Purdue Losing Key Wide Receiver to NCAA Transfer Portal
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Purdue's offense has taken another hit. On New Year's Day, On3's Hayes Fawcett and Pete Nakos reported that wide receiver Nitro Tuggle intends to enter the transfer portal. He spent just one season with the Boilermakers after transferring in from Georgia.
Tuggle, a sophomore last season, was Purdue's second-leading receiver and was the team's leader in touchdown receptions. He ended the year with 500 yards and four touchdowns on 34 catches. He was consistent throughout the year, hauling in at least one catch in every game and having 50 yards or more in five different contests.
One of Tuggle's best outings came on Sept. 13 in Purdue's home game against USC. He hauled in four receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown in a 33-17 loss to the Trojans. He also had a season-high 80 yards on five catches against Indiana to end the year.
Tuggle will have two years of eligibility remaining. He spent his freshman year at Georgia, ending that season with three catches for 34 yards.
The NCAA transfer portal window officially opens on Friday, Jan. 2. Although it did not officially open immediately after the season, several Boilermakers have already decided to leave the program.
Purdue's receiver room is depleted
With Tuggle entering the transfer portal, Purdue will now be without four of its top five receivers from the 2025 season. Michael Jackson III and EJ Horton are both out of eligibility and Arhmad Branch plans to enter the transfer portal on Jan. 2.
Those four players accounted for more than 60% of Purdue's receiving yards last season. If you throw in senior running back Devin Mockobee into that mix — he had 215 yards — that number jumps up to 68.5%.
Currently, Tulsa transfer Corey Smith is the only Boilermaker of the top five receivers who plans to return for the 2026 campaign. He was Purdue's fourth-leading pass-catcher last year, totaling 237 yards and a touchdown on 14 catches.
With so much production gone from Purdue's wide receiver room, coach Barry Odom and his staff will have to get aggressive in the transfer portal. The Boilermakers are in desperate need of playmakers who can come in and make an immediate impact.
Purdue finished last season with a 2-10 record and went winless in the Big Ten for a second straight year. The passing attack ranked 11th in the conference, averaging 217.2 yards per game through the air.
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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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