INDIANAPOLIS — One year into the Ryan Walters era of Purdue football and we still don't have clarity.
The Boilermakers had some high points in 2023, but also saw winnable games against Fresno State, Iowa and Northwestern slip through the fingertips during a 4-8 season.
Roster turnover is to be expected in this day and age of college football and Purdue had no shortage of it.
Walters will be among the batch of Big Ten football coaches taking the podium during Tuesday's opening round the three-day Big Ten Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Here's the four biggest questions, and potential answers, for the Boilermakers entering Walters' second season as head coach.
Has Hudson Card progressed?
When Hudson Card transferred from Texas to Purdue, the move came with a lot of hype. Card now has been in coordinator Graham Harrell's offense for two springs and one 12-game season.
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An injury during last season's fifth game, and at that point Card's best performance, proved detrimental as Purdue had to alter some of what it ran offensively to protect a hobbled quarterback. With a healthy Card, does Purdue muster up some offense at Iowa? If Card was able to play at Northwestern over inexperienced Bennett Meredith and Ryan Browne, do the Boilers knock off the Wildcats in the final game ever played at Ryan Field?
That's how close Purdue really was to bowl eligibility. Water under the bridge now and we have to take Card at face value, which was hit and miss in his first season in West Lafayette. The final image though, with Card at his healthiest since leading Purdue over Illinois in 2023, is of the mobile threat QB showing off some new targets in an Old Oaken Bucket victory against Indiana.
That version of Card, or an even better one presumably after another offseason of work, will be necessary for Purdue to have success in 2024.
Where do the incoming transfers fit?
The transfer portal is a way of life in college football now, especially when a new staff comes in and quickly tries to establish itself. But it goes both ways and losing Nic Scourton (among others) hurts.
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We'll get to the crop of former Georgia Bulldogs in a minute, but one to watch is running back Reggie Love III. Tyrone Tracy and Devin Mockobee formed a nice 1-2 punch in the Boiler backfield. With Tracy now a member of the New York Giants, Mockobee needs a new running mate and Love brings Big Ten experience over from Illinois.
Now, about those Georgia transfers. Purdue needed cornerback help and Nyland Green, as well as Kyndrich Breedlove from Colorado, is a definite boost. CJ Madden should bolster Purdue's pass rush, while De'Nylon Morrissette and CJ Smith add to Purdue's receiving corps.
Will Jireh Ojata, who starred at Division III Franklin College, be a diamond in the rough? sh*tta Sillah could blossom into an impact player from Boston College in the pass rush. Where Purdue was limited most last season was offensive line. The Boilers went hard after linemen in the portal. Joey Tanona was once a high-end recruit before a car crash cut his Notre Dame career short and now he's seeking a career resurgence.
Corey Stewart (Ball State) and junior college transfers Rod Green and Jaekwon Bouldin certainly look the part. Special teams priorities come in the way of kicker RJ Lopez (UCLA) and punter Keelan Crimmins (Mississippi State).
What did Ryan Walters and staff learn in year one together?
Walters always had visions of being a head coach. Despite a 4-8 season, Walters comes off even more confident in what he's doing running the Boilermakers.
Credit the swagger and moxie, but wins ultimately are the determining factor and Purdue's schedule since Walters arrived has lacked many, if any, cakewalks. The win at Virginia Tech after hours of being bunkered in a locker room during storms showed this staff can win big games. But the last-minute botch a week earlier against Fresno State also showed Purdue can just as easily lose in the same situation.
Coordinator Kevin Kane's defense looked really good at times. Harrell's offense the same. Those two seemingly never clicked at the same time, though.
If the lessons from last season made Purdue's coaching staff better, then roughing it through a 4-8 season might have been worth it.
Does the defense turn a corner?
Walters came to Purdue with the reputation of a defensive guru. Yes, it's Kane's defense but don't think Walters' fingerprints aren't all over it. Now it's a defense without Scourton, Sanoussi Kane, Cam Allen and others who were bright spots.
Additionally, Kydran Jenkins is shifting positions. Will Heldt shined in the spring game, which is nice, but can't be used completely as an accurate gauge given the nature of spring games.
Here's a stat Purdue fans should note: Walters spent two seasons as co-defensive coordinator at Missouri before being given full access to the Tigers' defense in 2018. Missouri allowed 6.3 fewer points per game from the previous year, then shaved off another 6.1 points per game, allowing just 19.4 in 2019.
In 2020, Illinois allowed 34.9 points per game. A new staff, including Walters at defensive coordinator, dropped that to 21.9 in 2021 and into one of the nation's top defenses (12.8 points allowed) in 2022. Purdue is counting on similar year one to year two results on defense. The Boilers ranked 105th in Division I allowing 30.4 points per game last season.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.
