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Portal Position Analysis; Quarterbacks

On3 imageby:Tom Dienhart•01/18/25•

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(Nelson Chenault/USA Today)

The portal additions have come fast and furious this winter for Purdue, as new coach Barry Odom has been busy building a roster for his maiden team.

The current portal addition count for Purdue: 29. More players will be added in the spring when a second portal window opens April 16-25.

Who has Purdue added thus far? GoldandBlack.com takes a position-by-position look. First up: quarterbacks.

QUARTERBACKS

Player, school
 Evans Chuba, Washington State
 EJ Colson, UCF
 Malachi Singleton, Arkansas

Many positions have undergone tumult this offseason as Odom has taken over. None more than quarterback.

Three of the four scholarship signal-callers from 2024 are gone. Hudson Card is out of eligibility, while Ryan Browne (North Carolina) and Marcos Davila (Nebraska) have transferred. Bennett Meredith remains, but it’s thought he will graduate in the spring and depart. So, Purdue is poised to start 2025 with a totally revised QB depth chart.

Odom hit the portal hard this winter, reeling in three quarterbacks who all are enrolled and will begin battling this spring: Malachi Singleton (Arkansas); EJ Colson (UCF); Evans Chuba (Washington State).

None of the additions has significant experience. But the trio has plenty of remaining eligibility: Singleton (three years); Colson (four); Chuba (four). The signal-callers also fit the mold of “dual-threat.” No doubt, Odom will want his QB to be able to run.

Is there a favorite to be QB1? Maybe Singleton, but this battle is far from over under the watchful eye of veteran QB coach Darin Hinshaw.

And there is this: Will Purdue try to add another portal quarterback in the spring? A signal-caller who is a proven starter? Or, will the staff really roll with three inexperienced quarterbacks? Something to keep on your radar.

MALACHI SINGLETON, 6-1, 225, R-So.

Singleton has had the biggest moment of the QB portal threesome.

After Arkansas starting quarterback Taylen Green exited the Tennessee game at the beginning of the fourth quarter following a lower-body hit, Singleton came on to rally the Razorbacks past the No. 4 Volunteers in October.

Singleton’s big moment: He led Arkansas on a 59-yard go-ahead scoring drive that was capped off by his 11-yard rushing touchdown with 1:17 left in the game. Singleton’s two-point conversion pass attempt failed, but the Hogs hung on for a 19-14 win. Singleton finished the game 2-of-3 passing for 31 yards and ran four times for 16 yards with the game-winning score. He had played just 21 snaps before the Tennessee game.

“He ran it very, very well,” said Arkansas coach Sam Pittman in the post-game. “He scored a touchdown there to go ahead. He’s been here a long time and hadn’t got to play. To go in there and score the winning touchdown with the help of 10 other guys has to be really fulfilling for him. I’m really happy for him.”

EJ COLSON, 6-1, 200, R-Fr.

The only portal QB who has started a game is Colson, who did so as a true freshman last season.

Colson arrived at UCF with some high hopes after he tallied 5,969 passing yards, 1,354 rushing yards and 84 touchdowns in three seasons as QB1 for Cedar Grove High in Ellenwood (Ga.). He guided the program to consecutive appearances in Georgia’s 3A championship game, including the 2023 state crown.

Colson reclassified in December 2023 and enrolled at UCF in June 2024 as a 17-year-old. He quickly moved up the depth chart in camp, working predominantly with the third-team with sixth-year senior KJ Jefferson the starter and Miami (Fla.) transfer Jacurri Brown added in the summer as the No. 2 QB.

Still just 17, Colson got the start in place of the struggling Jefferson for the Knights’ game vs. Cincinnati in October. Colson endured his own struggles in his first college game, hitting just 1-of-4 passes for -6 yards and running for 6 yards on three carries. He also recovered his own fumble. Brown came on for Colson and impressed vs. the Bearcats.

EVANS CHUBA, 6-3, 215, R-Fr.

The ultimate unfinished product, Chuba hasn’t taken a snap in two seasons.

The native of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, missed his senior year at Clearwater Academy International (Fla.)–where he attended two seasons–with a back injury. And he redshirted last season as a true freshman at Washington State, where he enrolled January 2024.

As a junior at Clearwater Academy International, Chuba forged a 10-1 record and a Sunshine State Independent Association championship. He completed 133-of-259 passes (51 percent) for 2,173 yards and 20 touchdowns with eight interceptions.

MORE: Who jumped in the portal for Purdue? | Who is coming from the portal? | Purdue 2025 newcomer roster |  GoldandBlack.com content hub: Welcome to the Barry Odom era

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