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O-Line in Flux with spring ball approach

On3 imageby:Tom Dienhart•02/24/25•

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Bakyne Coly (Krockover Photography)

It is full-steam ahead on the 2025 season for Purdue, as Barry Odom looks to take the next step in building his first Boilermaker squad when spring ball kicks off on March 4.

This is the fifth in a series of position-by-position breakdowns of the 2025 Purdue team as it preps for spring football.

MORE position analysis: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs

OFFENSIVE LINE

Player, class
Jaekwon Bouldin, So.
Bakyne Coly, Sr.
Jaden Ball, RFr.
Rod Green, Jr.
Jordan King, RFr.
Jimmy Liston, So.
Max Parrott, RFr.
Hank Purvis, So.
John Randle, RFr.
Jalen “Chop” St. John, 6thSr.
Joey Tanona, Jr.
Giordano Vaccaro, Sr.
Mason Vicari, So.

NOTES:

• “Change” has been the operative word for a unit that saw three scholarship blockers exit via the portal:

OFFENSIVE LINE

Name (school transferred to)Class
Jalen Grant (N.C. State)Sr.
Mahamane Moussa (Louisville)Jr.
DJ Wingfield (USC)Sr.

On top of that, Purdue said “good-bye” to three key vets who are prepping for hoped-for NFL careers: Gus Hartwig, Marcus Mbow and Corey Stewart. Add it all up, and all five starting o-linemen from 2024 are gone: Stewart, Mbow, Wingfield, Moussa and Hartwig. Now what?

• How will the new line shake out? Who are the starters?

• New line coach Vance Vice brings a wealth of experience. He followed Odom from UNLV and also has coached OLs at Virginia Tech, Memphis and Louisiana-Monroe.

• It would not be a surprise if Jalen St. John emerges as the top lineman, an anchor at left tackle. He began his career at Arkansas. The man they call “Chop” is one of three UNLV linemen who transferred to Purdue: Hank Purdue and Mason Vicari as the others. Look for Vicari to be the No. 1 center.

• No portal addition is more intriguing than Giordano Vaccaro, who played college ball in Canada. Can he excel down here?

• Two potential breakout players: Bakyne Coley and Joey Tanona. At 6-7, 302-pounds, Coley passes the eyeball test. He began his career at tiny Lawrence Tech in Michigan. Tanona has a Hollywood-inspired story, having overcome a potentially career-ending car crash at Notre Dame before transferring to Purdue. He was a four-star recruit at Zionsville (Ind.) High.

• No youngster has more potential than Jaden Ball. Will he realize it in 2025?

• Will Purdue get anything out of JC transfers Jaekwon Bouldin and Rod Green, who each missed last season due to injury?

• Vice said he likes to have 20 offensive linemen. He was short entering spring ball but reportedly has added three walk-ons for now.

OFFENSIVE LINE PORTAL ADDITIONS

Player, school
Hank Purvis, UNLV
Jalen St. John, UNLV
Giordano Vaccaro, University of Manitoba
Mason Vicari, UNLV

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