This is an almost impossible task.
In the age of the Transfer Portal, wide receivers come and go. It is almost like a bad college relationship; they are committed for about four months and if it doesn’t turn out their way, they make their way back to free agency, or the transfer portal.
Such is like in college athletics now, and Coach Odom is busy trying to find an alpha-type of wide receiver.
Here is the list of Portal Subtractions to the position since December at the wide receiver position.
- Nitro Tuggle – Committed, Spring Transfer In
- Corey Smith – Committed, Spring Transfer In
- Charles Ross – Committed, December Transfer In
- EJ Horton Jr – Committed, December Transfer In
- Chauncey Magwood – Committed, December Transfer In
- Isaiah Myers – Transferred in December, Back in the Portal
- Nathan Leacock – Transferred in December, Back in the Portal
- Michael Jackson III – Committed, Spring Transfer In
- Luke Jones – Entered Spring Transfer Portal
- Ryne Shackelford – Entered Spring Transfer Portal
- Donovan Hamilton – Entered Spring Transfer Portal
- CJ Smith – Transferred to Memphis
- Shamar Rigby – Transferred to Oklahoma State
- Jahmal Edrine – Transferred to UVA
- Leland Smith – Transferred to San Jose State
- Jaron Tibbs – Transferred to Kansas State
- Arhmad Branch – Entered Portal and Came Back to Purdue
Okay now breathe, yes that is 17 players since December at the Wide Receiver Position that have been involved in the Portal.
So, who is actually on the roster currently?
- Jayden Dixon-Veal – Senior
- Charles Ross – Senior
- Chauncey Magwood – Senior
- Arhmad Branch – Sophomore
- De’Nylon Morissette – Junior
- Jesse Watson – RS Freshman
- Tra’Mar Harris – RS Freshman
- EJ Horton Jr – Senior
- Andrew Adkinson – Sophomore
- Nolan Buckman – Sophomore
- Nitro Tuggle – Sophomore
- Corey Smith – Sophomore
Tuggle made his way back to Indiana where he played his prep ball from Georgia. He was suspended all of Spring after he got in some off the field troubles. He did appear on the field for UGA last year as a true freshman, he presumably will be the best wide receiver on the roster, Coach Walters and his staff recruited him hard when he was in HS.
Smith is another in-state kid making his way back to Indiana after spending time at Tulsa, where he played a lot as a freshman, he is a Brownsburg native.
Charles Ross is a 6th year senior after battling injuries through his career, could he make a leap and be someone reliable for the offense?
It is largely an unproven group that will need someone to prove they are the best of the crop. Odom would have liked to of held on to Tibbs when he arrived in December, but he had other plans, which stinks losing an in-state player to Kansas State in the portal, he was arguably the most consistent receiver for a bad offense last season.
But, just because this receiving group is unproven does not mean they can’t make plays, scheme can help out wide receivers a lot, and the heavy RPO type of scheme that was evident in Spring Ball may help these guys get open.
A great running attack will also help these young and unproven wide receivers, the workload of the offense will be on the back of Devin Mockobee and an offensive line that is quickly being reworked by massive humans from all levels of football.
Who knows, maybe there is a 1,000 yard receiver in the bunch?