The Biggest Concern Nobody is Talking About for Purdue Football
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After a 2-10 season in 2025, Barry Odom is evaluating everything with his program as he heads into his second year at Purdue. There are question marks on both the offensive and defensive sides of the football, but the one area seemingly getting less attention is on special teams.
Purdue lost both its starting punter and its place kicker from last season, leaving some big voids at those positions.
No, special teams may not have the most intriguing battle or be the greatest area of concern, but the punter and place kicker positions are still important, especially for a program trying to contend for bowl eligibility.
During fall camp, most of the focus will be placed on offense and defense, and rightfully so. But the kicking game is something we don't know much about right now.
Who will be the place kicker?
Spencer Porath's unexpected transfer to Notre Dame left a wide hole in Purdue's special teams for the 2026 season. The Boilermakers have three kickers on the roster, none of whom have any field goal kicking experience at the college level.
Seth Turner was Purdue's kickoff specialist last season, appearing in all 12 games. He transferred after spending two years at UConn, but did not see any game action for the Huskies. Could he be used in both kickoff and field goal situations this year?
Behind Turner are a pair of inexperienced kickers: Jack Weeter and Jacobo Echeverria Lozano. Weeter is a junior on Purdue's roster but has not appeared in any games. Lozano is a highly-touted freshman, ranked as the No. 10 kicker in the country by Kohl's Kicking Camps in the 2026 recruiting class.
Porath was incredibly consistent for the Boilermakers last season, converting 15-of-17 field goal attempts and making all 24 PAT tries. Obviously, Purdue would like to score more touchdowns this year, but Turner, Weeter or Lozano must step up and provide the Boilers with a steady leg in the kicking game.
Purdue also welcoming in a new punter
With Jack McCallister out of eligibility, Purdue turned to the transfer portal to improve its punting situation. The Boilers landed former Buffalo punter Dylan Drennan. He will compete with returner Sam Dubwig, who was on the roster last year but did not play.
Drennan comes to West Lafayette after averaging 44.8 yards per punt last season at Buffalo. He also pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line 25 times and had 16 punts sail more than 50 yards.
Thanks to his experience and skill, Drennan is the likely candidate to win the starting job.
Dubwig does have something to prove, though. He was a top-10 punter in the country as a member of the 2024 recruiting class. He spent one season at Arkansas before deciding to enter the transfer portal and play at Purdue.
McCallister proved to be a weapon for Purdue and the Boilers need to find the guy who can replace his production at that position heading into 2026.
Why it matters
Purdue is a program that has a razor-thin margin for error. Last year, the Boilermakers lost three games decided by a touchdown or less. Special teams weren't really an issue, but it had proven veterans at kicker and punter.
For Odom's team to take a sizable step next season, it needs to eliminate errors in all three phases of the game. With a new kicker and punter, that might be easier said than done.
The Boilermakers can't afford to end possessions without points when in field goal range. They also can't lose field-position battles. Those little things add up and could be the difference between a fun season or a disappointing year.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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