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Eye on the prize: Purdue sophomore DE has one major goal this season
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Purdue sophomore defensive end George Karlaftis has high expectations for his team this season. It doesn’t matter that the Boilermakers finished the 2019 campaign with just a 4-8 record.
Asked for his goals for the upcoming 2020 season, Karlaftis kept his answer short and sweet. He didn’t put a priority on any individual goals, but what he wants the team to accomplish this fall.
“My only goal is to win the B1G championship,” Karlaftis said in a video posted by WLFI’s Andrew Pogar.
George Karlaftis has several goals for the upcoming season.
But the #Purdue sophomore DE will only share one with the public.
7️⃣ more days until No. 5️⃣ and the Boilermakers kick off the new campaign. pic.twitter.com/UGy01xOcXR
— Andrew Pogar (@AndrewPogar) October 17, 2020
The Boilermakers struggled last season, due to a young roster and a laundry list of injuries. But Karlaftis was one of the bright spots as a true freshman. The defensive end totaled 54 stops in his first season in West Lafayette, which included 17 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
Karlaftis was also responsible for 2 pass break-ups, an interception and a forced fumble during his freshman season.
Despite his success, Purdue’s defense struggled mightily during the 2019 season. That led to a change at defensive coordinator, with Jeff Brohm letting go of Nick Holt and hiring Bob Diaco.
Will that change be enough for the Boilers to be a contender in the B1G West?
Purdue will start its season on Saturday, Oct. 24 when it hosts B1G West foe Iowa.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB