The 2021 and 2022 seasons marked Purdue’s best two-year stretch in the 21st century. That included a 17-10 record and a Big Ten West division title. Head coach Jeff Brohm left to take the Louisville job, which led to the Boilermakers hiring Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters. His first season didn’t bring nearly as much success, as Purdue finished just 4-8.
It’s difficult to pinpoint what went wrong for the Boilermakers, who finished outside the top 100 of the FBS in both offensive and defensive grade. Purdue then lost some key players to the draft and the transfer portal, which means inexperienced players need to step up for the Boilermakers to see enough wins to achieve a bowl game in 2024.
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Biggest Strength: Offensive line
Purdue returns three starting offensive linemen from last season, two of whom — right tackle Marcus Mbow and center Gus Hartwig — earned 70.0-plus grades in 2023. The other two spots will likely be manned by New Mexico transfer DJ Wingfield and Ball State transfer Corey Stewart. Wingfield’s 79.4 PFF overall grade in 2023 ranked 10th among Group of Five tackles, and Stewart earned an 80.7 pass-blocking grade.
Biggest Weakness: Where will the offense come from?
The Boilermakers have serious concerns everywhere else on offense. They placed just 107th in receiving grade in 2023 and just lost their top-four pass-catchers. Star running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. is now with the New York Giants, and while quarterback Hudson Card returns, he’s more solid than spectacular.
2023 Team Overview
Offense |
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| EPA per play | Yards per play | Successful play rate | Explosive run play rate | Explosive pass play rate |
| -0.068 | 5.4 | 34.7% | 17.0% | 11.2% |
| 96th | T-84th | T-75th | 42nd | 119th |
Defense |
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| EPA allowed per play | Yards allowed per play | Successful play rate allowed | Explosive run rate allowed | Explosive pass rate allowed |
| 0.029 | 5.8 | 33.8% | 14.4% | 17.5% |
| 89th | T-78th | 51st | T-50th | 124th |
Three Notable Transfer Portal Additions
- T DJ Wingfield (New Mexico): 77.4 PFF grade
- CB Nyland Green (Georgia): 77.6 PFF grade
- OT Corey Stewart (Ball State): 66.8 PFF grade
Three Notable Transfer Portal Losses
- EDGE Nic Scourton (Texas A&M): 82.8 PFF grade
- WR Deion Burks (Oklahoma): 65.7 PFF grade
- WR TJ Sheffield (UConn): 61.3 PFF grade
Quarterback Spotlight: Hudson Card
2023 Grade: 74.7
Key Stat: 82.3 short (0-9 yards) passing grade (6th in FBS)
