Youngest Thieneman to make instant impact as true freshman
Though he’ll suit up as a Boilermaker for the first time next Saturday, Purdue freshman safety Dillon Thieneman knows Ross-Ade Stadium quite well.
The freshman from Westfield, Ind., watched as his two older brothers, Jacob and Brennan, played safety for Purdue in recent years. Now, it’s Dillon’s turn to represent the Thieneman family on the back end of Purdue’s defense.
“Growing up, I always came to Purdue games watching my brothers play out there, [but] I wanted to get out there and do it myself,” said Thieneman. “I had a good connection with Purdue, so coming here feels like a dream come true.”
While he saw his brothers play for Purdue, Dillon’s path to the field looks much clearer than it did for the older two. Jacob and Brennan came to Purdue as walk-ons, while Dillon came as a scholarship three-star recruit, per On3.
Jacob first cracked the defensive rotation for Purdue as a redshirt sophomore in 2016, while Brennan first became a regular contributor in 2018 during his redshirt sophomore campaign. As for Dillon? All signs point toward him starting in his first-ever game at Purdue.
After enrolling at Purdue in January and joining the team ahead of spring practices, Thieneman began turning heads early and often.
“In the weight room and on the field, he’s on top of the board in everything,” said fifth-year safety Cam Allen, who lined up alongside Brennan in 2019 and 2020. “Through my eyes, it’s a whole bunch of things that I ain’t seen a true freshman do in a long time.”
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Thieneman credited his early enrollment for helping him adapt to the defense. As Ryan Walters and his coaching staff installed the new-look defensive scheme, Thieneman stood right there absorbing it all. And, it always helps to lean on a pair of former Big Ten safeties in the family, as well.
“I send them some film clips so they can help me with my technique. They help me to get perspective to just keep working,” Thieneman said of his brothers.
Fellow safety Sanoussi Kane noted the similarities between Thieneman and his older brothers, citing his no-nonsense work ethic with which he approaches the game.
“Dillion doesn’t need to talk. All he’s gonna do is work. He got that from his brothers. It’s been fun every day because I know if I’m not working, Dillon is gonna work,” Kane said.
Starting immediately as a true freshman at Purdue doesn’t come often, especially on the defensive side of the ball. As his battery-mates in the defensive backfield noted, he’s shown himself in practice. On September 2, he’ll run through the Tiller Tunnel ready to show Purdue fans that his time is now.
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