Fame Ijeboi's Impressive Purdue Debut Results in High Grade From PFF
In this story:
Fame Ijeboi wasted no time proving that he was exactly the type of ball carrier Purdue needed in the backfield this season. In his debut with the Boilermakers on Friday night, the Minnesota transfer put together one of the best performances of the game in a 44-19 victory over Indiana State.
Ijeboi closed out his first game in West Lafayette with 87 rushing yards, 30 receiving yards and a touchdown. His performance against the Sycamores resulted in a ridiculously high grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF).
PFF graded Ijeboi at 97.3 for his Week 1 performance, making him the highest-graded running back in rushing grade and overall offensive grade nationally. His offensive grade was second-best in the country.
9⃣7⃣.3⃣ rushing grade 💨@FameIjeboi graded as the top RB in both rushing grade and overall offensive grade (96.1) this week by @PFF_College. In addition, his offensive grade was #2 overall in the country. pic.twitter.com/GrS7I2e5yv
— Purdue Football (@BoilerFootball) September 8, 2026
Ijeboi had an explosive start on Friday night, carrying the ball 30 yards on his first three attempts. He scored the first touchdown of his Purdue career in the third quarter, taking a snap out of the Wildcat formation and running up the middle for a 1-yard score.
The running back's debut could have been even better, too. On Purdue's first possession of the second quarter, Ijeboi ripped off a 63-yard touchdown run, momentarily giving the Boilers a 16-3 lead over the Sycamores. However, a holding penalty negated the big run, and they ultimately settled for a field goal.
Ijeboi needed one week to show the impact he can have for the Boilermakers this season. Purdue hopes he can have a similar performance on Saturday against a tougher Wake Forest team.
Barry Odom raves about Ijeboi's performance
After the score went final at Ross-Ade Stadium on Friday night, head coach Barry Odom had a positive review about the play of Ijeboi. He has preached about the importance of establishing the run game, and the Boilers were able to do that thanks to Ijeboi's big start.
"I'm excited about him," Odom said after the game. "I thought our offensive line did a nice job blocking at the point of attack. I think he did a really good job of getting to the second level, and then running through a couple of tacklers. He's got really good vision, he's got good balance, and then his strength, I thought it continued to show up as the game went on. He's got a little more speed than he gets credit for ... He's going to be a solid player for us."
In Monday's press conference, Odom continued to praise Ijeboi for his performance against Indiana State. This time, though, the head coach talked about the other things the running back did throughout the game.
Ijeboi provided more than just a spark in the run game.
“He was really good in the pass protection game, which was important,” Odom said. “One of the best things Fame did was when he was not in the game, his leadership on the sideline was off the charts positive. That was noticed by all. He has been that way since he walked in the door. He's earned respect."
Purdue's defensive line gets high PFF grade, too
Ijeboi wasn't the only Boiler to receive high marks from PFF following the Week 1 performance. Purdue's defensive line also earned a top-10 grade nationally because of the discipline it played with against Indiana State.
Purdue held Indiana State to just 66 rushing yards and a 2.8 yards per carry average. Quarterback Elijah Owens accounted for 60 of those yards. The Boilers also finished the night with three sacks.
As a result, Purdue earned an 88.0 grade from PFF, which ranked seventh nationally.
Defensive back Don Saunders, who recorded Purdue's first pick-six since 2022, also graded out at 93.5, ranking him No. 9 among cornerbacks in Week 1.
Purdue did plenty of things right in the season opener against Indiana State. Will that carry over into Saturday's matchup against Wake Forest?
Get top Boilermakers stories, expert analysis, and can't-miss moments straight to your inbox for free by signing up for the Purdue Boilermakers on SI newsletter!
Add us as a preferred source on Google
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.
Follow SchutteDustin