Purdue Coach Barry Odom Reveals Position Group That has Improved Most This Spring
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Since he took over the football program, Barry Odom has stressed the importance of being able to run the football in the Big Ten. Purdue didn't really deliver on that front during the 2025 campaign, but with a talented running back room heading into next season, there's an expectation that the Boilermakers can be much more impactful on the ground.
Odom says he's already seeing some major leaps from that six-man group during spring practice. Following Purdue's ninth practice of the spring schedule, the second-year head coach talked about the improvement that the group has made since the first day.
"I think the group that has made the biggest jump from Day 1 to today is our running back room," Odom said in a video posted by GoldandBlack.com. "There are a lot of things that go into that: play-call, blocking up front, offensive line, and tight ends blocking on the perimeter with the wide receivers.
"But, right now, there are probably four guys who, if we were playing, would actively be part of the game plan and finding ways to get them the ball. That's exciting to see. A couple of guys have breakaway speed, which is good."
Odom didn't mention those four individuals by name, but two likely breakouts in that room are Texas transfer Jerrick Gibson and Minnesota transfer Fame Ijeboi. Both were big pickups from the transfer portal in the offseason.
Purdue also added Travis Terrell Jr. from Jackson State and brought in freshman Izaiah Wright as a member of the 2026 recruiting class. The two returning backs are Antonio Harris and Carter Holsworth.
Last season, the Boilermakers averaged just 126.4 yards per game on the ground, ranking 14th in the Big Ten. The run game took a massive hit near the end of the season when senior Devin Mockobee suffered a season-ending injury.
It's still several months from the opening kickoff, but Purdue is in much better shape with its running back room than it was a season ago. Odom knows how important that aspect of the offense is to winning games in the Big Ten.
"We have to be able to run the ball," Odom said. "That's such a huge emphasis on what we're trying to get done offensively. We're making progress with that."
A running back room with experience
Purdue only has two returners from last year's team in the running back room, but it's a position group that is loaded with experience.
Gibson spent two years at Texas, playing in 19 games and rushing for 529 yards and five touchdowns. Ijeboi just completed his first season at Minnesota, piling up 441 yards and a pair of scores as the No. 2 ball carrier. Terrell accounted for more than 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns in his two seasons at Jackson State.
Harris was Purdue's second-leading rusher last season, getting a lot more carries following Mockobee's injury. He ended the year with 305 yards and two touchdowns on 69 carries.
Experience doesn't automatically translate to success on the football field, but it certainly helps.
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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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