Express: Ranking Purdue’s Portal Additions

The roster tumult was real this offseason for Purdue. First-year head coach Ryan Walters wasted no time looking to upgrade the roster, bringing in 17 players from the portal. Who knows? More could be on the way before camp starts in August.

Here’s our ranking of the potential impact of the Boilermaker transfers.

Projected starters

Pos Name, Former schoolQB Hudson Card, TexasOL Jalen Grant, Bowling GreenDE Jeffrey M’Ba, AuburnCB Salim Turner-Muhammad, StanfordCB Marquis Wilson, Penn State

Notes: Card is the crown jewel of this transfer class. And, so far, so good, as the Texas transfer has turned heads at every stop. He seemingly checks all of the boxes. … Grant arrived early. Yes, he lacks ideal height (he’s maybe 6-1), but he’s a bulldog with experience who was here in the spring. Grant could begin 2023 as the No. 1 center if Gus Hartwig isn’t ready to go coming off knee surgery. Or, Grant could start at guard. … M’Ba is a man mountain from France who is just scratching the surface after having been in America just three years. … Wilson is a legit No. 1 corner who was lost amid a raft of talent in the Penn State secondary. … Turner-Muhammad has a shot to start, but he’ll likely have to beat out Jamari Brown. And don’t sleep on Ole Miss transfer Markevious Brown, who should be in the top-four cornerback grouping.

Rotation

Pos Name, Former schoolS Anthony Brown, ArkansasCB Markevious Brown, Ole MissOT Bakyne Coly, Lawrence TechOT Ben Farrell, Indiana WesleyanG Luke Griffin, MissouriLS Daniel Hawthorne, MissouriDE Malik Langham, VanderbiltQB Bennett Meredith, Arizona StateCB Braxton Myers, Ole MissDE Isaiah Nichols, ArkansasG Preston Nichols, UNLVCB Zeke Williams, Northern Illinois

Notes: Ole Miss corners Myers and Brown inject needed athletic ability to a unit that has undergone a massive overhaul with five portal corners and JC addition (Botros Alisandro) on board. Brown should figure in among the top four Purdue corners this fall. … Isaiah Nichols could earn a starting spot at d-end. At the least, he’ll be a nice backup. Ditto Langharm. The veteran SEC duo has added needed size. … Griffin is one of five portal offensive linemen added. He figures on the interior. So does Preston Nichols, a chiseled veteran who could emerge as a starter at guard. … Williams is a bonus addition, arriving as a walk-on. He’s the older brother of recent 2024 safety commit Luke Williams. … Don’t sleep on Farrell, who may have a shot to start at a tackle spot that lacked depth. … Coley looks like a backup. Is he strong and physical enough? … Anthony Brown figures to support the No. 1 safety duo of Cam Allen and Sanoussi Kane. … Meredith has promise, but he has yet to take a snap. Not ideal for a No. 2 signal-caller. Purdue tried to land Oregon State’s Chance Nolan, but he opted for TCU. So, if Card gets hurt, Meredith is your No. 1 signal-caller. … Hawthorne, a walk-on, adds another quality long-snapper to go with Nick Taylor.

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