How many Purdue true freshmen redshirted in 2023?

Purdue wrapped up its season win a victory in the Old Oaken Bucket Game over Indiana on Saturday, finishing year one of the Ryan Walters era on a high note.

The Boilermakers saw a number of freshmen make large impacts in said win as well. Boiler Upload takes a look at which Purdue freshmen burned their redshirts and retained the extra year of eligibility in 2023.

Purdue brought in 17 true freshmen on scholarship last off-season, with over half of them seeing game action during their debut campaigns in West Lafayette.

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Only five Boilermakers burned their redshirts this fall, with the most notable being future Freshman All-American Dillon Thieneman. The rookie phenom had one of the best freshman seasons in program history and cemented himself as a cornerstone for Kevin Kane's defense for years to come.

Will Heldt and Derrick Rogers Jr. were the other two Purdue defenders to surpass the four games played plateau, burning their redshirts. Heldt and Rogers both showed signs of progress towards the latter half of the season, with Ryan Walters and Kevin Kane liking what they saw.

Offensively, a pair of pass catchers also saw more action down the stretch, wide receiver Jaron Tibbs and tight end George Burhenn. The pair both had their best games of the season against Indiana, combining for eight catches for 101 yards and a score, with Burhenn accounting for 74 yards and the touchdown.

Five freshmen also played in 2023, but did not appear in more than four games, thus saving an extra year of eligibility for the Boilermakers down the line.

Quarterback Ryan Browne had the biggest impact of any of those players, splitting reps with Bennett Meredith with Hudson Card out against Northwestern. Browne gave Purdue optimism behind Card as he put together a respectable performance despite the loss.

Jimmy Liston and Luke Jones both saw special teams action in four games while Arhmad Branch and Mondrell Dean appeared in just one outing.