
Ex-Hawkeye Receiver a ‘Great Leader’ for Big Ten Rival
In a move that shocked Hawkeye football fans, Big Ten Returner of the Year and Iowa wide receiver Charlie Jones entered the transfer portal in May. Ultimately, where he decided to transfer to was even more shocking.
Jones' eventual choice was Big Ten rival and the team that ruined Iowa's perfect regular season in 2021, Purdue.
He joined Tyrone Tracy as another Hawk to leave Iowa City and end up in West Lafayette, Indiana.
According to what Boilermakers' head coach Jeff Brohm told Purdue Rivals, he's been a great addition to their team so far:
Charlie can play football. We're going to use him a lot of different ways on the outside, on the inside, return kicks. He's got good receiving skills, he can run good routes, understands football. He definitely will be a big factor for us.
Purdue special teams coach Karl Maslowski added this of his abilities returning punts and kicks:
Charlie brings another element. You see on film. He's fearless when he's back catching punts. He takes chances and they've paid off for him so far. So, we just got to make sure that he gets a clean look when he gets out there.
It's assumed that Jones left Iowa for Purdue due to his minimal production on offense for the Hawkeyes last season. He caught just 21 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns in 2021.
The Boilermakers' leading receiver last year, David Bell left for the NFL. Last season, he grabbed 93 catches for 1,286 yards and six touchdowns. Second-leading receiver from last year was Milton Wright -- he's out for this season due to academics. He caught 57 passes for 732 yards and seven touchdowns.
Not only was there a void to fill at Purdue, but the offense is clearly conducive to putting up big numbers as a wide receiver. There's only so much wideouts are capable of in the offense that's run in Iowa City.
His dynamic ability to return punts and kicks will certainly translate, too.
Brohm finished with this praise of his newest receiver:
He's just very smart. He understands. He's picked up things well. He's got a great rapport with our quarterback, Aidan O'Connell, who I think they knew each other growing up. So, we're fortunate to have him. Really, I think he'll be a great leader as well.
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