Purdue coach Ryan Walters previews spring ball

There has been plenty of change for Purdue. Will there be progress? That’s the hope as Ryan Walters takes the lid off his second spring practice on March 19.

Walters and his staff worked overtime in the transfer portal to re-imagine the roster, importing 15 players who are on campus for spring drills. There also are 11 early enrollee freshmen, as well as two JC transfers. Add it all up: Purdue will have 26 new faces on the field for its 15 practices this spring. The Boilermakers will conclude practices with a spring game on April 13.

“We had 60 some players on the roster the spring a year ago,” said Walters. “We got 102 now, so it’ll be a lot more competitive, reps will be spread out evenly and we’ll have some fun playing football.”

Purdue is coming off a 4-8 season, looking to move up a Big Ten ladder that has gotten more competitive with the additions of USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington to push conference membership to 18.

“You look back to this time a year ago, and where we are today, it is night and day,” said Walters. “We are miles ahead of where we were a year ago. And it’s because you learn a lot of things in that first year.”

Walters and his staff have some veteran cornerstones to build around, including QB Hudson Card, RB Devin Mockobee, C Gus Hartwig, ILB Kydran Jenkins and S Dillion Thieneman. But questions loom on each side of the ball.

“I’m really excited about Hudson Card’s maturity and the way he played toward the end of the year when he was feeling well, and was cohesive with what was going on in front of him,” said Walters. “Year two for quarterbacks in the system is a big leap. He’s also taking on more of a leadership role. I think he feels comfortable with his surroundings and knows that it’s his team. I’m excited about what’s going on over there.”

What does Walters hope to discover about his squad?

“Hopefully to find out how deep we are,” said Walters. “It’ll be a lot more competitive, reps will be spread out evenly and we’ll have some fun playing football.”

No position has been infused with more new help than the offensive line, which welcomes four transfers: Ball State’s Corey Stewart, Notre Dame’s Joey Tanona, Indiana’s Indiana’s Joshua Sales and New Mexico’s DJ Wingfield. Purdue also has added two linemen from the JC ranks: Jaekwon Bouldin and Rod Green, while signing four high school linemen.

“I think you see us get off the bus, we’re gonna look a lot different than we did a year ago,” said Walters. “And then the offensive line, we took six of them and the smallest one we grabbed was 6-4, 315 pounds. That side of the ball will look a whole lot different.”

The wideout spot also has been transformed as Purdue is trying to replace its top three pass-catching receivers who all entered the portal: Deion Burks, TJ Sheffield and Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen. Walters has added UCLA’s Kam Brown and Georgia’s De’Nylon Morrissette and CJ Smith. And Leland Smith will arrive from a JC after the spring semester to further augment the receiver unit.

“I think you look at the receiver room, it has been revamped,” said Walters. “We got one of the fastest players in college football from Georgia (Smith) who ran 10.2 in 100 meters as a 16-year old. And then you watch him run around and he’s not just fast, he’s strong and he can bend and get out of breaks.”

Purdue also will get an extended look at wideout Jahmal Edrine, a transfer from Florida Atlantic who missed 2023 after injurying a knee in camp last August.

“We’ve got Jahmal Edrine back healthy and so that’s also another big guy (6-3, 215), big target that can run that you’re excited about. You have De’Nylon Morrissette, another 210- to 215-pound wide out. And then the junior college kid will get here in the fall is another 6-4 receiver.”

Walters also is excited about young WRs Jaron Tibbs and Arhmad Branch. And then there’s the tight end spot, which looks like a position of strength even after Garrett Miller transferred to Texas A&M.

“Max Klare is back healthy, George Burhenn is going to be a sophomore,” said Walters. “And Drew Biber is doing a really good job. That side of the ball will look a lot different, feel a lot different.”

The defense bolstered the rush end spot with CJ Madden of Georgia, Shitta Sillah of Boston College and Jireh Ojata of Franklin College. Georgia’s Nyland Green and Colorado’s Kyndrich Breedlove add needed help at cornerback.

“On defense, we knew we had to address some issues in the secondary, especially at corner,” said Walters. “But you still have Derrick Rogers, who started games as a true freshman and is 6-2 and 10 pounds heavier and he’s having a great offseason. So, we will have some competition there.

“But you got a guy like Nyland Green who’s 6-2 and was the No. 2 corner coming out of his class, there’s a reason why he was rated that. You see it when you watch him work out. We added Kyndrich Breedlove, who started his collegiate career at Ole Miss. Another fast guy. He might be the fastest in the secondary, him and (Dillon) Thieneman.”

Walters also bolstered the front of his defense.

“We added some guys up front with the departure of Isaiah Nichols, you know you needed to get big and long and we did that with Jamarius Dinkins, who is 6-5 and 290 pounds,” said Walters. “So, we are going to be a lot bigger team, a lot more athletic team, knock on wood, if we stay healthy.”

And the second-year coach is more comfortable in his role as head coach.

“This isn’t new for me anymore,” he said. “So, I feel like I’ve got a better grasp and command of the locker room, of different departments. I feel like I’m part of West Lafayette. It doesn’t feel like I’m the new guy and trying to figure it out. So, hopefully, you look at where we are today and how much better shape we are in than we were a year ago, hopefully that looks the same in terms of our improvement on the field on Saturdays in the fall.”

This interview was transcribed from a conversation Ryan Walters had with Boilermaker Alliance.