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The 3-2-1—Rolling out the red carpet

On3 imageby:Tom Dienhart•01/01/25•

TomDienhart1

Screenshot 2024-09-01 at 9.00.42 PM

Three things learned. Two questions. One bold statement. It’s time for The 3-2-1, a look at Purdue football.

Three things learned

1 – Portal visitors are coming

The official visits began a week ago and some commitments followed. Twelve players are expected in beginning today, including five players who are already committed. And 10 more are slated to visit campus soon thereafter beginning on January 3.

Just know this: It will be a super busy week for the staff starting on New Year’s Day and running through the 5th. The list of OVs changes daily and sometimes hourly. This is speed dating, when plans and decisions are made quickly.

Players wanna know about how three things:

1 Playing time
2 How they will be used
3 Money

2 – The portal is closed

The door was closed on December 28. So, if a player wasn’t in, he’ll have to wait until the April window opens for 10 days from April 16-25. (Players who are grad transfers can jump into the portal at anytime.)

Purdue saw 37 players enter the portal; 22 have found homes; seven have withdrawn; eight remain in the portal.

3 – Some intriguing visitors

My eyes are on the DBs currently here for visits: Amarion Fortenberry of South Alabama, Ryan Turner of Boston College, Tony Grimes of UNLV and Crew Wakley of BYU.

There is an urgent need to restock the secondary (see below). How many of those DBs will commit? Purdue already has a commitment from Memphis S Tahj Ra-El.

The new staff can offer LOTS of opportunity to a gutted unit.

Two questions

1 – What is Purdue’s biggest position of need in the portal?

From a sheer numbers standpoint, it’s defensive back. Purdue has seen 10 hit the portal–the most of any position.

The only DBs back who were on the two-deep from the season finale at Indiana are Hudauri Hines, Ty Hudkins, Smiley Bradford and Kyndrich Breedlove, who is the lone starter back. It was good that he withdrew from the portal. Breedlove has legit speed and experience.

There also is a big sense of urgency at wideout, where seven players hit the portal. The only wideouts back who were among the nine listed on the Indiana depth chart are Jayden Dixon-Veal and De’Nylon Morrissette. Any questions? Didn’t think so.

The holes are yawning at tight end, too, with the three of the four scholarship options gone: Max Klare, Drew Biber and Tayvion Galloway.

2 – How many players will Purdue take from the portal?

As has been mentioned, the staff already has seen 22 land at other schools. And eight remain in the portal. So, when it’s all said and done, Purdue could lose as many as 30 players via the portal.

In addition to replacing portal defections, Purdue also must replace players who have exhausted their eligibility or turned pro, players like Gus Hartwig, Hudson Card, Marcus Mbow and Kydran Jenkins, among others.

One bold statement: Purdue will have over 40 new players in 2025

Combine the likely 30 or so from the portal with maybe between 12-15 high school players, and it’s easy to envision the number of newcomers pushing past 40 … and maybe toward 50 by the time the spring portal window closes.

Odom has been down this path before: “The first year that we were at UNLV, we had 55 new players. That was just the way of how we transformed the roster, and I didn’t ever think we would get close to that number again. But then the next year, we had 50 new players. So, how can you galvanize those guys together? How can you form that what you think is best for your current place? And we’ll be really, really aggressive in that.”

MORE: GoldandBlack.com content hub: Welcome to the Barry Odom era | Who is coming from the portal? | Analysis: Arkansas QB Malachi Singleton

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