Max Klare is no stranger to the injury big during his football career, having dealt with a broken collarbone in high school, as well as a lingering ankle issue across his first two years as a Boilermaker.

It was that same left ankle, that he suspected would give out at some point, that put a damper on what was shaping up to be a breakout campaign for the then redshirt freshman tight end. After a strong start to his 2023 campaign, being a favorite target of quarterback Hudson Card, he would watch the rest of the season from the sidelines after his deltoid snapped in the Illinois game.

Despite the season-derailing ailment, similar to coming off previous injuries, Klare expects to continue improving as he returns to the field for the first time in nearly 11 months. Justin Sinz shares that same sentiment regarding his rising tight end as well.

"I just feel like every time I come back from injury, I only get better. So that's the best way to look at it, and that's the way I am moving forward," Klare said. "Going through anything like that can only make you tougher."

"Max has been doing an awesome job. Obviously, he was off to a really strong start last season before the injury, but he's come back this spring, summer, start to fall camp, even stronger," Sinz said.

Now that Klare is back and at 100% again, he expects to take that step forward with the help of his improved mentality and football IQ, as well as the physical attributes that made him a top target for the Boilermakers a year ago.

"I think you can expect a more developed player, just more in tune with the offense, more in tune with the quarterback, understanding the defense, more and just a more well rounded player in all aspects of the game," Klare said.

Klare turned into Hudson Card's safety net early in the season last year, being a favorite third down target in particular for the Boilermakers' signal caller. As the pair heads into year two together, they are looking to ramp that up even further while being more comfortable in Graham Harrell's Air Raid system.

"I mean, it makes a lot easier, year two being in the same system. We're pretty close off the field too. So, you know, we kind of have that trust on the field. I think just the more reps we get after a year, the better it's gonna be," Klare said.

While it is just his first year leading the tight ends room, Justin Sinz is no stranger to seeing what Klare can do, being on staff in West Lafayette for both of his years with the Boilermakers.

The likes of Payne Durham and Brycen Hopkins have evolved into NFL caliber players during their time with the program in recent memory, and Sinz believes the redshirt sophomore can be in the conversation as one of the all-time greats at the position in Purdue lore.

"He's got all the potential in the world to be one of the best tight ends that's ever been here. So again, that's my job. That's his job to put into work, which he's an awesome kid, and he does that because he knows that he can be special. That's the type of player that we expect him to be," Sinz said.

Despite that, Klare will have some healthy competition for snaps in 2024, however, as one of the most talented groups on the roster creates a loaded tight end corps for Hudson Card and the Purdue offense. It's an issue every coach dreams of, perhaps too much talent.

Injuries to Klare and the now departed Garrett Miller last season opened up playing time for the tandem of Drew Biber and George Burhenn, who are expected to see and increase in playing time after valuable experience at the end of 2023.

"If those injuries wouldn't have happened, the Drew Biber's of the world, the George Burhenn's of the world just wouldn't have gotten as many reps and the practice reps that they were getting. That was all important for their development, and then that gives them a bunch of confidence going in this year. Now that they got those reps, the lights aren't too bright out here in practice. They're ready to go," Sinz said.

"We have a loaded room. We got George. Obviously, he got a lot bigger this year. He's a really explosive player. He can make plays. Biber as well, he's a really explosive player too. You know, Furtney he comes in there, he gets the job done. He plays a really hard, physical guy. All four of us can really produce at a pretty high level," Klare said.

Ben Furtney and true freshman Tayvion Galloway could also see snaps for the Boilermakers this season, in what is perhaps the most intriguing position group for the program heading into the fall.