Purdue's Replogle continues to show improvement

Darrell Hazell is thrilled about Jake Replogle's future.

However, the Purdue defensive tackle wants to take a step back into the past and not repeat what transpired last season. Replogle started slowly, came on strong toward the end and that solid play has carried over into spring practice.

The 6-foot-5, 279-pound Replogle pressed too much early. Once he became comfortable, Replogle excelled.

"I was able at the end to let the game come to me and everything slowed down a little bit. I felt a lot more comfortable and confident going into the games," Replogle said.

The end result was a team-high 10 tackles for loss, including three sacks. He was more of a disruptive force down the stretch than in the early part of the season. That's the type of play the defense will need from Replogle when the 2015 season begins at Marshall.

"He's an impressive guy," Hazell said. "Jake Replogle may be one of the most consistent guys we have on our football team in terms of playing with power, playing with effort and his motor is non-stop."

Replogle was at his best late and compares those performances to what he's accomplishing on the practice field this spring.

The Centerville, Ohio, native sees improvement. He sees more quickness. He sees more strength.

"The most important thing was getting better in the spring and being a better player than I was last fall," Replogle said. "I think I was watching film the other day and I was comparing the film I watched the night before of the games last fall and just looking back, I think I've become a better player."

His coach, Rubin Carter, sees the carryover. The fundamentals have improved and his intelligence about his position and the overall defense continues to develop.

"He studies all the time and is really meticulous about wanting to make improvement with his hands and with his footwork and techniques that are going to help make him a better football player," Carter said. "I believe he has the ability to be a two-dimensional player for us — be effective against the run and also against the pass, get some pressure and get some push in the backfield."

Replogle's career continues to push forward, despite being asked to add weight. It's necessary for Replogle to hold up against 300-pound offensive linemen in the Big Ten. He's up to 279, and looks to play in the 280 to 290-pound range this season.

He's added weight, but his skills haven't diminished.

"Hopefully, I'll be putting on more good weight in the summer and hopefully playing next year at 280, 285 and 290. It's all about putting on good weight. If I put on sloppy weight it will show up on film and I'll be a little slower," Replogle said.

When Purdue starts the season in September, it will have experience up front on the defensive line. Along with Replogle, Ryan Watson, Ra'Zahn Howard and even Michael Rouse have played enough snaps to give Carter a solid rotation to improve the pass rush.

The Boilermakers totaled only nine sacks against Big Ten teams last season, tying for last in the league with Northwestern.

"This fall, you'll see a different defensive line getting after the quarterback," Replogle said. "Usually we've been the young guys having to go in for the first time and hold our own. A lot of us have two or three years under our belt, so we're the older guys and we need to step up for the defense. We're no longer the young guys."​

Spring game

Ross-Ade Stadium

Saturday: 1 p.m.

Admission: Free

Other events: The Challenge 5K Run/Walk begins at 8:30 a.m. All proceeds go to help cure cancer. ... Family Fun Fest runs from 11 a.m. to noon at Ross-Ade Stadium.