Consistency key for success of Hudson Card, Purdue offense

Shortly after being hired by Purdue, head coach Ryan Walters made a splash hire for the vacant offensive coordinator job, luring Graham Harrell away from West Virginia. Harrell's Air Raid variation is a scheme that Purdue fans, while they haven't seen it deployed by the Boilermakers, will see a similar mindset to the traditional systems run by previous staffs in the program's history.

The Boilermakers put in hours of work establishing that new system with a new cast of players over the last several months. As Purdue creeps closer to its season opener against Fresno State, the goal is to master the ins and outs of the offense and continuously improve on what they've learned.

"Still being in year one, the emphasis right now is just on getting better as a football team, getting used to each other, and fine-tuning what you do," Harrell said. "Especially early on, the most important thing is let's get good at what we do, let's do it at a really, really high level, let's execute, let's figure out who can give us the best chance to win football games and go do it."

That quest starts at the quarterback position and, more specifically, starting signal caller Hudson Card. The Texas transfer quickly took the reins of the offense after arriving this spring and is unequivocally the leader of the unit.

Card made waves during spring practice, earning heavy praise from Harrell, Ryan Walters, and his teammates on both sides of the ball. After showing why Purdue brought him in through the transfer portal, Harrell says the next step for Card and the offense is simply gaining experience and becoming more consistent leading up to the season.

"He's got the ability to do anything. I mean, he throws at an elite level; he can run the football at an elite level. He's athletic, he can throw off different platforms. He did a lot of things really, really well. If he plays really consistently, he'll give us a chance to win every night, and so that's what we're going to work on," Harrell said.

Purdue will need each position group to rise to the occasion this fall as Harrell says the Boilermaker's offense, and Card in particular, will be sharing the sugar.

While Harrell was known for throwing the ball around the yard during his playing days and has carried on that tradition in his coaching career, the Boilermakers' offensive coordinator admitted that his unit would have to be multi-faceted to play at a high level.

"The most important thing is to make sure all your playmakers are touching the football, whether they be in the backfield or whether they [are] receivers," Harrell said.

Harrell referenced his time at North Texas when the Mean Green leaned on running back Jeffrey Wilson and ran it more than they threw it. Last season at West Virginia, it was about a 50/50 split between pass and run plays for the Mountaineers, a far cry from Harrell's offense at USC being in the top seven of pass play percentage in the country each year he was with the Trojans.

Regarding the Boilermakers' backfield, Purdue returns breakout star Devin Mockobee and has two solid reserves in Dylan Downing and Tyrone Tracy. The group will be headlined by the Mock Train, but the Boilermakers' ground attack could also get some assistance from Card, who has shown the ability to be a true dual-threat quarterback.

Perhaps overlooked outside of the building, Purdue's tight end unit is also one that has Graham Harrell excited for the season. Garrett Miller is expected to fill the void left by NFL-bound Payne Durham, along with fellow veteran Paul Piferi. Seth Doege's room also features young and talented options Max Klare, Drew Biber, and true freshman George Burhenn.

"Those guys are really, really good. We were blessed to take over a pretty good tight end room," Harrell said. "In this offense, they bring a ton of value because they have a really, really important role in the passing game and in the run game. And they're playing at a really high level right now."

Those two groups will supplement the wide receivers on the outside, which is an intriguing group for the Boilermakers in 2023. TJ Sheffield, Mershawn Rice, and Deion Burks were overshadowed by NFL Draft picks Charlie Jones and David Bell earlier in their respective careers but have the opportunity to become number one options for Purdue.

Joining that trio is a pair of receivers that come to West Lafayette with experience at the college level, Jahmal Edrine and Jayden Dixon-Veal. Harrell spoke highly of the newcomer duo after the second fall practice of the year.

"You've got two really explosive players and guys that are capable of making explosive plays. I think the most important thing is just continuing to learn the offense just like all new guys," Harrell said. "The more and more comfortable they get-- the more hesitation we can eliminate."

With Hudson Card's supporting cast in place, Harrell is confident in what Purdue's offense can accomplish in 2023 as long as it continues improving and doesn't get complacent.

"I think that the sky's the limit with this right now. I think we have a lot of players that can make plays," Harrell said. "It could be fun. We just have to, like I said, continue to grow and stay hungry. If we continue to improve, I think we have a chance to be a really good offense."