The 2024 NFL Draft marked the fifth straight year that at least two Boilermakers were chosen, totaling 14 over the span. That last time Purdue had a five-year streak of multiple Boilermakers drafted was 1998-2002.
Tracy became just the second Purdue running back to be selected in the NFL Draft since 1999, including the highest on the board since Mike Alstott (2nd Round – 1996). Until Tracy on Saturday, wide receiver Brian Alford was the last Boilermaker to be drafted by the Giants (3rd Round – 1998).
Ending his collegiate career and second year as a Boilermaker, Tracy had a breakout season to earn Second Team All-Big Ten honors (AP) as an all-purpose/return specialist. The Indianapolis native showcased his versatility by transitioning from wide receiver to running back at the start of the year, while also leading the Purdue return game. Tracy tallied 1,270 all-purpose yards, including 408 kick return yards, to rank second in the conference in both categories. Averaging 25.5 yards per return, Tracy finished with the 11th-best kickoff return average in Purdue history and the highest since Akeem Hunt in 2013 (26.1).
Despite sharing the workload in the backfield with Devin Mockobee, Tracy tallied 716 yards on the ground, while leading the team in touchdowns (eight rushing, one kickoff return) and pacing the Big Ten in all-purpose yards in conference games (127.4 ypg). He averaged 6.3 yards per carry on 113 attempts, the second-best single-season rushing average in school history. Tracy produced a team-high three 100-yard games during the 2023 campaign. He had the biggest game of his career at Northwestern, recording 276 all-purpose yards for the most by a Boilermaker since Rondale Moore (2019). The senior turned 16 carries into a career-high 160 yards (10.0 yards per carry) with a touchdown, while adding 78 kickoff return yards and 38 receiving yards. He helped Purdue beat Minnesota with a team-high 174 all-purpose yards, including 122 on the ground. Rumbling for 112 yards in the win over Illinois earned Tracy the first 100-yard rushing game of his career.
At the NFL Combine last month, Tracy put together some of the best numbers among running backs. The Boilermaker produced the fastest 3-cone drill by a running back, weaving through the cones in 6.81 seconds. Once again showing his shiftiness, Tracy clocked in at 4.06 seconds for the 20-yard shuttle, ranking second in his position. His 40-inch vertical jump also ranked second. In the always-intriguing 40-yard dash, Tracy raced down the sideline in 4.48 seconds. During that run, he reached a top speed of 23.01 mph to rank fourth by a running back according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
Kane became the first Boilermaker drafted by the Ravens, although Hall of Famer and Boilermaker legend Rod Woodson helped lead the team to a victory in Super Bowl XXXV and Bernard Pollard helped Baltimore win Super Bowl LVII.
A four-year letterman, Kane played in 45 games over his Purdue career. He made 25 starts for the Old Gold and Black, totaling 161 tackles that included 115 solo stops. The Harlem, New York, native had a knack for delivering big hits, forcing three fumbles and tallying 11 tackles-for-loss from the secondary.
Earning All-Big Ten Honorable Mention, Kane made 79 stops in 2023 to rank second on the team behind Dillon Thieneman and 15th in the Big Ten, averaging 6.6 per game. The team captain paced Purdue with seven pass breakups and added 6.0 TFLs, third on the team and the most by a member of the Boilermaker secondary. He forced a fumble to in a victory at Virginia Tech and made a career-high 10 tackles at Nebraska.
As a junior, Kane helped lead Purdue to the first Big Ten West title in program history with a team-high 72 tackles. He started 12 games at safety, and his 54 solo tackles were also more than any other Boilermaker. During his sophomore campaign, Kane played in all 13 games. The defensive back also appeared in all six games as a freshman, the 2020 season that was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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