'Do What's Right': Ryan Walters Explains Decision to Award Devin Mockobee a Scholarship

"I played against him, so I know exactly what he was capable of," Walters said. "He was hard to bring down, hard to tackle. In watching and evaluating tape throughout that week, I thought he was in the upper echelon of the running backs we had faced or were going to face this past season."

Walters served as the defensive coordinator for Illinois for the past two seasons. When the Fighting Illini met the Boilermakers on the field on Nov. 12 in Champaign, Ill., he got a first-hand look at Mockobee and the team's improved running game. 

In a 31-24 victory at Memorial Stadium, Mockobee carried the ball 28 times for 106 yards and a touchdown. He registered four games of at least 100 yards rushing in 2022. 

Mockobee flashed his potential early in the year by running for 78 yards and a score on 13 attempts in Purdue's 56-0 win against Indiana State in the second week of the season. As senior running back King Doerue dealt with injuries, the redshirt freshman was quickly elevated to a starting role and became the lead back for the Boilermakers. 

Mockobee's first 100-yard performance came against then-No. 21 Minnesota, when he carried the ball 11 times for 112 yards and a touchdown. It was just two weeks before posting a career performance against Nebraska, registering 30 attempts for 178 yards and another score. 

He was instrumental in the Boilermakers reaching eight wins on the year, giving them a chance to represent their division in the Big Ten Football Championship Game against the Michigan Wolverines. 

"I found out he was not on scholarship, and I'm like, shoot, this guy needs a scholarship," Walters said. "I'm reminding myself like, you're the head coach, so you can do that.

"So I talked to [athletic director Mike Bobinski] about it, and he thought it would be a great idea. I knew we were having a team meeting, and I thought why not as the first order of business? Do what's right, and that's give Devin a scholarship."