Purdue RB Devin Mockobee looking for grand finish to storybook debut

It’s remarkable how unremarkable Devin Mockobee looks.

At first glance, he appears like any other Purdue student. If Mockobee walked by you on State Street, you wouldn’t know you just strolled past the greatest freshman running back in Boilermaker history.

But, that’s Mockobee, who is generously listed at 6-0, 195 on the Purdue roster. There is no thick neck, broad shoulders, bulging biceps or rippling thighs. Don’t be fooled by the packaging, however. Mockobee is an unabashed star who sits on the precipice of something that hasn’t been done at Purdue since 2008: Notch a 1,000-yard rushing season.

“I’m 80 away from 1,000, and that’s my goal,” said Mockobee. “I’m definitely trying to hit that.” 

Mockobee has 920 yards, the most ever by a freshman in school annals. He’s registered four 100-yard performances in 2022, including another Purdue freshman record when he ran for 178 yards and a TD on 30 attempts in a 43-37 triumph vs. Nebraska. 

Not bad for a walk-on.

“I can’t say I’m not happy with the way that it’s going,” Mockobee said. “But, I don’t know, I’m just glad to see that I’ve been able to do what I think that I’ve been able to do the whole time.”

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All Mockobee ever wanted was a chance. He was headed to Navy after a legendary career at Boonville (Ind.) High before Purdue swooped in with summertime offer to walk on. Mockobee toiled in anonymity in 2021, a forgotten name and number on a crowded Purdue roster.

Now, Mockobee is poised to join Leroy Keyes, Otis Armstrong, Scott Dierking, Mike Alstott, Joey Harris and Kory Sheets as the only players to crest the 1,000-yard rushing mark in Boilermaker history. Not bad for a guy who was No. 4 on the depth chart when the season dawned and didn’t play in the season opener vs. Penn State.

Sheets was the last Purdue running back to reach 1,000 yards, accomplishing the feat back in 2008 when he ran for 1,131 yards on 234 attempts while also scoring 16 touchdowns. How big of a deal would it be for Mockobee to hit 1,000?

“I think it’d be really big for me, especially just with everything that’s been happening this season, my story,” said Mockobee. “But to be in the history of the select few that have been able to hit 1,000 I think is going to be special.”

Mockobee figures to be a key part of the program moving forward under new Purdue coach Ryan Walters, who wasted no time putting Mockobee on scholarship.

“I played against him, so I know exactly what he was capable of,” said Walters, who saw Mockobee run for 106 yards and a TD vs. Walters’ Illini defense in a 31-24 Purdue in Champaign in November. “He was hard to bring down, hard to tackle.”

First order of business, @Coach_Walters had an announcement to make 👀 pic.twitter.com/0m5BeWvm3x

— Purdue Football (@BoilerFootball) December 14, 2022

Walters didn’t know Mockobee was a walk-on back then.

“Found out he was not on scholarship, and you know, now I’m like, shoot, this guy needs a scholarship, and I’m reminding myself like, well, yeah, you’re the head coach, so you can do that,” said Walters.

“So, talked to (Purdue AD) Mike (Bobinski) about it and he thought it would be a great idea and I knew we were having a team meeting, and I thought, shoot, why not first order of business, do what’s right and that’s give Devin a scholarship.”

The moment was captured on video and stirred the emotions of anyone who watched it. The clip has been viewed over 400,000 times.

“In watching and evaluating tape throughout that week, I thought he was in the upper echelon of the running backs we had faced or were going to face this past season,” said Walters, whose Illinois defense was among the best in the nation in 2022.

Next up, the bowl game: Mockobee is prepping to stare down a talented LSU defense on Jan. 2 in Orlando in the Citrus Bowl. Purdue will battle the Tigers with a roster depleted by myriad key opt-outs.

“It’s a huge deal. To go down there and put our best foot forward, these guys are excited,” Purdue interim head coach Brian Brohm said. “The ones that have been playing are excited to get out there and have this opportunity. The guys that might get a bigger role because somebody else stepped away, they’re chomping at the bit to show what they can do.”