Do think Purdue will go after a QB transfer?

Norm

If Jeff Brohm could find one he liked a lot and thought could be the No. 1 man, he likely would take him. But I don't think many signal-callers of that caliber in the portal will want to come to Purdue because of the crowded depth chart.

Which defensive ends will eat their way into becoming tackles?

Boiler N

Good question, as Purdue needs some tackles to step up with the likely departures of Lorenzo Neal and Anthony Watts. Sophomore Jack Sullivan spent 2020 at end but may be better served playing inside. At 280, true freshman Greg Hudgins III could be headed to tackle. Sophomore Brandon Deen is an end by trade but played a lot of tackle in 2020. He could bulk up from 270 pounds.

Do you anticipate another wave of portal entries this month after players and coaches regroup and have meetings?

BuckyBoiler

For the record, Purdue has had WR Amad Anderson, Jr., FB Alfred Armour and CB Geovonte Howard enter the portal this offseason. Anderson already has landed at Temple. Will other Boilermakers join them in the portal? I think there's a good chance of that happening. Some players just want a chance to play and think they can find greener pastures elsewhere. I think many of these guys are gonna get stuck in the portal with nowhere to go in this game of musical chairs.

What linebacker (beyond Yanni Karlaftis) that hasn’t played much should Purdue fans be excited to see this spring?

Bullwhip Griffith

I am intrigued by redshirt freshman Khali Saunders. He played some defensive snaps as a true freshman in 2019 and played a bit more this past season. The 6-3, 230-pound Saunders is a rangy athlete can play in space as well as in traffic. Let me also mention Jalen Graham, who moved from safety to linebacker last year and showed potential. He could be poised for a breakout.

DC hire? When? Who?

IronChefBBQ

I continue to kick a lot of tires and to "ask around," but I have no solid read on who is under serious consideration. You can play "connect the dots" with some potential candidates and assume they may be top targets, but you never know. I do think Purdue needs to hire a proven DC. There is too much on the line in 2021 for Jeff Brohm to hand the controls of the defense off to a neophyte. It's also vital for the new DC to build his scheme around the better players on the defense--not force the players to fit his scheme. When will a hire be made? No sense in rushing. Brohm has to get this right. But without a DC, it may be tough to get players in the transfer portal to sign on.

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Who are the leaders for this team going forward? I don’t see anyone returning who was active on game day. In the past, iit’s been a David Blough and Markus Bailey. I’m wondering if the weekly captain idea detracted from developing leaders.

Puturf86

The best teams are led from within. And David Blough and Markus Bailey were among the best leaders Purdue has had in recent memory. It's even better when your leaders are your better players. Who could be leaders for the 2021 Boilermaker squad? On offense, there is potential in the QB being a leader. Junior Aidan O'Connell and sophomore Jack Plummer have the respect of the team. Junior wideout David Bell can be a leader by example. He is respected by all, but he isn't vocal. On defense, players like junior end George Karlaftis and senior linebacker Jaylan Alexander need to show the way.

Which of the receivers from the 2020 class (Maliq Carr, Collin Sullivan and Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen) do you see making the biggest impact next year?

BoilerData

Some talented wideouts in that class. And don't forget about diminutive speedster Marcellus Moore. Carr played the most in 2020, taking part in three games and 31 offensive snaps while making one catch for 15 yards. Yaseen played in one game and six offensive snaps, while Sullivan played no offensive snaps. Hard to tell who could emerge. You have to like the chances of the 6-5, 230-pound Carr becoming a weapon. He is a huge target who could pose issues for defenses. As for Moore, I love his potential as a return man.

Any possibility Jeff Brohm would consider bringing back Nick Holt?

PDGrand

Wouldn't be a bad idea. But I don't think Brohm would swallow his pride and admit he made a mistake. The deed was done. Holt's replacement was a flop, and Brohm finds himself shopping for a DC ... again.

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