After his first season at Purdue, head coach Ryan Walters will have a load of work to do this offseason. QB Hudson Card is showing no signs that he is leaving the Boilermakers after his first season in West Lafayette. However, Purdue is losing nearly all its receiver production and that is not all.
First, Purdue’s three leading receivers, Deion Burks, TJ Sheffield, and Abdur-Rahman Yaseen all entered the portal. Burks is the most explosive of them all. The to-be junior hauled in 47 passes for 629 yards in 2023, his first season as a starter. On top of that, he racked up seven touchdown receptions to lead the team. Burks will be highly sought after by all top teams looking to add a weapon.
Unfortunately for Purdue, the receiving core is just the start of it. In fact, the Boilermakers have seen 20 players from last year’s squad enter the portal. Former Auburn transfer OC Brothers announced his transfer from Purdue. The linebacker is the highest scoring defender that is entering the portal for Purdue according to TPR’s fantasy point system. After being unranked out of high school, Brothers has racked up 159.30 FPTS in his career.
So, what do the Boilermakers do heading into 2024? The only answer for Ryan Walters is to hit the portal hard. With over 1,000 players entering the portal within the first 24 hours of opening there is tons of talent up for grabs. Purdue struggles in recruiting, finishing last in the BIG last season with no recruits over three-star according to 247Sports.
On the bright side for the Boilers, Walters is entering just his second season as head man. With the age of the portal Walters has a chance to turn it around for Purdue in a hurry. With Hudson Card likely returning for another season, look for Walters and co. to exceed expectations despite the significant losses they suffered.
