Purdue Spring Practice Storylines To Watch

The Ryan Walters era is taking shape in West Lafayette as Purdue football will officially kick off spring practices tomorrow evening. After all of the changes over the last four months, Purdue putting the pads back on could provide answers for several question marks. Here is what to watch for as Purdue's 2023 spring practice period begins.

Nearly half of the starters from last season's Big Ten West Champion Boilermaker team are no longer with the program. Most of those contributors are graduating or heading to the NFL, while four departed in the transfer portal.

While some positions have a clear-cut replacement, such as Hudson Card at quarterback, Garrett Miller at tight end, and Jamari Brown at cornerback, others remain uncertain. A few key position battles will begin this spring and could indicate which players will be expected to have significant roles in September.

Outside linebacker: Khordae Sydnor vs. Nic Caraway

One of the most intriguing position groups for the Boilermakers next season will be Joe Dineen's talented outside linebacker room. Senior-to-be Kydran Jenkins figures to lead the group after posting eight tackles for loss and four sacks last season. Opposite Jenkins in Ryan Walters' five-man front could be Khordae Sydnor or Nic Caraway.

Sydnor was third in tackles for loss and second in sacks for Purdue last season. The redshirt sophomore is in line for an uptick in production, but another young pass rusher is also ready to make an impact. Nic Caraway is one of just two true freshmen to play significant snaps for Purdue in 2022 and potentially has the highest ceiling of any Boilermaker defender moving forward. In the latter portion of the season, Caraway saw more snaps than Sydnor as he got more comfortable at the collegiate level.

It is likely the two see a timeshare on the edge for defensive coordinator Kevin Kane, but either one could separate themselves this spring.

Left Guard: Jalen Grant vs. Sione Finau

Former starter Spencer Holstege took his 31 career starts with him to UCLA in the transfer portal, leaving a void at the left guard spot on the Boilermakers' offensive line. Purdue has a pair of experienced and versatile guards that will battle to be his full-time replacement in 2023.

Jalen Grant came to West Lafayette in the transfer portal in January after spending three years at Bowling Green. Grant split time between left guard and center for the Falcons, getting 15 starts at guard and 12 at center. A multi-year starter, Grant could be the more likely candidate to start as we enter March.

Grant's competition will be fifth-year offensive lineman Sione Finau. Finau spent time at two spots for Purdue last season, seeing 390 snaps at right guard and 188 snaps at left guard. To begin the season, the Boilermakers will have two experienced linemen they could employ at the left guard position.

No. 2 Cornerback: Salim Turner-Muhammad vs. Tee Denson

The position group that is the biggest question mark for Purdue at this point in time is cornerback, following the departures of Cory Trice, Reese Taylor, and Bryce Hampton. The Boilermakers' received a boost in the secondary when Jamari Brown announced he would use his COVID year with Purdue. Brown will become the No. 1 cornerback heading into next season, and there is opportunity behind him.

To help add depth in the secondary, Ryan Walters and Sam Carter landed former Stanford cornerback Salim Turner-Muhammad in the transfer portal this off-season. During his time with the Cardinal, Turner-Muhammad could not carve out a consistent role, making only six starts. The 5'11" cornerback is a former four-star recruit coming to West Lafayette in search of a bigger role and has the opportunity to slide into the starting lineup.

A wild card in the secondary is a returning player who has not suited up for the Boilermakers yet, Tee Denson. After transferring in from Kansas State, Denson was sidelined for the entire year due to a double sports hernia surgery last off-season. He played in 19 games for the Wildcats but made only one start. Denson's current status is uncertain as he has not seen action in nearly a year and will be a name to watch this spring.

Either Turner-Muhammad or Denson will become the second starter alongside Brown for the Boilermakers this fall.

When Ryan Walters brought his five-man front defense to West Lafayette, one of the biggest questions was who would remain on the defensive line and who would move to outside linebacker. We now have a better idea of who has been moved, as Kydran Jenkins, Nic Caraway, Khordae Sydnor, Roman Pitre, Joe Strickland, and Domanick Moon are set to begin spring ball on the edge.

As for the three defensive line slots next season, several unheralded defenders could step into starting roles. In Walters' defense, there are two defensive ends and a nose tackle in the trenches. The Boilermakers have seven players that could see significant playing time next year, including Mo Omonode, Isaiah Nichols, Cole Brevard, Sulaiman Kpaka, Joe Anderson, and Prince James Boyd Jr.

How those players will fit alongside each other remains to be seen, but there will be a clearer picture as spring practices commence this week.Earlier this month, defensive line coach Brick Haley named Cole Brevard as a player that the coaching staff feels comfortable with at the nose tackle position. Brevard wrapped up his first season in West Lafayette in 2022 after transferring from Penn State, where he was a four-star recruit coming out of high school. At 315 pounds, Brevard fits the mold of a nose tackle that Haley is looking for.

As Brevard holds down the middle of the line, Arkansas transfer Isaiah Nichols would likely slide in next to him at one of the defensive end slots. Nichols comes to Purdue after five years with the Razorbacks, where he had 78 total tackles, including six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. The sixth-year player is the most accomplished defensive lineman on Purdue's roster and should have an inside track at a starting job.

The third slot on the defensive line could be a bit of a surprise. Brick Haley shared that Joe Anderson is a player he and the coaching staff are high on and is a candidate to become a starter at this point in time. The former South Carolina lineman transferred to Purdue in 2021 but has been unable to create a consistent role for himself in West Lafayette. He has played in only eight games with the Boilermakers, making seven tackles with a sack.

That leaves the likes of Sulaiman Kpaka, Damarjhe Lewis, Mo Omonode, and Prince James Boyd Jr. as depth pieces behind the starters for Haley's defensive line group.

Alongside Nic Caraway, Mo Omonode was one of two true freshmen to play a role with the Boilermakers last season. The West Lafayette product had seven total tackles with .5 tackles for loss and .5 sacks at the defensive tackle spot. He is slightly smaller at 6'1" and 263 pounds, which makes him a prime candidate to slide over and become a defensive end moving forward.

Sulaiman Kpaka and Prince James Boyd Jr. are two experienced interior defensive linemen who saw an uptick in playing time last year and could contribute to the Boilermakers' new-look defense in 2023. Last season, Boyd Jr. racked up 14 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, while Kpaka had 18 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss. The two could see time at either nose tackle or defensive end for Purdue this spring and will be names to keep an eye on.

Redshirt freshmen JP Deeter is another young defensive lineman that the previous staff held in high regard. Behind a veteran group, he will provide solid depth while potentially playing their way onto the field. Deeter is more likely to slide into the nose tackle spot with his his 6'3", 280 pound frame.

Purdue had a number of young players make an impact last season, including Marcus Mbow and Mahamane Moussa on the offensive line, Nic Caraway and Khordae Sydnor on the defensive line, and Devin Mockobee in the backfield.

Many of those players, Mockobee in particular, were not on the radar when spring practices started last year. The Boilermakers have a handful of talented young players that could follow suit in 2023.

Payne Durham's departure for the NFL leaves a massive void at the tight end position for the Boilermakers, and the combination of Garrett Miller and Paul Piferi will be asked to carry the load. However, there is a young pass catcher will intriguing traits that could also make an impact. Drew Biber comes into his redshirt-sophomore campaign with just one catch in his career but is more athletic and provides a different look than Miller and Piferi at the tight end spot. If either of the fifth-year seniors miss time, Biber is next in line for significant playing time.

A pair of second-year pass rushers also come into spring ball ready to make an impact in Joe Strickland and Roman Pitre. Outside linebackers coach Joe Dineen praised the two earlier in the off-season as they transitioned to a pass-rushing role within the Purdue defense. Strickland was the more highly-touted of the two, signing with the Boilermakers as a four-star recruit in the 2021 recruiting class. After redshirting his first year on campus, the Indiana native could emerge as another weapon for the Boilermakers' outside linebacker group.

Purdue entered last season with a strong core of running backs ready to contribute, but it was a walk-on back that ended up stealing the show by the end of the season. The Boilermakers head into spring practices with a thing running back room behind Devin Mockobee. Dylan Downing is the top reserve, while Tyrone Tracy is transitioning from wide receiver to the backfield.

Redshirt-freshmen Kentrell Marks is another name that has not been talked about, but he could find himself on the field in a backup role this fall. Marks was a three-star recruit that brings more speed to the table than his counterparts. The young back could become a change-of-pace option for Purdue out of the backfield in 2023.