All eyes on Charlie Jones as star Purdue WR meets former Iowa teammates

Jeff Brohm doesn’t think it’s a big whoop. But, it’s a big whoop. The big whoop? Purdue receiver Charlie Jones is playing his former team, Iowa, on Saturday in Ross-Ade Stadium.

“You know, I think it’s probably less of a big deal than you think,” said Purdue coach Jeff Brohm.

Oh, sure. There are other key storylines for Purdue when it plays host to Iowa on Saturday at noon ET. The Boilermakers (5-3 overall; 3-2 Big Ten) are in the thick of the Big Ten West title chase and can become bowl-eligible, while the Hawkeyes (4-4; 2-3) are looking to build mojo coming off one of their best efforts of the season in a 33-13 win vs. Northwestern.

But, c’mon … the big story is Charlie Jones facing-off vs. the school he jilted late last spring.

No doubt, in the transfer portal era, the likelihood of players lining up vs. former teammates will continue to be more common. Still, Jones’ story has extra juice, given his mega impact at Purdue and the fact Iowa’s listless offense (last in the Big Ten with a 16.4-point average) could have used Jones’ playmaking. Poor Spencer Petras. The Hawkeye quarterback sure could have used Jones.

“We’ll never know what would have happened if he was here,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said this week to the media. “We saw him make great improvement, I thought, in the spring. We were really excited about that. And then, he’s not here.”

Poof.

Adding an extra tablespoon of zest to Saturday’s proceedings: Jones isn’t the only former Hawkeye on Purdue’s roster. Wideout Tyrone Tracy also transferred to Purdue in the offseason.

“I think both young men really represent themselves well,” said Brohm. “They’re high character young men that want to make a difference, and I think they’ll play extremely hard this game.”

While Tracy has had a minimal impact, Jones has been a bona fide star. He shocked the Big Ten when he transferred to Purdue in June. It was late in the process, as Jones had already gone through spring drills with the Hawkeyes following a season in which he was named Big Ten Return Man of the Year. Nonetheless, Jones opted to become a Boilermaker. And, some former teammates were rankled.

“He told me right before he let everybody know (he was leaving),” Iowa receiver Nico Ragaini told the media after news of Jones’ departure broke in early June. “I just wished him luck. We talk all the time, so I just wish him the best. What’s in the past is in the past.

“You can’t sit here and cry,” Ragaini added. “You can’t make somebody who doesn’t want to be here, be here. That’s not beneficial for both of us. So, he thinks he’s better off there. I wish him the best of luck and it’ll be fun seeing him this year.”

It’s impossible not to say Jones made the right call to pack his bags and bolt Iowa City for West Lafayette. He has thrived in his new home at Purdue, making 72 catches for 840 yards and nine TDs. To put those numbers in perspective, Jones made 21 receptions for 323 yards and three TDs in his two seasons as a Hawkeye. The sixth-year senior, who began his career at Buffalo, ranks second in the nation in receptions per game (9.0) and receiving yards (840), while pacing the Big Ten in each category.

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“It’s pretty simple, I came here for the offense,” Jones said prior to the season. “The past couple years, they’ve shown that being a receiver in this type of offense means a lot of opportunities.”

Jones also has a connection with Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell.

“Aidan, we grew up together (in the Chicago suburbs) and played Little League together,” said Jones. “He’s been making big plays since we were in the third grade.

“So, I came here for that kind of connection. But, really, just the system … ”

Ah, the Purdue system. It was good to former Boilermaker wideouts Rondale Moore and David Bell, who are each now cashing NFL paychecks. And, the system has been good to Jones.

Milton Wright was going to be the presumed No. 1 receiver on the 2022 squad, but he was declared academically ineligible. Then, Broc Thompson sustained a knee injury in the second game this season that required surgery. He hasn’t played since.

Thank god for Jones, who has more than filled the alpha wideout spot for the Boilermakers despite dealing with persistent lower-body injuries that often require him to sit out practices.

“He’s just been a huge player for us,” said O’Connell. “Super dynamic, has come in and learned the playbook in a short amount of time. Works hard. Loves football. His teammates love him. He’s a great guy for the locker room.

“So, any anytime you bring in a guy who’s a sixth-year senior, who is a great player, who’s kind of feeling like it’s his last opportunity to prove himself, which I know he did to start the season … Super motivated. Has been has been a huge impact player for us.”

Jones hopes to add to that impact on Saturday vs. Iowa. And it’ll be a big whoop if he does.

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