Portal Position Analysis: Receivers

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. Next up: Receivers.

MORE POSITION ANALYSIS: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Tight ends/fullbacks | Offensive line

RECEIVERS (5)

Player, school

EJ Horton, Florida Atlantic

Nathan Leacock, Tennessee

Chauncey Magwood, UCF

Isaiah Myers, Charlotte

Charles Ross, USC

This spot has been ravaged by departures. Jaron Tibbs (Kansas State), Jahmal Edrine (Virginia), Shamar Rigby (Oklahoma State), CJ Smith (Memphis) and Leland Smith (San Jose State) all transferred. Andrew Sowinski and Kam Brown exhausted their eligibility.

The leading returning wideout: De’Nylon Morrissette, who made 11 grabs for 106 yards and two TDs. But the Georgia transfer is perhaps best remembered for a lack of awareness that saw him make what he thought was a TD catch vs. Penn State … only he was standing out of bounds.

Also back: Jayden Dixon-Veal, along with five unproven options in Arhmad Branch, Jesse Watson and Tra’Mar Harris, Donovan Hamilton and Ryne Shackelford.

Add it all up, and Purdue returns 15 catches for 145 yards and 2 TDs at wideout.

The new staff has imported five wideouts from the portal, none with a glossy resume. Will more receiver talent be added in the spring?

EJ HORTON, 6-1, 185

Purdue will be Horton’s third school in three years. He transferred from West Virginia to Florida Atlantic prior to last year but ended up missing the season with injury. At WVU in 2023, he played in 11 games and made 10 catches for 201 yards with a TD. Horton began his career at Marshall, playing in 19 games over three years and making 16 receptions for 245 yards and two TDs; he redshirted his first season in 2020. He is looking to make the most of his final season of eligibility.

NATHAN LEACOCK, 6-3, 217

If there is one portal wideout to get excited about, this is the guy. He teems with potential. Leacock was a bit of a mystery coming out of high school. He had a great year and was a guy that people in Knoxville seemed excited about … good size and speed. He never got any real chances at Tennessee. Leacock struggled at times in practice to catch the ball cleanly, and Tennessee signed 5-star Mike Matthews and slot Braylon Staley last year. And the Vols have three incoming freshmen this year. Leacock is looking for a fresh start somewhere. He redshirted in 2023 and played in just five games in 2024, making one catch. He’ll have three years of eligibility.

CHAUNCEY MAGWOOD, 6-0, 187

Magwood, who could play inside or outside, played his first two seasons at Kentucky in 2021-22. He made eight receptions in 25 games with a TD. Magwood redshirted his first year at UCF in 2023 and then made five grabs for 102 yards in 12 games. Instability at quarterback–UCF started four in 2024–may have impacted Magwood’s production. He’ll have one season of eligibility.

ISAIAH MYERS, 6-5, 180

A solid prospect who has a great personality, too. Myers clicked with season-starting QB Max Brown. He has good catch radius and runs crisp routes. Fits more of a X receiver role. Myers should be a rotational player at Purdue. He began his career at Independence (Kan.) C.C., redshirting in 2022 and playing in 10 games in 2023 with 40 grabs for 683 yards and 8TDs before moving on the Charlotte. In his one season at Charlotte, Myers made 13 catches for 237 yards and three TDs in 12 games.

CHARLES ROSS, 6-1, 165

This will be the peripatetic Ross’ seventh collegiate season and fourth school. He began his career way back in 2019 at Nevada (two years), moved on to San Jose State (three years) and played at USC in 2024. Add it all up, Ross has made 70 receptions for 904 yards and four TDs in 38 career games. His best season was his fourth (2023), when he made 26 catches for 347 yards and a TD at San Jose State. Ross played in just three games at USC in 2024 and made one catch.

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