Biggest Takeaways From Purdue's Time at Big Ten Football Media Days
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Purdue got one step closer to the start of the college football season this week, as head coach Barry Odom, quarterback Ryan Browne, wide receiver De'Nylon Morrissette and linebacker Charles Correa took part in Big Ten Media Days.
Odom said Purdue had two goals in Chicago: to have fun and to stay out of the headlines. The Boilermakers achieved both.
While there wasn't much in terms of headline news from the Boilermakers on Wednesday, there were a few talking points from their time in Chicago. Here's what stood out.
Healthy entering fall camp
The best news of Wednesday came when Odom was asked about the health of his team entering fall camp. Purdue is in great shape heading into August, with just one player who won't be "full go" for the start of the month-long training camp.
Max Carmicle, an incoming defensive end in the 2026 recruiting class, underwent an operation earlier this year and won't be a full participant in camp, at least not right away. Odom said that the 6-foot-8, 255-pound edge went through most of Purdue's summer workouts, but he's not quite ready for 11-on-11 work.
Having a roster essentially at full strength for the start of camp is a huge advantage for Odom heading into his second season. Hopefully, the Boilermakers will be able to maintain a clean bill of health throughout August before the opening kickoff against Indiana State on Sept. 4.
What it'll take to compete at the highest level
If Odom wants to transform Purdue into a contender in the Big Ten, it's going to take more than just coaching. In this era of college football, there has to be complete support from the administration, too. So, as the university looks to find the replacement for retiring athletic director Mike Bobinski, there are a few key things the program needs from its new leader.
"We need to be innovative and aggressive in bringing in revenue," Odom said in a video posted by GoldandBlack.com. "Especially in regard to funds available on top of what the revenue share cap is, and how important that is. The ability to attract long-term deals for our football program and our university and our athletic department.
"Purdue can do that. We have 600,000 alumni. There are so many companies in Indiana and the five-hour radius — the people are there. Purdue is built on innovation; let's be really innovative and find ways to get that in our favor."
Purdue may not have the same budget as programs like Ohio State or Michigan, but it can put itself in a position to be competitive in the Big Ten. Hiring an athletic director who can steer the university in that direction is of major importance.
Locker room "feels different"
After going 2-10 one year ago, something had to change in the offseason. Purdue feels good about the talent it returned from last year's roster and believes it made significant upgrades from the transfer portal and through high school recruiting. One thing in particular stood out when each player was asked about what changed from the 2025 season.
There's a better feel in the locker room heading into the 2026 campaign.
"Just our locker room and the feeling we have," Browne said. "Having our whole team coming in January, I think the togetherness in our locker room is better than it's ever been in my four years at Purdue."
"The leadership," Correa added. "There are many different levels of leadership. It's vocal, showing how people work hard and people to look up to. There's also a great group of people who follow."
Morrissette said that there's also a renewed urgency to get Purdue football back to winning.
"The urgency to get things done, to get to where we need to be," he said. "That all starts from what Ryan and Charles said. That brings the urgency to get to where we need to be, to get players to get to the next workout, to get to the next play. Urgency, in all aspects, has went up."
The 1-0 mindset
Yes, the "1-0" chatter is overused in college football, but it felt appropriate for Purdue at Big Ten Media Days. Everyone was asked about goals and expectations in 2026, with several questions about reaching bowl eligibility.
Everyone was on the same page, though, talking about going 1-0 each week and taking the season one game at a time. That's an important mindset for the Boilermakers, who are trying to get their first Big Ten victory since 2025.
For a team that has struggled the past two years and was picked to finish last in the Big Ten again, it can be easy to get caught up in talking about returning to a bowl game or placing a win total on a successful season. Nobody representing Purdue fell for that trap in Chicago.
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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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