QUINIX Sport News: As spring practice ends, race is still on for Purdue football

Purdue football wrapped up its spring practice slate on Saturday afternoon in Ross-Ade Stadium, holding its spring showcase, the first spring game alternative under head coach Barry Odom.

Odom has continuously been pleased with the progress of his team throughout the spring and that was no different with the over month long practice slate now in the rear-view mirror.

“I think we look at from where we started in January to where we are today, we made a lot of progress, and we’ve got a long, long ways to go,” Odom said. “Our team that we have right now, they have done absolutely everything we’ve asked. I’m excited about that. Thankful for them, their willingness to be coached, their openness on trying to dive in to new and they understand the opportunities that we have in front of us that will create big time games with our habits that we continue to develop.”

The Purdue head coach highlighted three position groups that have been at the forefront of that improvement, in his mind, with the offensive line, defensive line and quarterbacks standout out after 15 on-field practices.

“I think the offensive line, the number of guys, I wouldn’t say it’s five guys, we’ve kind of moved seven guys in there rotationally. I think we’ve been excited about their progress. I think the quarterbacks, while we are not ready to name a starter yet, but I think that group’s gotten a lot better. And defensive line on where we started and where we are today, they’ve done a really nice job,” Odom said.

Odom has stayed positive about the team as he’s looked to shape and mold the roster to his liking upon landing in West Lafayette dating back to December. The team that fans saw on Rohrman Field isn’t going to be the same one that takes the field in 140 days, when the Boilermakers officially kick off the Barry Odom era against Ball State in the season opener.

Despite his praise for the three aforementioned position groups, Odom did acknowledge that a wrench could be thrown in the Boilermakers’ plans in a matter of just days.

“I mean, yeah, I could answer it and then Wednesday, it’s all going to change, you know? So we try to predict those things on what our team is going to look like, we have no idea. It’s an uneasy feeling,” Odom said.

Along with mandatory lifts and ramping up toward summer workouts, another transfer portal frenzy is set to commence on Wednesday, marking the start of an opportunity for Odom and company to further revamp the roster in West Lafayette. The work never ends in this college football landscape.

“We understand that it’s a race, and it is a sprint with no finish line,” Odom said.

Purdue already signed 29 transfers during the winter window that went through spring practice in West Lafayette. The number of additional reinforcements coming to campus this summer has yet to be determined, but a busy few weeks are ahead for the Boilermakers as it relates to their portal activity.

“We know that the portal opens on Wednesday, and my guess is that we’ll lose some and we’ll gain some. I look at what does that look like, and we’ll continue to add some pieces in the spots that we have open to build to what the 2025 team’s going to look like. Nobody is interested in any anything other than a winning football team and every move that we make is going to try to put us in position to go win this year, and that’s the standard, the expectation,” Odom said.

If Odom’s word wasn’t enough to show that Purdue is going to be ultra-aggressive in the portal this spring, the programs actions definitely do. Tennessee State linebacker transfer Sanders Ellis has already put pen to paper, defensive line transfers Cam Rice and Marcus Moore Jr. both took visits to West Lafayette this week, and other portal prospects have been offered by the Boilermakers.

And that’s just the start. The bulk of the spring portal entrants after Wednesday, allowing for a much deeper pool of players to choose from. Conversely, Purdue could watch any number of players venture out into the open market in search of greener pastures, which is just as likely as the Boilermakers adding to the roster.

“I mean, a lot of it will depend on how many guys we have that leave the program, you know, and how we’re going to be aggressive and what that looks like. You know, it’s in my mind, for us, we’ve got to create a roster for the first week of the season,” Odom said.

The fact remains, Purdue’s roster is nowhere close to set for the 2025 campaign, which is slowing creeping up.