- Head Coach: Barry Odom (first season)
- 2024 Record: 1-11
- Strength of Schedule: 12th
- PFF Projected Win Total: 5.0
- FanDuel Win Total: 3.5
2024 Recap
Purdue finished with the worst record in the Power Four last season at 1-11. Nearly everything went wrong, as the Boilermakers posted the nation’s worst defense and the fifth-worst offense in terms of EPA per play. After compiling a 5-19 record over two seasons, head coach Ryan Walters was replaced by Barry Odom, who arrives after leading UNLV to an 11-3 record and the first AP Top-25 ranking in program history. Odom faces a full rebuild in West Lafayette but inherits a promising stable of running backs. The biggest question is whether a revamped defense can take a meaningful step forward and help Purdue climb out of the Big Ten cellar.
Biggest Strength: A solid group of running backs
Purdue enters 2025 with a solid group of running backs to lean on. Devin Mockobee returns after leading the program in rushing yards in each of the past three seasons, while Virginia Tech transfer Malachi Thomas brings added depth after earning a 75.0-plus rushing grade in each of the last two years.
Biggest Weakness: How much will the defense improve?
Purdue fielded the worst defense in the country last season and returns just one of the 18 defenders who logged at least 200 snaps. The Boilermakers will rely heavily on a wave of incoming transfers to spark improvement, but none arrive with a proven track record as a standout at their previous stops.
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