WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Wide receivers Jackson Anthrop and David Bell, along with defensive end George Karlaftis, have been selected by head coach Jeff Brohm to represent Purdue at the 2021 Big Ten Media Day on July 23. With the annual conference event being hosted for the first time in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Boilermakers will bring a local flavor with all three players hailing from the host state.
Anthrop, who is entering his sixth season with the Boilermakers, heads into 2021 with 95 career receptions for 850 yards and six touchdowns. Missing the first two games last year due to an injury suffered in training camp, Anthrop returned to action earlier than anticipated and played in four of the Boilermakers' six games.
Bell, the 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a 2020 first-team All-Big Ten selection, begins his junior season with 139 career receptions for 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns. In merely 18 collegiate games, Bell is 19th in school history in receptions and tied for 12th in receiving scores. His 10 career 100-yard receiving games as a Boilermaker are tied for the fourth most at Purdue. Bell has led the Big Ten in receptions per game in each of the last two seasons and led all conference players with an average of 104.2 receiving yards per game in 2020.
Despite missing most of 2020 due to injury and COVID-19, the excitement continues to build around the promise of Karlaftis' third Purdue season. In 15 collegiate games played, the hometown junior has tallied 19 career tackles for loss, including 9.5 sacks, among his 58 total stops (33 percent). A two-time second-team All-Big Ten selection, he, along with Bell, was feted as a Freshman All-American by the Associated Press following the 2018 season.
Bell was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List and Karlaftis to the Bednarik Award Watch List, respectively, on Monday.
Anthrop, who is entering his sixth season with the Boilermakers, heads into 2021 with 95 career receptions for 850 yards and six touchdowns. Missing the first two games last year due to an injury suffered in training camp, Anthrop returned to action earlier than anticipated and played in four of the Boilermakers' six games.
Bell, the 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a 2020 first-team All-Big Ten selection, begins his junior season with 139 career receptions for 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns. In merely 18 collegiate games, Bell is 19th in school history in receptions and tied for 12th in receiving scores. His 10 career 100-yard receiving games as a Boilermaker are tied for the fourth most at Purdue. Bell has led the Big Ten in receptions per game in each of the last two seasons and led all conference players with an average of 104.2 receiving yards per game in 2020.
Despite missing most of 2020 due to injury and COVID-19, the excitement continues to build around the promise of Karlaftis' third Purdue season. In 15 collegiate games played, the hometown junior has tallied 19 career tackles for loss, including 9.5 sacks, among his 58 total stops (33 percent). A two-time second-team All-Big Ten selection, he, along with Bell, was feted as a Freshman All-American by the Associated Press following the 2018 season.
Bell was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List and Karlaftis to the Bednarik Award Watch List, respectively, on Monday.