Purdue football newcomer roster and number changes
The 2023 Purdue football roster will look plenty different than it did one season ago. The Boilermakers signed 17 true freshmen and 17 transfers to bolster their roster in year one under new head coach Ryan Walters.
The incoming class of freshmen combines players who committed to play for Jeff Brohm and a few late additions by Walters following his hire as Purdue’s head coach. On3.com listed all of Purdue’s 17 signees as three-star recruits.
Purdue pursued the transfer portal heavily, signing several players who figure to make an instant impact upon arrival in West Lafayette. Leading the way from the portal class is highly-touted quarterback Hudson Card, who chose Purdue following an all-out recruitment immediately following Walters’ hiring. Aiding Card on the offense will be a couple of portal additions at wide receiver who could slide into prominent roles in offensive coordinator Graham Harrell’s scheme.
The Boilermakers added six transfers in the defensive backfield, particularly seeking to strengthen the cornerback position. Purdue lost three of its top four corners from 2022, so the help will benefit the defense during a schematic transition.
GoldandBlack.com below lists the numbers for Purdue’s newcomers along with the number changes from returning players.
NEWCOMERS
| Number | Name | Position | Year |
| 0 | Jeffrey M’ba | DL | Junior |
| 0 | Jayden Dixon-Veal | WR | Junior |
| 1 | Hudson Card | QB | Junior |
| 1 | Markevious Brown | CB | RS Junior |
| 2 | Salim Turner-Muhammad | CB | 5th year |
| 7 | Jahmal Edrine | WR | RS Sophomore |
| 12 | Braxton Myers | CB | RS Freshman |
| 13 | Derrick Rogers Jr. | ATH | Freshman |
| 13 | Jaron Tibbs | WR | Freshman |
| 14 | Jake Wilson* | QB | Freshman |
| 15 | Will Heldt | OLB | Freshman |
| 15 | Ryan Browne | QB | Freshman |
| 16 | Marquis Wilson | CB | RS Senior |
| 17 | Arhmad Branch | ATH | Freshman |
| 18 | Bennett Meredith | QB | RS Freshman |
| 19 | Botros Alisandro | DB | Sophomore |
| 20 | Bishop Johnson* | RB | RS Sophomore |
| 20 | Winston Berglund | S/LB | Freshman |
| 22 | Owen Davis | LB | Freshman |
| 23 | Mondrell Dean | ATH | Freshman |
| 23 | Ethon Cole | DB | Freshman |
| 24 | Anthony Brown | DB | RS Freshman |
| 25 | Elijah Jackson* | RB | Freshman |
| 25 | Zion Gunn | DB | Freshman |
| 27 | Zeke Wiliams* | CB | RS Freshman |
| 29 | Christian Womack | RB | Freshman |
| 31 | Dillon Thieneman | DB | Freshman |
| 35 | Malik Langham | DL | 6th year |
| 37 | Joey Sumlin* | LB | Freshman |
| 43 | Landon Heard* | DB | Freshman |
| 44 | Daniel Hawthorne* | LS | Senior |
| 52 | Preston Nichols | OL | 6th year |
| 57 | Tom Ewing* | OL | Freshman |
| 64 | Ben Farrell | OL | 6th year |
| 68 | Jimmy Liston | OL | Freshman |
| 74 | Luke Griffin | OL | RS Senior |
| 75 | Jalen Grant | OL | Senior |
| 76 | Ethan Trent* | OL | Freshman |
| 78 | Bakyne Coly | OL | Sophomore |
| 80 | Ryne Shackelford | WR | Freshman |
| 81 | George Burhenn | TE | Freshman |
| 83 | Andrew Adkison* | WR | Freshman |
| 85 | Luke Jones* | WR | Freshman |
| 87 | Maddix Bogunia-Bright* | WR | Freshman |
| 93 | Isaiah Nichols | DE | Graduate |
| 97 | Jamarrion Harkless | DT | Freshman |
| 98 | Drake Carlson | DL | Freshman |
NUMBER CHANGES
| Name | New number | Previous number | Position |
| Kydran Jenkins | 4 | 44 | OLB |
| OC Brothers | 8 | 20 | ILB |
| Antonio Stevens | 11 | 35 | DB |
| Zion Steptoe | 12 | 83 | WR |
| Will Heldt | 15 | 98 | OLB |
| Kyle Adams | 19 | 21 | QB |
| Andre Oben | 72 | 76 | OL |
| Mahamane Moussa | 77 | 64 | OL |
| Prince James Boyd Jr. | 99 | 93 | DL |
