INDIANAPOLIS – One year after the start of the Ryan Walters era of Purdue Football and we still don’t have clarity.
The Boilermakers had some high points in 2023, but they also saw winnable games against Fresno State, Iowa It is Northwest slip through your fingertips during a 4-8 season.
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Roster turnover is expected in this day and age of college football and Purdue has had no shortage of that.
Walters will be among the group of Big Ten Football coaches taking the podium during Tuesday’s opening round of the three-day Big Ten Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Here are the four biggest questions and possible answers for the Boilermakers entering Walters’ second season as head coach.
Has the Hudson Card progressed?
When Hudson Card transferred from Texas to Purdue, the move generated a lot of excitement. Card has now been in coordinator Graham Harrell’s offense for two springs and a 12-game season.
An injury during the fifth game of last season, and at that time Card’s best performance, proved to be detrimental as Purdue had to alter some of its offensive actions to protect a limping quarterback. With a healthy card, does Purdue muster any offense at Iowa? If Card was able to play Northwestern against the inexperienced Bennett Meredith and Ryan Browne, did the Boilers defeat the Wildcats in the last game ever played at Ryan Field?
That’s how close Purdue actually came to bowl eligibility. Water under the bridge now and we have to accept Card at face value, who was hit and miss in his first season in West Lafayette. The final picture, though, with Card in his healthiest state since he led Purdue over Illinois in 2023, is of the mobile QB threat showing off some new targets in an Old Oaken Bucket victory against Indiana.
That version of Card, or an even better one, presumably after another offseason of work, will be necessary for Purdue to succeed in 2024.
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Where do incoming transfers fit?
O transfer portal It’s a way of life in college football now, especially when a new team arrives and quickly tries to establish itself. But things go both ways and losing Nic Scourton (among others) hurts.
We’ll get to the crop of former Georgia Bulldogs in a minute, but one to watch is running back Reggie Love III. Tyrone Tracy and Devin Mockobee formed a nice 1-2 punch in the Boiler backfield. With Tracy now a member of the New York Giants, Mockobee needs a new running mate and Love brings Big Ten experience from Illinois.
Now, about the Georgia transfers. Purdue needed help at cornerback and Nyland Green, as well as Colorado’s Kyndrich Breedlove, are a definite boost. CJ Madden should bolster Purdue’s pass rush, while De’Nylon Morrissette and CJ Smith add to Purdue’s receiving corps.
Will Jireh Ojata, who starred at Division III Franklin College, be a diamond in the rough? Shitta Sillah could become an impact player for Boston College in the pass rush. Where Purdue was most limited last season was on the offensive line. The Boilers were tough behind the attackers in the portal. Joey Tanona was once a high-profile recruit before a car accident cut short his career at Notre Dame, and now he’s looking for a career resurgence.
Corey Stewart (Ball State) and college transfers Rod Green and Jaekwon Bouldin certainly look the part. Special teams priorities get in the way of kicker RJ Lopez (UCLA) and punter Keelan Crimmins (Mississippi State).
What did Ryan Walters and his team learn together in their first year?
Walters always had a vision of being a head coach. Despite a 4-8 season, Walters appears even more confident in what he is doing leading the Boilermakers.
Credit the swagger and the guts, but wins are ultimately the determining factor and Purdue’s schedule since Walters’ arrival has lacked many, if any, softness. Virginia Tech’s victory after hours of being locked in a locker room during thunderstorms showed that this team can win big games. But the last-minute botch a week earlier against Fresno State also showed that Purdue could easily lose in the same situation.
Coordinator Kevin Kane’s defense looked very good at times. Harrell’s offense is the same. However, these two apparently never clicked at the same time.
If the lessons from last season made Purdue’s coaching staff better, then going through a 4-8 season might have been worth it.
Does the defense turn a corner?
Walters came to Purdue with a reputation as a defensive guru. Yes, it’s Kane’s defense, but don’t think Walters’ fingerprints aren’t all over it. Now it’s a defense without Scourton, Sanoussi Kane, Cam Allen and others who were positive points.
Additionally, Kydran Jenkins is changing positions. Will Heldt shined in the spring game, which is good, but cannot be completely used as an accurate indicator given the nature of spring games.
Here’s a stat Purdue fans should take note of: Walters spent two seasons as co-defensive coordinator at Missouri before being given full access to the Tigers’ defense in 2018. Missouri allowed 6.3 fewer points per game compared to the previous year , then cut another 6.1 points per game, allowing just 19.4 in 2019.
In 2020, Illinois allowed 34.9 points per game. A new staff, including Walters as defensive coordinator, has reduced that number to 21.9 in 2021 and to one of the best defenses in the country (12.8 points allowed) in 2022. Purdue is counting on similar results from year one to year two on defense . The Boilers ranked 105th in Division I, allowing 30.4 points per game last season.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sing@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared in the Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue Football’s Burning Questions Ahead of 2024 Big 10 Media Days
