just want to find my role and be the best receiver that I can be for this team.”
Working from the slot and flanked by DeAngelo Yancey and Bilal Marshall, Posey was able to find room against the Black team’s nickel back in a variety of ways Saturday. On the Gold team’s first drive, he worked from the left slot with Yancey to his right and beat Mike Little’s press coverage to the end zone, reached up and snatched a ball for a 3-yard touchdown.
Later, he showcased his versatility from a trips formation and gathered in a screen pass. On the same drive, he beat Race Johnson on a quick slant to pick up eight. In the second quarter, Posey worked past Myles Norwood off the line and got between him and the help, safety Austin Logan, for a 26-yard pickup. On a third-and-10 later in the game, he beat Little again for a first down.
Play after play, just like he’d done all spring, Posey showed he could be counted on in a variety of circumstances.
And, for the first time, that also included in the return game.
Posey had been working as Purdue’s No. 1 punt returner all spring but hadn’t gotten a real chance to return a ball in a live scenario. On Saturday, he took his first return 29 yards, setting up the Gold offense just outside the red zone.
“(It) was my first ever live punt return. I kind of surprised myself there. But it was fun,” Posey said. “If they put me back there to help the team, I’ll do that. We practice that every day, practice punt returns. I feel comfortable back there. If that’s what they choose to do, I’ll go back there and do my best.”
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