Purdue Football's 5 Biggest Losses Now That the Transfer Portal Window is Closed
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It's been another busy offseason for coach Barry Odom and his Purdue staff. The Boilermakers saw 21 players enter the NCAA transfer portal since the end of the 2025 campaign, a much smaller number than last year.
Still, it forced Odom and his staff to get to work in talent from the portal during the offseason. But that's something we'll talk about at a later date. Now that the window to enter the transfer portal is closed, let's talk about a few of the biggest losses the Boilermakers suffered during the offseason.
Hank Purvis, OL (South Carolina)
Purvis became a big piece of Purdue's offensive line as the season progressed. Entering his junior year, the 6-foot-5, 360-pound lineman had a unique combination of size, experience, and upside. It would have been nice to see what the big-bodied lineman could have done in his second season at Purdue.
In his career, Purvis played in 25 career games, which included 11 appearances and seven starts for the Boilermakers during the 2025 campaign. Purdue could have used a younger player with Purvis's upside and experience on the roster to help with size and depth up front.
Nitro Tuggle, WR (South Carolina)
Tuggle seemed to get more comfortable in Purdue's offense as the season progressed. He made an impact in back-to-back games against USC and Notre Dame in September. The receiver hauled in four catches for 69 yards and a touchdown against the Trojans. A week later, Tuggle had three receptions for 66 yards and another score against the Fighting Irish.
Tuggle was never Purdue's primary receiver in the passing attack, but he was a solid second option in the offense. He ended the season with 34 catches for 500 yards and four touchdowns. The Boilermakers are having to almost entirely rebuild that receiver room, so his departure is a big loss.
Bradyn Joiner, OL (Florida State)
Arguably the most consistent player on this list, Joiner carved out his role as Purdue's starting center from the beginning of the year and never relinquished that job. He was a 12-game starter for the Boilermakers. As a freshman at Auburn, Joiner appeared in 10 games, made five starts, and earned a spot on the SEC's All-Freshman Team.
Like Purvis, Joiner provided Purdue with skill and experience on the interior of the offensive line. He would have provided the Boilermakers with veteran leadership up front. Instead, he decided to look for greener pastures.
Jamarrion Harkless, DL (Kentucky)
Harkless was a monster on Purdue's defensive line, coming in at 6-foot-3, 315 pounds. He is a player with major upside and finally got the opportunity to prove what he could do during the 2025 season. Harkless started in all 12 games for the Boilermakers, totaling 13 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
You have to look beyond just the statistics to see how Harkless made a difference. He was a tough player to block along the defensive front and was often disruptive, totaling four quarterback hurries. He created opportunities for his teammates to swoop in and steal tackles for loss and sacks. Harkless is another young player who could have made a huge impact for the Boilers over the next two seasons.
Alex Sanford Jr., LB (Pitt)
Sanford ended the year as Purdue's fifth-leading tackler with 46 stops to his name. He also had 3.5 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, and a pass break-up. The linebacker was a productive member of Purdue's defense and would have helped the team's depth at the position this season.
The good news for the Boilermakers is that they still have skill at the linebacker spot. They just won't have the same depth and experience without Sanford in the mix.
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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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