3 Reasons Purdue Football Will Outperform Low Projection for 2026
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Considering how the past two seasons have unfolded in West Lafayette, it's probably not much of a surprise that Purdue is near the bottom of ESPN's most recent power rankings for the 2026 college football season. Could this be the year that Barry Odom and the Boilers prove the prognosticators wrong?
In the latest preseason projections, the Boilers are listed at No. 67 among teams in Power Four conferences. The only team ranked lower than Purdue is Boston College.
Purdue hasn't won a Big Ten game since 2023, suffering 18 straight conference losses over the last two seasons. That number is a major reason why the program is ranked so low on ESPN's preseason projections.
Despite the lowly outlook, there are a few reasons for optimism in West Lafayette.
A productive transfer class
Purdue's incoming transfer portal class ranked No. 24 in On3's industry rankings for the 2026 season. The Boilers are bringing in 29 new players, with several of those bringing experience and production to West Lafayette.
The Boilermakers feel like they've upgraded along the offensive line, adding former South Carolina offensive linemen Jatavius Shivers and Boaz Stanley, as well as ex-Oklahoma State lineman Nuku Mafi. The running back group has also been bolstered by bringing in former Minnesota back Fame Ijeboi and ex-Texas ball carrier Jerrick Gibson into the program.
Odom also likes what his program has added on the defensive end, landing former Illinois linebacker Jojo Hayden and defensive lineman Curt Neal. In the secondary, the Boilers have Mister Clark, John Slaughter and Jaden Mangham on the roster.
It's a much better transfer situation than Purdue faced a year ago, and a group that the coaching staff feels confident can win games in the Big Ten.
The schedule isn't quite as grueling
Nobody would argue that Purdue has an "easy" 2026 schedule. The Boilers will still play multiple College Football Playoff contenders and have 11 games against Power Four programs. It's going to be a grind from Week 2 until the season finale on Thanksgiving weekend.
Purdue will have its toughest games against Notre Dame (Sept. 26), Penn State (Oct. 31), Iowa (Nov. 14) and reigning national champion Indiana (Nov. 28). The Boilermakers will face plenty of other challenges in the other eight games, but those are a little more manageable.
Along with a season-opener against Indiana State, Purdue will play three games against teams that won 2 Big Ten games or fewer last season — UCLA, Wisconsin and Maryland. The Boilermakers will also miss games against four of last year's top-five teams in the conference standings.
It's not an easy schedule, but it's one that is slightly less challenging than what the Boilers have faced the past two years.
Ryan Browne returns at quarterback
Having stability at quarterback is critical to a team's success, and Purdue will have that with Browne back under center in 2026. Although he battled ups and downs in his first full season as the starter, he has spent a full year in Josh Henson's system and has a strong grasp of the offense.
Browne threw for 2,153 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season, also rushing for four touchdowns. He has a strong play-making ability, but needs to be more consistent for Purdue's offense to do some damage.
The Boilermakers not only feel confident in what Browne brings to the quarterback position, but they've surrounded him with a better offensive line and more playmakers at running back and wide receiver. That combination should help Purdue's offense tremendously in 2026.
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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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