What to Watch Closely During Purdue's Fall Camp
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Purdue is ready to put the pads on and begin gearing up for the 2026 season. The Boilermakers open up fall camp on Thursday, with the first game scheduled for Friday, Sept. 4 against Indiana State.
There is going to be plenty to monitor over the next month, as Purdue hopes to climb out of the Big Ten's cellar this fall. The program needs to make major strides at every position group if it hopes to reach its full potential, especially with a schedule that includes 11 power conference opponents and five top-25 teams.
What are the things to keep an eye on as Purdue kicks off fall camp this week?
Depth on the offensive line
Entering fall camp, we believe there's already an established first unit up front. That group includes Joey Tanona, Micah Banuelos, Boaz Stanley, Marques Easley and Nuku Mafi. Tanona missed spring ball with an injury and was replaced by Jude McCoskey, but this is likely the starting offensive line, at least at the start of camp.
Purdue did a nice job of adding experience and size up front, but how much depth does this offensive line unit have? Ethan Trent played in 12 games and started six last season for the Boilers, and McCoskey appeared in 11 contests. The Boilers also added Jatavius Shivers and Makai Saina from the transfer portal.
Are freshmen Rico Shrieber, Brock Brownfield and Terrell Berryhill Jr. able to provide quality depth behind the first unit? What about returners Rocco Daly and Marc Nave Jr.?
Purdue's first unit is obviously the most important, but the Boilers need quality depth to win in the Big Ten. Is there a significant drop-off from the first team to the second team? Or does this collection of offensive linemen provide options for the coaching staff?
The secondary's ability to make plays
One of the comments that stood out from spring practice was that defensive coordinator Kevin Kane is emphasizing takeaways on the defensive side of the football. There's no question Purdue needs to improve in that area, finishing last year with just nine forced turnovers and four interceptions.
Purdue's lack of playmaking last year resulted in the worst pass defense in the Big Ten and one of the worst in college football. Do the Boilermakers have that ability this season? Can they play a more aggressive, opportunistic style of defense with the defensive backs they have this year?
Adding Mister Clark, Jaden Mangham, Don Saunders, John Slaughter and Ta'Vari Hampton were huge in the offseason. So was returning Hudauri Hines and Smiley Bradford. Purdue had several options to insert into the secondary to try and generate a spark.
Can this group create more turnovers without surrendering big plays? That's going to be a critical piece to Purdue's success this fall.
Any separation among the wide receivers?
Since Deion Burks was in West Lafayette on the 2023 team, Purdue really hasn't had a No. 1 target at wide receiver. The Boilermakers have lacked that true "go-to" guy in pivotal situations. Will that be the case again this season?
Purdue doesn't necessarily need to have a clear No. 1 receiver, but it would be beneficial for quarterback Ryan Browne to have a primary receiver whom he can trust on key downs or late in games.
Like several positions on this Purdue roster, there are many options that this team didn't have a year ago. De'Nylon Morrissette, Chauncey Magwood and Jalil Hall are healthy again. Corey Smith could be a factor in the equation. The Boilermakers added proven pass-catchers in Bisi Owens, Xavier Townsend and Asaad Waseem from the transfer portal. There are plenty of options.
Will one guy break away as the clear No. 1 target in this offense? Purdue can survive without having that individual, but it would benefit the Boilers to have at least one or two guys create some separation from the rest of the pack.
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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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