Drake Lindsey is excited to play Purdue and 'good friend' Barry Odom

Lindsey has known Purdue's new head coach for a long time.

Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Purdue head coach Barry Odom speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

First-year Purdue head coach Barry Odom was the defensive coordinator at Arkansas from 2020 to 2022, before he revived his career as the head coach at UNLV. During his time in Fayetteville, he built a close relationship with Gophers' QB Drake Lindsey and his family.

Lindsey was asked about his thoughts on Purdue during his press conference on Wednesday, and he quickly used his time to compliment Odom and the Boilermakers.

"They're really good. They do a lot of good things on every down. Coach Odom is one of the best head coaches in the country, in my opinion. [He's] a good friend of my dad and a good friend of mine," Lindsey said. "Arkansas, you know, I used to have some dinners with him, hang out with him here and there, but he's a great guy."

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Odom is an incredibly well-liked figure in the college football world, and it's clear that Lindsey appreciated the relationship they built. When Odom was in Fayetteville, Lindsey just began his high school journey at Fayetteville High School.

"[I] am very fortunate and blessed to play a game against him, I think it's super cool, so I am excited for it," Lindsey continued. "He does a lot of stuff on defense that challenges offenses, and I am excited to see what he's going to do on Saturday."

The connections don't stop there between Lindsey and the Boilermakers. Purdue linebacker Mani Powell attended the same Fayetteville High School, where Lindsey starred. They overlapped at the school when he was a sophomore and Powell was a senior. Lindsey said they had a conversation over the phone on Monday.

Powell has followed Odom from Arkansas to UNLV and now Purdue, and he is second on the Boilermakers with 38 tackles this season. He's a player who should be near the top of Minnesota's offensive scouting report.

Purdue was viewed as the worst team in the Big Ten before this season, but they've held their own for a little bit against USC and Illinois. If there was any reason to think Minnesota could overlook the Boilermakers this Saturday night, it sounds like that will not be the case for Lindsey.