Purdue HC Ryan Walters excited by program's NIL growth, incoming crop of transfers

Coming off a 4-8 season in Ryan Walters‘ first year at Purdue, the Boilermakers saw one of the country’s largest roster turnovers among Division I football programs this offseason.

Twenty-seven high school prospects joined the program, along with 18 transfers, while 29 players from the previous year’s roster are no longer in West Lafayette.

That isn’t expected to be a trend under Walters, but his strategy is dependent on where the program is at when it comes to each position.

And this year’s class was heavy on newcomers.

“I think it just depends on your positional needs. Recruiting high school still matters in terms of setting a foundation and building culture, and making your program a developmental program,” he told On3’s Steve Wiltfong on Tuesday at Big Ten media days. “But at the end of the day, if a guy is not ready, you’ve got to go get an experienced guy. It’s case-by-case scenario based on who you retain, who leaves and what that position’s depth chart looks like.”

Transfers making a good impression early for the Boilermakers

He’s excited about the transfer class they’ve assembled, and a number of new players already flashed during spring practice and in summer workouts.

“Corey Stewart, Joey Tanona just to name a couple. At wideout, C.J. Smith, Leland Smith, Kam Brown, De’Nylon Morrissette. Defensive line: Jamarius Dinkins, C.J. Madden, Shitta Sillah — those guys look really good. And then Nyland Green and Kyndrich Breedlove, those guys can go. For what we do defensively, we need them to.”

Tanona in a particular has made a strong impression after transferring in from Notre Dame, where he didn’t see the field in two seasons due to injury.

“He came in, and he hadn’t played so he was undersized,” Walters added. “I say that for a guy who is 6’5, but for his position he was like 275 or 280. And he’s right around 310 now. He’s gained a lot of weight and you can tell he is getting back to being comfortable playing the game. And you see why he was as highly rated as he was coming out of high school now that’s healthy and confident.”

NIL growth, recruiting class has Walters excited

Along with the revamped roster, Walters says that the program’s NIL operation is in a much better place than it was a year ago, even if there’s still work to do.

“We’re still growing, but we’re definitely a lot more competitive than we were a year ago,” he said. “If we want to win championships, we’ve got to continue to bolster our collective.”

Of what improved, he added: “The alumni and fan base’s understanding of the landscape and how NIL is used. The more educated they are, the more willing they are to support. We’ve got a passionate fan base who really cares about the university and takes pride in Purdue athletics. So when they know how it’s used and what our competitors are operating with, they’ve been generous with their donations.”

The Boilermakers already have 13 commitments in the fold for the 2025 class, a group the head coach says he’s eager to get to campus.

“They all fit what we’re trying to do schematically,” he said. “They check the boxes on the measurables, times and numbers. But collectively, they all love football and that’s what we’re trying to find. With everybody we recruit, it’s just guys that love the game. And we feel like the class we’ve got committed, they love the game for the right reasons.”