Purdue Football Building Top 20 Transfer Portal Class
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Purdue's football program faced some serious questions after the 2025 season. The Boilermakers went 2-10 and finished the year without a Big Ten win, going 0-18 in league play over the last two seasons. Where would Barry Odom and his staff find any momentum?
Despite the recent struggles for Purdue, the program is having quite a bit of success in the transfer portal, just 10 days after it opened. The Boilermakers are working on a top 20 class currently, and sit fourth in the Big Ten, per On3.
Odom has currently assembled the 17th-ranked transfer portal class in college football, according to On3's current rankings. Purdue sits fourth in the Big Ten, behind Indiana (fifth nationally), Wisconsin (12th nationally), and UCLA (13th nationally). As of the morning of Monday, Jan. 12, the Boilermakers have added 21 players from the portal.
Here's the quick rundown of the players who have already committed to Purdue out of the NCAA transfer portal. The window opened on Jan. 2.
Player (position) | Previous school |
|---|---|
Ricky Sampson Jr. (WR) | Victory Valley (JuCo) |
Dee Newsome (CB) | Samford (FCS) |
Kylan Fox (TE) | UCF |
Xavier Townsend (WR) | Iowa State |
Don Saunders (CB) | Utah |
Fame Ijeboi (RB) | Minnesota |
Dylan Drennan (P) | Buffalo |
Nuku Mafi (OL) | Oklahoma State |
Rodney Lora (DL) | UCF |
Boaz Stanley (OL) | South Carolina |
Mister Clark (S) | FIU |
Jojo Hayden (LB) | Illinois |
Curt Neal (DL) | Illinois |
Anthony Speca (LB) | Penn State |
Travis Terrell (RB) | Jackson State (FCS) |
Asaad Waseem (WR) | FAU |
Makai Saina (OL) | USC |
Jaden Mangham (DB) | Michigan |
Micah Banuelos (OL) | USC |
Wisdom Simms (DL) | NC Central (FCS) |
Jerrick Gibson (RB) | Texas |
You can view the complete rundown through our Purdue football transfer portal tracker.
Production over potential
Odom and his staff appear to be placing a premium on production over potential. Obviously, bringing in players that have not yet reached their ceiling is important, but having a group of guys that have proven themselves at the college level is critical, too.
Purdue has added three productive players to its backfield this offseason, brining in Fame Ijeboi (Minnesota), Jerrick Gibson (Texas), and Travis Terrell (Jackson State). All three players have rushed for more than 400 yards, and Terrell was an All-SWAC player.
Similarly at wide receiver, Purdue landed commitments from Asaad Waseem (FAU), Xavier Townsend (Iowa State), and Ricky Sampson Jr. (Victory Valley). Waseem was the most productive of that bunch, hauling in 66 receptions for 669 yards and five touchdowns.
The Boilermakers have also added experienced Big Ten defensive pieces in defensive back Jaden Mangham (Michigan), linebacker Anthony Speca (Penn State), linebacker Jojo Hayden (Illinois), and defensive lineman Curt Neal (Illinois).
In the trenches, Purdue added three offensive lineman with starting experience. The Boilers got pledges from Micah Banuelos (USC), Boaz Stanley (South Carolina), and Nuke Mafi (Oklahoma State). Between the three of them, they played in 31 games and made 26 starts during the 2025 season.
Just 10 days into this portal cycle and it's clear that Odom and the Purdue staff want players who can come in and immediately make an impact. The Boilers are still going to have to build and develop this group in spring and fall camp, but they have already added a lot of really skilled and experienced pieces.
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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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