Purdue Football 2026 Position Preview — Defensive Backs
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We're concluding our defensive position preview with a look at Purdue's secondary. This was an area where Purdue really struggled last season, and it's a group that needs to make significant progress in 2026.
Purdue's pass defense ranked last in the Big Ten and 110th nationally, allowing 241.7 yards per game. The Boilers also had just four interceptions for the year, tied for the lowest in the conference (UCLA).
Let's take a look at Purdue's secondary and see if this is a unit poised to take a major step forward this fall.
Returners
- Hudauri Hines (Jr.) — Hines is Purdue's most productive returner at defensive back from last season. He started in 11 games and tallied 33 tackles and an interception. He's a player who needs to be a leader in the secondary, especially with so many newcomers on Purdue's roster heading into the 2026 season.
- Smiley Bradford (Jr.) —Bradford has played in 17 games and made five starts in the past two seasons at Purdue. He's a returner who could make a big jump in 2026. He's coming off a sophomore season in which he played in all 12 games and tallied 30 tackles, seven passes defended and an interception.
- Traveon Wright (Jr.) — The former Mississippi State defensive back carved out a role for himself in his first season at Purdue, playing in 11 games in 2025. He finished his sophomore year with seven tackles and a pair of pass break-ups. Last season was the first in which Wright had seen significant playing time at the college level.
- Ryan Turner (Sr.) — Turner's first season at Purdue was in 2025, transferring in from Boston College. He played in one game and appeared in seven total last fall. He ended the season with 10 tackles for the Boilermakers.
- Vi'Naz Cobb (So.) — As a true freshman, Cobb worked his way into part of the rotation late in the year. He played in five games and started in one contest. He accounted for nine tackles in his first year, but got some great experience in the final stretch of the season.
- Isaiah Needam (So.) — Needam is now a third-year player for the Boilers. He didn't play at all during his freshman year in 2024, but appeared in 11 games last season as part of the special teams unit. He totaled six tackles for the year, three of those coming against Northwestern.
- D'Mon Marable (Jr.) — Marable is another third-year defensive back and has played in 23 total games in his first two years, primarily on special teams. He played in all 12 contests during the 2025 season and was responsible for two tackles.
- Maxwell Barbee (Fr.) — Barbee utilized the 2025 season as a redshirt year. He was able to play in one game last season but did not record any statistics in his lone appearance.
- Kaleb Richmond (Jr.) — Richmond did not play in a game for Purdue last season but did receive Academic All-Big Ten accolades at the end of the year.
- Donivan Taylor (Fr.) — Taylor was a member of Purdue's 2025 recruiting class and did not see any action during his first season in West Lafayette.
- DJ Greene (Fr.) — Also in his first season at Purdue, Greene was a redshirt in the 2025 season. He did not make an appearance.
- Zyntreacs Otey (Fr.) —Otey was another prospect in Purdue's 2025 recruiting class who redshirted in 2025 and did not see action in any games.
Newcomers
- Mister Clark (Jr.) — Clark spent three years at FIU and had a breakout season in 2025. He was responsible for 63 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and a forced fumble. He's an opportunistic player in the secondary and earned All-C-USA honors after his big year for the Golden Panthers.
- John Slaughter (Sr.) — A senior, Slaughter brings a lot of Power Four experience to West Lafayette. He played at Tennessee and spent last season at Colorado. He has played in 34 career games, but is looking for a more consistent role at Purdue. Slaughter has recorded three career interceptions, two of them coming last year.
- Ta'Vari Hampton (So.) — Hampton is coming off an incredibly productive career at the junior college ranks. He earned second-team All-America honors after piling up 115 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, nine passes defended and four interceptions at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in 2025. The Boilermakers are hoping that production translates to the Big Ten level.
- Jaden Mangham (Sr.) — Mangham has plenty of Big Ten experience, playing at both Michigan and Michigan State. He spent two years at each stop before making the transfer to Purdue. He was an All-Big Ten honorable mention with the Spartans in 2023 and played a consistent role in the Wolverines' secondary during the 2025 campaign.
- Dee Newsome (Jr.) — Newsome adds quality depth to Purdue's secondary for the upcoming season. He played in 12 games at Samford last fall and was responsible for 17 tackles and five passes defended.
- Don Saunders (Sr.) — This will be Saunders' fourth school, with stops at Cal Poly, Texas A&M and Utah before arriving at Purdue. Injuries have hindered the defensive back's career, but he's made an impact when on the field. He has played in just nine games over the past two seasons.
- Dax Noles (So.) — Noles was a junior college first-team All-American and a national champion at Iowa Western last year. He was another big-time playmaker in the secondary, racking up 63 tackles, four interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles. Noles is another portal addition who can fight for significant playing time for the Boilermakers.
- Justin Denson Jr. (So.) — Another Big Ten transfer, Denson comes to Purdue after playing at Michigan State for two seasons. He played in 11 total games on defense and special teams, accounting for 15 total tackles in his career.
- Redarrion Daniels (Fr.) — Daniels was a three-star member of Purdue's 2026 recruiting class. He had more than 100 tackles and picked off 11 passes in his high school career. He comes to West Lafayette hoping to make an early impact.
- Jett Goldsberry (Fr.) — Goldsberry is a legacy, as his father, Jon Goldsberry played fullback at Purdue. He was ranked as the top safety in Indiana and a top-10 overall player from the state. He initially committed to Ole Miss but flipped to Purdue.
- Dana Greenhow (Fr.) — A three-star prospect out of high school, Greenhow comes to Purdue from Mississippi. He totaled 86 tackles, 29 passes defended and six interceptions during his high school career.
- Emoni Smith (Fr.) —Smith was a productive high school player, earning a three-star rating as a recruit. He tallied 328 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and 26 pass break-ups during his prep career.
Purdue needs playmakers in the secondary
It's probably been overstated in these defensive position previews, but Purdue is trying to find guys who play aggressively and are opportunistic. Last season, the defense recorded just four interceptions, one of the lowest totals in the country. The Boilermakers feel like they need to do a better job of giving the offense more chances.
Purdue doesn't return much production from last year's team in the secondary outside of Hines and Bradford. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because the team's pass defense ranked worst in the Big Ten. The coaching staff added experience in the transfer portal, notably with the additions of Clark, Noles, Hampton, Mangham, Saunders and Slaughter.
Those transfer players have to make the biggest impact. There will still be opportunities for returners to carve out roles, but Purdue specifically targeted the secondary in the transfer portal to make a difference instantly. That group must deliver in a big way.
Depth is a strength
We still don't know how this unit will look on game day, but Purdue's depth in the secondary is in good shape. The Boilermakers have 24 players listed as defensive backs on the roster. There are 11 returning players and 11 newcomers, which include both transfers and incoming recruits.
Returning Hines and Bradford were big wins in the offseason, but bringing in eight transfer players to bolster the secondary was important for the Boilers. This is a group with a lot of Power Four experience, many of which making significant impacts at their previous schools.
This group still has plenty to prove, but it should feel fairly good about its two-deep heading into a new season.
The biggest question
Can Purdue's secondary eliminate big passing plays? Those killed the Boilermakers last season, ultimately leading to several losses in the record book.
Purdue's secondary allowed 46 passing plays of 20 yards or more, most in the Big Ten. Opponents also had 26 plays of 30-plus yards, 16 plays of 40-plus yards and six plays of 60-plus yards. All ranked last in the conference.
Those big pass plays were backbreakers for the Boilers last season, especially in third-down situations. So, not only does Purdue need to be more active in the secondary with interceptions, it needs to be able to stick with receivers better, break up passes and limit explosive plays through the air.
One final thought
Purdue's secondary undoubtedly upgraded in the offseason. The bar wasn't extremely high, as it was the worst in the Big Ten in 2025. Still, the Boilers were able to add Power Four experience and impact players, major keys in the transfer portal.
This group should be significantly better than it was last season, but we have to see it in action. This has to be a unit that comes through on third downs and makes life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. Simply eliminating 20-yard pass plays would be a big step in the right direction, too.
With Purdue's increased depth and improved experience at defensive back, this unit should make a sizable leap from where it stood last fall.
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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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