The transfer portal age of college football has paved the way for massive roster turnover around the country on an annual basis, and while 40 new faces are officially set to join the roster this off-season, Barry Odom and Purdue have mitigated some of the getting-to-know you phase.
A theme among the incoming Boilermakers via the transfer portal is the familiarity with the new staff in West Lafayette. Of the 29 transfer additions, 19 have been coached elsewhere by coaches now on Barry Odom's staff, including seven UNLV transfers who were with Odom in Las Vegas over the last two years.
The latter group includes starting offensive lineman Jalen St. John, cornerback Tony Grimes, fullback/tight end Christian Moore and linebacker Mani Powell, in addition to reserve offensive linemen Mason Vicari and Hank Purvis and tight end Christian Earls.
"I'm so thankful for the core group that ended up coming here. A lot of it had to do with, you know, the connectedness that I had with them, the roster spots available that we had, what I thought they could do at this level of ball, and were we able to get them here," Odom said.
Odom's message since getting the job has been getting Purdue back to its winning ways and doing so swiftly. Bringing in a number of players already familiar with Odom and his staff could be a big reason why that materializes next fall.
"I think you can fast track that a little bit more in today's world, on getting guys that are familiar with how things are ran, what a Monday practice looks like, what the habits are supposed to look like, that create winning. And then we brought a number of guys that I coached before. We brought even more that I knew before from recruiting or somebody in the building did that were coaching somewhere else, and I think that gives us a platform to actually expedite the process just a little bit faster," Odom said.
Not only did Odom bring in familiar faces that he has coached, but he also dipped back into some of the connections he made on the recruiting trail previously. Ex-Arkansas linebackers Carson Dean and Alex Sanford Jr., and quarterback Malachi Singleton were recruited to Fayetteville while Odom was defensive coordinator.
Odom has already seen how the familiarity with several players, in regards to how he approaches things, can be useful for the Boilermakers after hearing some of the conversations already taking place in the locker room.
"It's fun in the locker room, when you walk through there and you hear guys that you coached before already talking about the next step and talking about what the winning edge looks like on the drills that we're about to take over. You know that there is a voice away from the voice, and you know how powerful that is with our student athletes that you're familiar with," Odom said.
35 of the 40 freshly signed Boilermakers are already on campus, with the exception of incoming freshmen Mason Alnutt, Maxwell Barbee, Zyntreacs Otey, Sam Steward and Jaron Thomas.
"35 of the 40 already started with this mid year, which was great for them, and for us. They've been able to go through, this starting week three for them, for winter conditioning program," Odom said.
The winter workouts will be wrapping up shortly, paving the way for what Odom referred to as Purdue's "Winning Edge" program, which he believes will help in the development of speed, quickness, and change of direction, as well as mental and physical toughness. That period will then lead to the start of spring practice, which is set to commence on March 4th.
While Purdue added talent from 19 states and Canada this cycle, casting a wide net to introduce new players to the program, Odom believes there is a common thread between the incoming Boilermakers. Their love of the not-so-sexy process that comes with the game.
"Guys that like the process of playing football, and that seems very, very elementary. But, everyone loves the recruiting process. Everyone loves the photo shoot. Everybody likes Saturday afternoon for three and a half hours getting to play. But, can you find guys that are willing to do what it takes 12 months out of the year? And the process is, man, it's so hard. But, you know, I've learned and seen it also can be, when done right, the most rewarding athletic experience they'll ever have," Odom said.
Purdue will shift its focus to development leading into spring practice next month, before seeing what it has and remaining aggressive during the spring portal window as well. Odom revealed that offensive line and defensive back were two groups that were lacking depth, which could pave the way for more additions via the portal upon the conclusion of spring ball.
Odom’s vision of a quick turnaround in West Lafayette has taken the first step, but work remains ahead.
