A beleaguered Purdue defense is undergoing a drastic overhaul this spring. One of the best reasons for optimism is a sight the Boilermakers coaches weren't sure they'd see this early: Ja'Whaun Bentley running around making plays.
Just six months removed from tearing the ACL in his left knee, the junior linebacker has returned to the field this spring at pretty close to full go. There's little doubt that, when healthy, he is Purdue's best defensive player.
"I don’t know that we really expected him out there this much," linebackers coach Marcus Freeman said. "But having him out there, with his leadership, that's been huge for our entire team.