Five players to watch in Purdue's fall camp

Purdue football takes the practice field to begin Ryan Walters‘ first fall camp on Wednesday. While the Boilermakers will wear the label of “defending Big Ten West champions,” this year’s team looks much different than the squads who combined to win 17 games over the past pair of seasons.

After losing five draft picks and welcoming nearly 40 new players in the program, many questions linger about the 2023 Boilermakers. Today, GoldandBlack.com looks at five players for fans to keep an eye on during fall camp.

HUDSON CARD

Purdue will go as far as Hudson Card can take it in 2023. Yes, it’s a lot to put on the right arm of the Texas transfer, but Purdue feels like he’s up to the challenge of leading the squad against one of the nation’s toughest schedules.

In both 2021 and 2022, Card spent fall camp in down-to-the-wire quarterback battles. This year, he’s the unquestioned starter for the first time in his career. Instead of competing for a job, he’ll work with Purdue’s top receivers to master Graham Harrell’s offense.

How quickly can the offense click? The sooner, the better, as the schedule doesn’t provide much of a grace period. Purdue opens with a historically strong Group of Five program before jumping into 11-straight Power Five conference opponents.

For Purdue to seek bowl eligibility, Card’s right arm will play a massive role in getting it there. With many unknowns at receiver and some question marks remaining on the offensive line, Card’s level of play will determine the ceiling of the 2023 team.

GARRETT MILLER

After showing real flashes in 2021, highlighted by an eight-catch, 74-yard performance vs. undefeated Michigan State, Garrett Miller seemed primed for a more significant role in 2022. However, his season ended before it even started, suffering a season-ending injury in fall camp.

Now healthy, Miller enters this season’s camp as one of the more intriguing players on the roster. NFL scouts may view him as Purdue’s top pro prospect, as his athleticism stands out compared to most tight ends. In Purdue’s new-look passing scheme, that could be a big advantage, giving him ample opportunity for yards after the catch.

Purdue’s last two tight ends concluded their Boilermaker careers with an NFL Draft selection in Brycen Hopkins and Payne Durham. Eyes will be on Miller early and often this season to see if he’ll make it three in April.

JEFFREY M’BA

After spending his first two seasons of college at Netflix-famous Independence Community College, Jeffrey M’ba spent his junior season at Auburn. He played in 10 games for the Tigers, mostly in a limited role.

Following Auburn’s coaching change, the new staff did not want to lose M’ba, but he entered the transfer portal nonetheless, landing at Purdue where he projects to make an instant impact. M’ba will play the defensive end position in Walters’ defensive scheme.

On a defensive line that lost three starters to the transfer portal (Jack Sullivan, Branson Deen, Lawrence Johnson), M’ba could be the top dog in 2023. While most of his production came at the junior college level, the optimism surrounding his potential makes for a very interesting follow during fall camp.

NIC SCOURTON

Perhaps the highest-ceiling player on Purdue’s roster, Nic Scourton (formerly Caraway) sits ready to break out in 2023. After a meteoric rise in the recruiting rankings as a senior in high school, he led Purdue’s true freshmen in snaps played. Scourton easily made the biggest impact of the true freshmen in those snaps, providing fans with a glimpse of his potential.

Early reports from spring practice did nothing to slow the hype surrounding No. 5, as his aggressive ball pursuit figures to mesh seamlessly with Walters’ defensive style. While he’ll adjust to an outside linebacker role, make no mistake: Scourton will look to find his way in the backfield to rack up tackles for loss.

Outside linebacker appears to be one of Purdue’s deeper position groups entering the fall. Scourton will share snaps with Kydran Jenkins and Khordae Sydnor, among others. Still, many eyes will look at the big Texan to see if he can blossom into a star after receiving a third-place vote for Big Ten Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in the Cleveland.com poll.

CAM ALLEN

Following an up-and-down senior season, Cam Allen elected to utilize his COVID year to return for one final go-around in West Lafayette. While Allen led the Boilermakers with three interceptions, including two critical ones in an upset win at Minnesota, he also led the squad in missed tackles.

It’s a fresh start for all this year, and Allen’s extensive experience makes him a valuable asset to the Purdue defense. No player on Purdue’s defense can match his 31 career starts, and he’s shown the ability to make a significant impact, earning honorable mention all-conference honors three years in a row.

Allen’s veteran presence looms large in a defensive backfield with so much turnover. If he can shore up some of the tackling deficiencies from last season, he could close out his Purdue career with a strong year and pave the way for younger players to thrive.