Barry Odom landed the Purdue gig, in part, because of his ability to build a defense out of spare parts. He’ll be put to the test in 2025.
Defense is the reason Coach Odom is at Purdue; in fact, defense is the reason Barry Odom is a head coach at any school. His first order of business in West Lafayette is to fix the defense his former protege left in shambles. That means bringing in a new system and a slate of new players. It also means you should take everything in the following article with a giant grain of salt. Keep in mind, I’m giving y’all the best-case scenario, and things rarely end up at the best-case scenario.
Defensive Line
The defense line seems like the best starting point because, at least in theory, it should be a strength. Heading into fall camp, a few hold-overs from the previous staff are poised to make an impact off the edge. That starts with former four-star edge rush recruit, Georgia transfer CJ Madden. An injury ended his 2024 season after three games. Honestly, this is all a projection based on who I think Madden can be in this defense, because in three seasons, he’s produced ten total tackles. He was a hybrid edge-rusher / outside linebacker coming out of high school and is now listed at a healthy 6’4”, 270 pounds. He has intriguing physical skills, but must show that he can stay healthy and translate those skills into production.
The same can be said about his presumed running mate, Trey Smith. Smith transferred from Illinois last season and appeared in nine games; granted, his two total tackles don’t instill a ton of confidence. Based on size, I assume Smith plays on the weak side and Madden lines up on the strong side. Madden’s better equipped to fight off tight ends at the point of the attack, and Smith, at 255 pounds, is better suited to chase things down from the backside. Again, all of this is theoretical because they have zero sacks and seventeen combined tackles thus far, but I can see the vision.
Joining Madden and Smith in my theoretical starting defensive line are Jamarrion ‘Chops’ Harkless and TJ Lindsey. ‘Chops’ looks like someone named ‘Chops’. At 6’4” and a now svelte 315 (down from 340), Harkless has what you want at nose guard in terms of size and strength. He’s a “first out of the bus” type of dude that looks like a football player. What he lacks is experience. He played in ten games last season, mostly on special teams and goal-line packages, and accounted for six tackles. Purdue desperately needs him to be ready and stay healthy in 2025 because he brings a skill set on the interior that the Boilermakers can’t replicate with anyone else on the roster. He’s a block eater.
Lindsey is a 6’3”, 295-pound former four-star recruit out of Little Rock, Arkansas, by way of IMG Academy. He spent last season at Auburn, playing in one game and making a tackle. Seen as a bit of a defensive end / defensive tackle tweener coming into college, he should fit nicely as a three-technique defensive tackle in Odom’s system, with the athletic ability to kick out to defensive end on occasion. In terms of upside, I have Lindsey and Madden neck and neck. I love Lindsey’s motor. His tape reminds me a little of what I saw from Christian Wilkins coming out of high school. Lindsey is quicker than offensive linemen anticipate and is relentless in his pursuit. He’s my favorite defensive portal acquisition based on talent and eligibility (he has four years remaining to play four seasons).
In terms of depth, Demeco Kennedy and Jamarius Dinkins both return at defensive tackle after transferring in last season. They didn’t do much in 2025, but no one did much in 2025. They’ll try to make their mark at defensive tackle this season. If nothing else, they’ll be useful depth on the interior. The same goes for Drake Carlson, another holdover from the previous staff who could make an impact. He appeared in nine games last season as a redshirt freshman, and the new staff thought enough of him to keep him on for the 2026 season. I like his long-term potential.
Fort Valley State transfer Josh Burney could factor in at nose guard. He’s a solid 6’3”, 300 pounds, and has four years of experience in the trenches (granted at the Division II level). Ian Jeffries, a 6’3”, 290-pound transfer from Arkansas State, had a solid redshirt season for the Red Wolves and could be a long-term answer for Purdue. He put up 3.5 sacks and five tackles for loss in 2025: solid numbers for an interior pass rusher. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the field in obvious passing situations.
Experienced depth isn’t an issue at defensive end. I have Akron transfer CJ Nunnally IV coming off the bench, but he’s far and away Purdue’s most experienced defensive end. If the two-team First Team All-Mac selection doesn’t earn a starting spot in fall camp, it’s hard not to see him as the primary backup at both positions. Nunnally IV was recruited for the short term, but the coaching staff has long-term plans for Michigan transfer Breeon Ishmail as a speed rusher off the edge. He didn’t make an impact with the Wolverines, but they didn’t recruit him to make an instant impact. He’ll find the depth chart a little more forgiving in West Lafayette.
Monmouth transfer Miles Mitchell is an experienced edge rusher option, with the caveat that his experience came at the Division II level. At 6’4”, 250 pounds, he looks like a Big 10 caliber player and has been a solid player throughout his career. Breylon Charles, a North Texas transfer, is on his fourth program after starting his career at Lamar, transferring to Navarro Junior College, and then landing at North Texas last season. At 6’3”, 230 pounds, he brings solid speed off the edge. He put up a respectable 4.5 sacks last season and is another dude who will be scrapping hard for playing time in fall camp.
Linebacker
This is the ‘premium’ position in Coach Odom’s defense. Last season at UNLV, star outside linebacker Jackson Woodard put up 135 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and four interceptions. He was also credited with 12 pass breakups. For this defense to perform to its potential, someone must step up and play the Jackson Woodard role in Purdue’s defense.
That player most likely won’t be Mani Powell, Woodard’s running buddy at UNLV. Powell, a senior originally from Columbus, Ohio, started his career at Arkansas before moving with Coach Odom to Las Vegas. Don’t get me wrong, Powell is a day one starter, but he’s more solid and less spectacular than Woodard. His ability to hold things down in the middle allowed Woodard to roam and make plays. He racked up 59 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks last season. He’ll have every opportunity to eclipse those numbers this season. As an added bonus, Powell has experience in this defense and should help with on-field communication.
While I’m confident in Powell as a starter, the other linebacker spot is wide open. Tennessee State transfer Sanders Ellis should have the first opportunity to win the starting job, and he may settle the linebacker debate early in camp. Starting for Eddie George’s TSU team as a true freshman, Ellis collected 86 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. He was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, which recognizes the top freshman at the FCS level. Ellis had the opportunity to join his former coach at Bowling Green but chose the Boilermakers over the Falcons, in addition to offers from Virginia Tech, Tennessee, and Auburn. One thing that Purdue has that Virginia Tech, Tennessee, and Auburn lack is a clear path to a starting job. If Ellis can step into the starting role at Purdue this season, he may hold it down for the next three seasons. Ellis winning the starting job is the best-case scenario.
Alex Sanford, a 6’1’, 225-pound transfer out of Arkansas, has a history with Coach Odom and defensive coordinator Mike Scherer. Odom and Scherer recruited him to Arkansas before they left for Las Vegas, and are now catching up with him at Purdue. He’ll have a chance to win the starting job over Ellis and should be Powell’s primary backup. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining and could position himself for the starting middle linebacker job next season with a solid 2025. He didn’t put impressive numbers at Arkansas, but was a key contributor on special teams the last two seasons. I expect to see a good bit of him next season, both on special teams and defense.
Sanford didn’t make the trip from Fayetteville alone. Coach Odom and Scherer also recruited Carson Dean during their tenure with the Hawgs. The 6’4”, 235-pound linebacker out of Frisco, Texas, was a big get for Odom’s defense in 2023. He chose Arkansas over interest from LSU, Texas, and Nebraska schools, but couldn’t find the field in his first two seasons of SEC football. Now he’ll join the defensive staff he initially committed to out of high school. He’s another guy short on experience, but with a skill set the defensive staff at Purdue covets. Like Sanford, he has the potential to grab a starting spot and not let it go for the next three seasons.
In addition to his portal signings, Coach Odom inherited Winston Berglund and Owen Davis from the previous staff and thought enough of them to invite them to stay. I’ve been beating the Winston Berglund drum since he stepped on campus. The former high school safety has an intriguing skill set that, in theory, could make him the perfect linebacker for this system. Berglund’s problem is he can’t stay healthy. He only played in three games in 2024 before going down to a season-ending injury. If available, I think he eventually ends up as a starter, allowing Jenkins to return to rush end. That would have been a massive boost for the 2024 defense, but it wasn’t to be. If he can get on the field, he’s another guy with the talent to stay there. Davis is a player I like more than other folks. He did everything for his high school team, playing on both sides of the ball and moonlighting as a basketball player. If nothing else, he could be a solid special-teams contributor.
Corner
The secondary was supposed to be the calling card for the previous staff. Since the previous staff is no longer employed at Purdue, I’ll give you a guess on how things went in the secondary last season (as if you don’t already know). Coach Odom raided the transfer portal after losing most of the former regime’s talented secondary recruits. There is an abundance of negative things to say about Ryan Walters and company, but I wish we could have held on to a couple more of his defensive back recruits.
Once UNLV corner Tony Grimes announced he was returning to college and entered the transfer portal, he was a must-have for his former coach. I doubt Grimes envisioned Purdue as his final college destination when signing with UNC in 2020 as a five-star recruit. Things started well for Grimes at UNC, considering the circumstances. He started four games as a true freshman for the Tarheels and played in all 12 games. In 2021, he moved into the full-time starting role and was named All-ACC Honorable Mention after contributing 43 tackles, two tackles for loss, and nine pass breakups. More than anything, at 6’2”, 195 pounds, his ability to contribute as a tackler on the perimeter may have been his best skill. He remained in his starting role at UNC for the 2022 season. He contributed 36 tackles and seven pass breakups for a UNC team that played for (and lost) an ACC Championship.
He entered the transfer portal in 2023, and Texas A&M called with what I assume was a hefty offer. He headed west to College Station, but things did not go according to plan. He injured his knee in camp, and his knee stayed injured. The Aggies had him penciled in as a starter when he arrived on campus, but the knee forced him to miss long stints of practice, and Jimbo moved on to other options. He reentered the transfer portal after the season, and Coach Odom brought him to the desert to play for the Rebels. Grimes revitalized his career at UNLV last season. He immediately moved into the starting lineup and started 13 games, finishing the season with 20 tackles and six pass breakups. Now he’ll spend his sixth year of eligibility as Purdue’s presumed top corner in 2025.
The corner spot opposite Grimes is still up in the air. Former 4-star Ohio State and Boston College corner Ryan Turner could get the first crack at the job. He played in five games over two seasons for the Buckeyes before transferring to Boston College last season. He played in nine and started two games for the Golden Eagles. He put up 13 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, and an interception in 2024. He has the size at 6’0”, 195 to play either the boundary or field.
While most of the Walters’ recruited talent left town, Hudauri Hines and Smiley Bradford stuck around. Hines played in the season’s final eight games as a true freshman and held his own as well as could be expected. He’s another physically imposing corner at 6’1”, 200 pounds, and like Turner, could either play on the boundary or the field side. I think he’ll be the primary backup to Grimes at the boundary position and could position himself to win the starting job in 2026. Bradford was one of the bright spots last season. The East St. Louis native wasn’t expected to contribute as a true freshman, but ended up playing in five and starting four games last season. Bradford played safety in high school, and at 6’0”, 200 pounds, could play either corner or nickel back in Odom’s defense.
Other options at Coach Odom’s disposal this season include T.D. Williams, a recent transfer from Central Arkansas. Williams is interesting because he’s technically a senior but played a season at Hinds Community College before joining Central Arkansas. The 6’1”, 185-pound corner may have two seasons of eligibility remaining. He was a productive multi-year starter at the FCS level, with 72 tackles and three interceptions on his resume. Tre Wright was recruited by defensive backs coach Charles Clark to Memphis in 2023 before moving on to Mississippi State in the transfer portal for the 2024 season. Despite being one of the fastest players on the Bulldogs’ roster, Wright only appeared in one game last season, mainly due to injury.
Speaking of Memphis, Coach Clark has several of his former charges on the roster, including corner transfer Chalil Cummings. Cummings was recruited to Memphis by Coach Clark and followed him to Purdue, where he has four seasons of eligibility remaining after taking a redshirt in 2024. At 5’10”, 180, he seems like a guy who might find playing time as a slot corner.
If you’re looking for experience, Nevada transfer Chad Brown and TCU transfer Richard Toney Jr. (by way of Nevada) have what you’re after. Brown has prototypical size at 6’3” to play on the boundary and should factor into the rotation. As a member of the 2019 recruiting class, you won’t find a player with more experience than Brown. He started at Fresno City College before transferring to Nevada in 2021, where he played in 26 games, including 12 starts last season. Toney Jr. began his career at Nevada as a freshman in 2021 and spent three seasons with the Wolves before moving on to TCU last season. As a sophomore at Nevada, he played in 12 games and started nine. He finished the season with 67 tackles and two interceptions, but couldn’t get any traction at TCU last season. He’ll be looking to revert to his 2023 form in West Lafayette and could play either safety, corner, or nickel for the Boilermakers.
Nickel Back
Coach Odom’s base defense is a 4-2-5 featuring an extra defensive back. Former Holy Cross defensive back Sterling Smith emerged as the talk of the spring on defense. Moving up from a player I expected to be purged to a potential starter at nickel. The Indianapolis native and former Cathedral High School star didn’t play at all last season, but he fits perfectly into the nickel role at a physical 6’1”, 200 pounds.
Another player I liked coming out of high school is sophomore D’mon Marable. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native is a holdover from the previous staff, and is a physical presence at his listed 6’0”, 207. He could fit into the safety or nickel conversation and is one of my favorite players on the roster when it comes to long-term potential. He played in 11 games as a true freshman on special teams and has the tools to move up the depth chart in 2025.
Other options at the position include Smiley Bradford, Hershey McLaurin, and Richard Toney Jr.
Safety
Last but certainly not least is the safety position. This is the first season in recorded history that Purdue won’t feature a Thieneman at safety, as former All-American Dillon Thieneman left to ply his trade in Oregon for the Ducks. He’ll have an entire pile of Phil Knight’s money to comfort him if he gets homesick.
In Thieneman’s stead, Purdue will most likely feature Crew Wakley in the back half of the defense. The Utah State and BYU transfer was a prolific high school quarterback in Utah before moving to defensive back at Utah State. After playing four games in two seasons for the Aggies, he moved on to BYU as a walk-on and immediately made an impact in Provo. He appeared in every game as a sophomore in 2023 and started seven, putting up 59 tackles and six pass break-ups. Wakley was productive in his two seasons in Provo, contributing 103 tackles, seven pass break-ups, and three interceptions. Still, despite his success on the field, BYU wasn’t sold on the former legacy. Despite starting 16 games, he was never on scholarship and was set to lose his starting job in 2025. He was a priority transfer addition for the Boilermakers and won’t have to worry about a scholarship or playing time in West Lafayette.
Wakely will most likely hold down strong safety. At the same time, Houston transfer (by way of West Virginia) Hershey McLaurin will get a look at free safety. McLaurin was one of the most experienced portal safeties available, and Purdue did an excellent job of luring the Mississippi native away from his home state Bulldogs. In 2024, he started seven games for the Cougars, contributing 50 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and an interception to the cause. After signing with West Virginia out of Junior College in 2022, McLaurin started right out of the box and totaled 89 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and two pass breakups. The 6’2, 210-pound senior could play either safety spot, but free safety seems more likely.
Memphis transfer Tahj Ra-El is another experienced option at safety. After playing three seasons at Old Dominion, where he accumulated 133 tackles and an interception over his three years with the Monarchs, he decided to transfer to Memphis last season, where he played for new Purdue defensive backs coach Charles Clark. Coach Clark must have been impressed with Tahj. Despite entering the portal in early October after playing his fourth game, Ra-El was a high priority for the Purdue staff. While his time at Memphis was short, it was eventful and included a game-sealing interception to knock off Florida State in Tallahassee. The 6’2”, 200-pound defensive back could start at either safety spot, but I have him penciled in at free safety for now.
Another former Memphis safety throwing his lot in with Coach Clark at Purdue is An’Darius Coffey. After initially pledging his commitment to Northwestern, Coffey changed course and decided to try his luck with the Boilermakers instead. The 5’10”, 200-pounder could play either safety position or nickel for Purdue this season after putting up 48 tackles, three pass break-ups, and two forced fumbles, combining in ‘23 and ‘24. At minimum, he should be a key depth piece in the secondary after playing in 24 games over the last two seasons.
Overall
I think I’ve covered everyone except the incoming freshman, who I don’t expect to play this season. I’m not sure if the defense will be good, but if it can reach competent, Purdue will be significantly better than last season.
There are still over three months before the season starts, and fall camp looms large due to several players added to the roster during the second transfer window. Defense is the foundation of Coach Odom’s program. The 2025 defense needs to set the tone for his tenure at Purdue. I’m not sure if he has the talent to pull it off, but I’m excited to watch him try.
I know this is a bold statement, but I expect a competent defense on the field in 2025.