Key Quotes From Purdue's Sixth Practice of Fall Camp
In this story:
After a day away from the field, Purdue returned on Thursday for its sixth practice of fall camp. The quarterbacks were at the forefront in West Lafayette, as individuals from that room met with reporters to talk about their growth and development so far.
Quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw, starter Ryan Browne and backups Evans Chuba and Bennett Meredith talked about the first six practices of fall camp, how the room has come together and plenty more.
Here is a look at some of the key quotes from Purdue's sixth practice of fall camp.
Staff is "pouring in" to the quarterback room
Purdue feels much more confident about its quarterback room in 2026 than it did a season ago. The Boilermakers returned their starter and three backups. The Boilers also brought in three-star California gunslinger Corin Berry. There is a lot of familiarity within the room.
Another reason why Purdue feels better about the situation? Hinshaw says head coach Barry Odom, offensive coordinator Josh Henson and everyone else around the program have "poured in" to this year's quarterback group.
"The people who have poured into all of our quarterbacks: Coach Odom, first of all, our head football coach," Hinshaw said. "He met with them throughout January and February and had different NFL quarterbacks have Zoom meetings with them. Our head coach has poured into our quarterbacks all the way to this moment. It's been huge."
Hinshaw also gave Henson plenty of credit, saying he's really helped with the mental aspect of playing the quarterback position. The result — at least six practices through fall camp — is a more confident room.
Ryan Browne is protecting the football better
One of the biggest problems Purdue had last year was protecting the football. The Boilermakers finished the 2025 season with a Big Ten-worst 21 turnovers, 13 of which came from interceptions. Browne was responsible for 10 of those picks, some coming at critical junctures in games.
It's one area that Browne has placed a high emphasis on during the offseason.
"The No. 1 thing is not turning the ball over. I took a big step in spring ball with that and have been really good about that so far in camp," Browne said. "And then just completing the ball. Finding completions, throwing checkdowns. High completion percentage, low turnovers."
Browne has done an excellent job minimizing mistakes. He's been more accurate with the football and has cut down on the number of turnovers. While he's better than he was at this point last year, Hinshaw says the quarterback must be able to do it consistently.
"He has one interception after six practices, and he's got, I think, 14 touchdowns at this point," Hinshaw said. "We have to keep that trend going."
The backup QB job is down to two candidates
Earlier this week, Odom said he "didn't know" who the No. 2 quarterback would be this season. He didn't provide many specifics either, simply saying, "We have a lot of work to do."
Hinshaw said that two players have emerged for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart: Chuba and Meredith. Neither played for the Boilermakers last season, but they're both competing to back up Browne when the season kicks off on Sept. 4 against Indiana State.
"We have a battle at two and three right now, and that's Evans Chuba and Bennett Meredith. Bennett Meredith has shown some great things. You see the senior in him, the older mentality, the leadership. He's been a leader for us," Hinshaw said.
"Evans Chuba, who's younger, has a very high ceiling at quarterback. He has done what we've asked him to do from last year to this year to get himself prepared. Now, there has to be a sense of urgency. He has to go play faster in those situations, game-like scenarios as he's going through practice."
There's still a battle for that job, but at least there's some clarity as to who will get the nod behind Browne.
More comfortability in the offense
Last year, Purdue's quarterback room essentially had to learn the offense on the fly. Browne was at North Carolina during spring practice and was thrown into the fire. Now, four of the five quarterbacks have been in West Lafayette for at least a full season and understand the intricacies of the scheme.
That knowledge and understanding should really help the Boilermakers this fall.
"I think the biggest thing is being in this scheme for a year," Browne said. "I know everything like the back of my hand. I've had since last season and January until now to really master the offense and the details of it."
Chuba echoed similar sentiments, even though he hasn't taken a snap in a live game for the Boilermakers yet. Having a full year under his belt has really helped him during fall camp.
"Understanding that certain plays are for certain reasons," Chuba said, "not everything is a touchdown."
Connected quarterback room
In today's era of college football, it's difficult to get multiple quarterbacks to stick around a program. Purdue is in a unique spot, returning its starter from 2025 and three backups from last year. Bringing in Berry as a true freshman adds depth, as well.
This is a group that is competitive, but there's also plenty of support for one another. Chuba says playing alongside most guys for a second year has really helped develop chemistry.
"It's been amazing. Through winter training, spring ball, summer training and now fall camp, it's been great," he said. "I've been with a lot of them for two years, so just being there, pushing each other, learning from each other's mistakes, pushing each other to be better. The dynamic between us is great."
Meredith, who is in his senior season with the Boilermakers, says everyone in the room has developed a close friendship. It's helped this group collectively grow during the offseason.
"We are an extremely close-knit room. We're all extremely good friends; we're close on and off the field, all pushing for each other to be as good as they can be," Meredith said. "We all have each other's back at the end of the day. It's awesome."
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