Purdue’s tight ends should be able to block, but can anyone catch the ball?
As with every position group on the 2025 squad, the transfer portal has played a significant role in shaping the tight end position at Purdue. Last season, the Boilermakers leaned on Max Klare in the passing game, and he played well enough to get the call-up to the big leagues in Columbus. This season, I would be shocked if a tight end led Purdue in receiving. I expect the position to be more blocking-oriented in the new offense.
Not only will the tight end position be more blocking-oriented (because Purdue’s going to try and run the ball), but you’ll also see Coach Odom frequently deploy an H-back either in addition to or instead of a traditional tight end. Consider the H-back fullback / tight end hybrid in the offense, and that position will frequently be manned by UNLV / Kansas State transfer Christian Moore.
I remember writing about Christian for the Kansas State SB Nation website when he signed with the Wildcats out of Huntington Beach, California, in 2020. There is no better place to learn how to block in college football than Manhattan, Kansas. Something about all that wheat turns guys into animals. Moore played fullback for K-State from 2020 to 2023, appearing in 30 total games and catching exactly two passes.
He entered the portal after his fourth season at Kansas State and ended up with Barry Odom at UNLV. According to Pro Football Focus, he started 11 games, caught two passes, and had the nation’s third-best blocking grade for a tight end. Moore will be a crucial part of the Purdue run game in 2025, but I wouldn’t expect him to catch many passes.
Joining Moore on his exodus from the desert is fellow UNLV senior transfer Christian Earls. While Moore is more like a fullback than a tight end, the 6’8”, 275-pound Earls is more like a tackle than a tight end. This will be his third season of Division I football after spending two seasons in the juco ranks to start his career. He has two receptions. I imagine he’ll be used sparingly in the passing game again this season.
Luca Puccinelli isn’t named Christian, and he didn’t play at UNLV last season, but the 6’6”, 260-pound Redshirt freshman transfer from Wake Forest has a similar playing style. He’s listed as a tight end, but he’s more likely to take on a linebacker in the hole than catch a pass over the middle. He was considered one of the better run-blocking tight ends in the nation coming out of Benedictine High School in Virginia. He caught 10 passes for 120 yards as a senior; needless to say, he’s not playing Division I football because of his ability to run routes and snag passes.
One player in Purdue’s tight end room that might snag a few passes is Ryan Walters’ holdover George Burhenn. I was big on George’s upside last season, and he proceeded to miss most of it to injury. I’m big on George’s upside this season, and he proceeded to break his ankle in the spring showcase. The good news is when he’s healthy, he’s an electric athlete who runs more like a receiver than a tight end. The bad news, of course, is he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. He had surgery to repair his injured leg and is expected back by the season’s first game.
Coach Odom also has a player coming in from the high school ranks who could make an early impact. Jon Grimmett is an interesting prospect out of Oklahoma who initially committed to UNLV before switching his allegiance to Purdue. Considered a late riser as a recruit, the 6’5”, 225-pound Grimmett is more of a receiver than a blocker. He’s especially good in the red zone, catching 36 passes as a senior and recording 12 touchdowns. That’s an outstanding catch-to-touchdown ratio. If Burhenn isn’t ready to go by the first game, Grimmett might find the field early as a red zone receiving option. Even if Burhenn is healthy, Grimmett might find the field early as a red zone receiving option. For my money, he’s one of the more interesting players in Purdue’s 2025 recruiting class.
Overall
There’s plenty of career blocking production in the tight room, but little to no receiving production. I’m confident in what Christian Moore and, to a certain extent, Christian Earls and Luca Puccinelli will bring to the field as blockers next season.
Purdue desperately needs George Burhenn to stay healthy because, in theory, he’s one of the most physically talented players on the field. Also, he’s the tight end on the Purdue roster who has shown any aptitude to catch the ball. He could be a key part of the offense if he can stay on the field.
If he can’t stay on the field, look for true freshman Jon Grimmett to be one of the more productive freshmen on the Purdue roster next season. I like his ability to go up and make a contested catch in the endzone, and I think that skill will get him on the field sooner, rather than later, in West Lafayette.