Purdue has two intriguing holdovers from the previous regime and a slate of transfers looking to be the next member of the Den of Defensive Ends.
I’ll say one nice thing about the former coaching staff: they didn’t leave the cupboard empty at defensive end. When you combine the players that stayed with the arriving players, I think you can put together a respectable position group, if not…Dare I say…a good position group (I dare not, but someone else may be bolder)?
That’s good news for Coach Odom. While linebacker is the premier position in his defensive scheme, defensive end is a close second. At UNLV last season, the right defensive end spot put up huge numbers between starter Antonio Doyle and backup Fisher Camac. Combined, they contributed 102 tackles, 23 tackles-for-loss, and 14 sacks. Granted, some of Camac’s numbers come from outside linebacker and defensive end stats, but still, it’s a productive position in the defense.
Purdue has several players on the roster who could thrive in the Antonio Doyle edge role. CJ Madden, a former 4* Georgia transfer and holdover from the previous regime, still has the talent that made him one of the best defensive end/linebacker recruits in the nation coming out of high school. He’s bulked up to 270 pounds and could be a difference maker after missing most of last season to injury. It’s getting to “now or never” time for Madden, and I think his time is now.
Trey Smith, a transfer from Illinois, is another holdover who will contribute this season. Smith has a similar skill set to Madden and could give the Boilermakers a solid one-two punch off the edge, or they could end up as starters. Either way, Purdue has some intriguing talent returning at defensive end, and that’s before considering the new guys.
Speaking of the new guys, Coach Odom has some experienced, hungry players looking to make their mark on college football. That starts with senior Akron transfer CJ Nunnally IV. Last season, the two-time First-Team All-Mac put up 56 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and six sacks. Nunnally IV has the best resume out of all the defensive end transfers. Recent defensive end acquisition Miles Mitchell, out of Monmouth, brings experience and production at the FCS level. He’ll have one season to show what he’s got in the Big 10. Breylon Charles isn’t jumping from FCS (he did start his career at Lamar, so pretty close), but he is jumping from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 10. He put up five sacks for the Mean Green last season and could be a contributor at either edge position.
In addition to experienced players like Mitchel and Charles, the staff brought in several players with upside potential. Ian Jeffries, out of Arkansas State, played well for the Red Wolves as a redshirt freshman last season, contributing 21 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks as a reserve. Breeon Ishmail, a sophomore edge rusher transfer from Michigan, was buried under some high-level talent in Ann Arbor. He’ll have an opportunity to push for playing time with the Boilermakers.
Finally, Coach Odom signed a couple of high school prospects to build for the future. Landon Brooks, out of Delta High School in Muncie, Indiana, is a lanky 6’6”, 240 with plenty of room to grow. The coaching staff thinks they might have something with Brooks, but you probably won’t see it until 2026. Another player you probably won’t see until 2026 is Mason Alnutt. The 6’3”, 250-pound defensive end prospect out of Buffalo, New York, certainly isn’t built like a freshman, but it may take him a season or two to shape his game into that of a Big 10 contributor.
If I had to guess (I don’t, but I figure why not) some combination of Madden, Smith, and Nunnally IV will hold down the two starting spots, with whoever is left without a chair coming off the bench as the primary back-up. That said, plenty of talented players on the roster will be pushing hard for a starting spot in fall camp. Purdue should have at least four serviceable options at defensive end next season, but there is potential for someone to break out and make their mark on the season.