Purdue has been less than stellar defensively once again in 2019. The Boilermakers are last in total yards allowed and second-to-last in points yielded in the B1G. Nationally, they are 113th in yards allowed and 117th against the pass.

One of the team’s defensive strengths has been getting pressure to the quarterback. Purdue is ninth in the B1G with 12 sacks, but head coach Jeff Brohm is still searching for ways his defensive line can improve and is calling for the team to use “different fronts” to try and confuse the opposition.

The biggest bright spot for the Purdue defensive line, and maybe the entire defense, has been freshman defensive end George Karlaftis. In five games, the freshman already has 27 total tackles, including 13 solos, 8.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. He leads the team in tackles for loss and sacks while he’s second in total tackles.

Karlaftis also has two pass breakups, a quarterback hurry and an interception.

Despite the low rankings in several defensive statistical categories, thanks in large part to Karlaftis, Purdue has actually improved defensively since last season. In 2018, the Boilermakers were ranked 128th out of 130 FBS teams in pass defense.