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Taking Close Look at Barry Odom’s Purdue Roster
In hindsight, first-year coach Barry Odom signing 82 new players to a Purdue football roster decimated by the transfer portal was adding quantity over quality.
The record says 2-10 but there was some talent among the newcomers as indicated by five selections to All-Big Ten teams. Let’s rank some of these transfers by their play in 2025.
The best
Jack McCallister: Nebraska’s loss was Purdue’s gain as the senior punter earned second-team All-Big Ten honors. His 43.2 yard average ranks sixth in school history. His 68-yard punt against USC was the longest this season in the Big Ten.
Mani Powell: The senior linebacker followed Odom from UNLV and wound up sharing the Big Ten lead with 110 tackles. That total ranked 15th in the nation. In Big Ten games only, Powell became the first Boilermaker ever to lead the league with 94 tackles. His five sacks shared the team lead.
Tahj Ra-El: The senior safety who transferred in from Memphis matched Powell’s Big Ten-leading 110 tackles and finished second in league games only with 87. For this he was voted honorable mention All-Big Ten. Ra-El made a career-high 15 tackles against Rutgers and led Purdue with 12 in the loss to Indiana.
Charles Correa: Another UNLV transfer, the sophomore linebacker earned honorable mention All-Big Ten acclaim. His 96 tackles ranked seventh in the Big Ten. Correa made seven tackles for loss and recorded three sacks.
CJ Nunnally IV: The senior defensive end transferred in from Akron and was a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster pass rush. He recorded five sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss among his 44 overall.
Michael Jackson III: The Georgia transfer earned honorable mention Big Ten status as a return specialist. He ranked fourth in the Big Ten and 23rd nationally with a 23.6 yard kick return average. Jackson was the Boilermakers’ leading receiver by a wide margin, hauling in 63 passes for 570 yards and a touchdown.
Luke Raab: The redshirt freshman long snapper earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in his first season after transferring from Georgia.
Bradyn Joiner: While not having the ideal size for a Big Ten center (6-2, 310 pounds), the former All-SEC Freshman selection from Auburn stepped into a large void left by five-year starter Gus Hartwig.
Hank Purvis: Another UNLV transfer earned a starting role at guard midseason and the 6-5, 360-pound sophomore showed promise.
Jalen St. John: The 6-5, 330-pound guard from UNLV could be an NFL prospect with his ability to play guard and tackle.
T.J. Lindsey: The 6-3, 310-pound Auburn transfer might have been Purdue’s best defensive tackle when he was lost for the season with an ACL injury against Notre Dame. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
Solid
Nitro Tuggle: The sophomore transfer from Georgia via NorthWood High School was the Boilermakers’ second-leading receiver with 34 receptions for 500 yards and four touchdowns.
Tony Grimes: Expectations were maybe too high for the senior cornerback from UNLV. Even so, his 34 tackles and five pass breakups were solid numbers.
Myles Slusher: The senior transfer from Colorado, aside from a game to forget at Washington, was Purdue’s fourth-leading tackler with 62 and had one of just four interceptions taken by the Boilermakers this season.
EJ Horton: The senior wide receiver from Florida Atlantic worked his way into the starting lineup and finished with 27 receptions for 289 yards and a touchdown. The receptions and yards ranked third behind Jackson and Tuggle.
To be determined
DL Ian Jeffries, DB Hershey McLaurin, QB Evans Chuba, LB Sanders Ellis, LB Alex Sanford, DB Ryan Turner, WR Corey Smith, TE Rico Walker, DB Traveon Wright, WR David Washington, DB Challil Cummings, OL Mason Vicari, DL Marcus Moore Jr., DE Breeon Ishmail, OL Giordano Vaccaro, OL Marques Easley, OL Jude McCoskey, OL Marc Nave Jr., TE Luca Puccinelli, DL Miles Mitchell, P Seth Turner, P Sam Dubwig, DL Breylon Charles
Departed
QB Malachi Singleton (transfer portal), RB Malachi Thomas (out of eligibility), WR Chauncey Magwood (out of eligibility), LB Carson Dean (transfer portal), DB An’Darius Coffey (out of eligibility), TE Christian Moore (out of eligibility), TE Christian Earls (out of eligibility)
Noteworthy
The Big Ten will have four new football coaches in 2026 after Michigan surprised the college football world Wednesday by firing Sherrone Moore for cause.
Athletic director Warde Manuel said Moore was terminated following the discovery that “credible evidence was found that coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”
“This conduct constitutes a clear violation of university policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior.”
Barring a successful lawsuit, Moore’s firing for cause will cost him the $14 million buyout in his contract. Moore was 18-8 at Michigan.
Associate head coach Biff Poggi was named interim coach and will lead the Wolverines against Texas in the Citrus Bowl.
Michigan State pulled a move from the Purdue handbook and fired Jonathan Smith after two seasons and a 9-15 record. The Spartans will reportedly pay Smith $30 million not to coach.
Former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald was hired on the same day. Fitzgerald received a five-year contract worth a reported $30 million.
After looking like it may have made a mistake in firing James Franklin, Penn State salvaged the long wait to hire a replacement by choosing Iowa State’s Matt Campbell. Campbell reportedly received an eight-year contract that Yahoo Sports reported will put him among the top 10 coaching salaries at approximately $10 million per season.
UCLA is hoping for some more James Madison magic by hiring Curt Cignetti’s replacement, Bob Chesney, as head coach. Chesney moves to Los Angeles after coaching James Madison to an 11-1 record this season and 20-5 overall.
Chesney’s contract reportedly includes a $6.75 million per year salary for five years. He replaces DeShaun Foster, who was fired after starting his second season 0-3 at his alma mater. UCLA reportedly owes Foster a $6.43 million buyout.
Kenny Thompson is the former sports editor for the Lafayette Journal & Courier and an award-winning journalist. He has covered Purdue athletics for many years.