Purdue Bolsters Secondary With Transfer Pledge From Former Michigan DB
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Purdue has bolstered its secondary through the transfer portal. The Boilermakers have added veteran safety Jaden Mangham, via a report from 247Sports. He spent the past two years at Michigan after starting his college career at Michigan State.
As a veteran safety, Mangham will have a great opportunity to make an immediate impact at Purdue. He's an experienced defensive back, playing in 34 career games across four seasons with two different Big Ten programs.
Mangham is coming off a 2025 campaign at Michigan in which he accounted for 30 tackles and a pair of pass break-ups. In 2024, he played in just one game for the Wolverines due to injury.
Prior to his transfer to Michigan, Mangham spent two years at Michigan State. He played in nine games and made two starts as a true freshman in 2022 and then made 11 appearances with 10 starts as a sophomore for the Spartans in 2023.
During that 2023 campaign at Michigan State, Mangham tallied 53 tackles, had seven pass break-ups, hauled in four interceptions, and recovered a fumble. He earned Academic All-Big Ten and All-Big Ten honorable mention following that stellar sophomore season.
Across his career, Mangham has 103 tackles, nine pass break-ups and four interceptions.
Purdue making splashes in the transfer portal
It's obviously early in the transfer portal cycle for the 2026 offseason, but Purdue has already made some big additions. On Sunday night, the Boilermakers added former Texas running back Jerrick Gibson to the roster.
Gibson, a former four-star prospect and one of the top running backs in the 2024 class, spent two years in Austin before entering the transfer portal. As a freshman, he rushed for 377 yards and four touchhdowns and the Longhorns reached the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff.
Gibson is expected to be an immediate contender for the top running back spot in West Lafayette.
Additionally, the Boilers got some help in the trenches, landing offensive lineman Micah Banuelos from USC. The 6-foot-2, 310-pound lineman spent three seasons at USC and played in 11 games. He was most productive in 2025, playing in seven games and making five starts.
It's no secret that Purdue struggled in the trenches and is looking to add quality offensive linemen to its roster. Banuelos provides the Boilers with some much-needed skill up front.
Purdue has a lot of holes to fill on the roster, but the staff is off to a pretty strong start addressing those needs in the portal.
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BRADFORD REVERSES COURSE: One Purdue defensive back initially wanted to the transfer portal after the 2025 season. He has changed his mind and will return to West Lafayette next year. CLICK HERE
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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