Within all of the changes in the Purdue football program this off-season, the new staff, transfer portal exodus and subsequent wave toward West Lafayette, and everything in between, perhaps no bigger question mark remains than how the quarterback position will shake out for the Boilermakers.

Gone is two-year starter Hudson Card, as well as promising youngsters Ryan Browne and Marcos Davila.

Barry Odom and company brought in a trio of transfer signal callers to usher in a new era of Purdue football, but which quarterback starts the year under center remains a mystery heading into spring practice. Competition is going to be a constant throughout the roster, and certainly at the quarterback position.

The competition is only beginning between newcomers Malachi Singleton, EJ Colson, and Evans Chuba with winter workouts underway, according to new quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw.

"We're going to have competition. That started the moment they all got here. They all know they're competing, you know, not announcing any kind of starter or anything. We're going to build that room, and we're going to build where every one of them can play. Because you want to get a starter ready, but you got to have a backup ready, and you got to have a third guy ready. So we will do that, and we're going to create competition. And every day is a competition in the weight room, everything that we do on and off the field. So I'm excited about that and where we're going with that," Hinshaw said.

While the Boilermakers haven't hit the practice field yet, Hinshaw is taking note of how his signal callers are approaching their business in the classroom, weight room, and everywhere else for that matter.

"Leadership is a huge part of that. And so I'm looking for work ethic. We're the first in lines, we're doing everything correctly on and off the field, when we're at the training table, when we're at study hall, when we're doing everything," Hinshaw said. "The quarterbacks lead this team, and that's what I'm instilling on them."

Now, as for the contenders.

One of, if not the biggest signing out of the transfer portal this off-season is largely viewed as Malachi Singleton, who comes to West Lafayette after two years at Arkansas. The former four-star prospect has only 74 snaps under his belt, but showed signs of being an electric option under center in that time.

Singleton completed 75% of his passes for 358 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 74 yards and three scores on the ground. He also orchestrated a game-winning drive against Tennessee and was nearly flawless against Ole Miss this season, which caught the attention of the Purdue coaching staff.

"He's got a very strong arm, and he can run the football, and he is very intelligent. And I'm excited to work with him," Hinshaw said. "He was a leader on and off the field there at Arkansas, and we talked about it and said we want to recruit him and get him here, and we did. I'm very excited about what he can bring."

Hinshaw also brought one of his quarterbacks from UCF with him to West Lafayette, EJ Colson. The 2024 recruit came to college a year early after a stellar prep career that saw him win two state championships and be the valedictorian of his class on top of it. The early enrollee got his first taste of college action last season, throwing for 64 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Hinshaw sees the potential in Colson, paving the way for him to come in and compete for a larger role with the Boilermakers.

"I know his best football is ahead of him, and I know what he can do. And again, who he is as a competitor and as we compete for this job, I knew he would be a guy that could come in and we could win with," Hinshaw said.

The final portal addition at the position was a prospect offensive coordinator Josh Henson recruited out of high school, former Washington State signal caller Evans Chuba. Chuba did not appear in a game for the Cougars in 2024, but brings an intriguing skillset to the Purdue quarterback room.

"He's a very talented individual. He's got a very live arm. He can change arm angles. His arm is strong. He can not use his lower body and just kind of flick the ball and send it 40 yards, you know, on a on a very direct trajectory and so he's got a ton of talent," Henson said.

"I think Evans, his biggest thing is just becoming a football player now. So it's all the little things like, how are my feet? Are they loaded when I need to get the ball thrown, my reads, you know? All the little technical details that go into playing the position. But I think from a talent standpoint, he has a lot of upside," Henson said.

The contenders offer mystery and intrigue at this point in the competition, largely due to lack of experience within the entire group. Between Singleton, Colson, Chuba and Meredith, only the returning Purdue quarterback has a start under his belt at the collegiate level, which came in place of Hudson Card in 2023 against Northwestern.

That was done by design, according to Hinshaw, however. Getting a pair of second year quarterbacks and a redshirt sophomore on campus, as well as incoming freshman Garyt Odom, will allow Hinshaw to develop each to his liking. And that's what he plans to begin doing this spring.

"One thing when we were going through the portal, and I was looking at all the different situations, there was different ways you can go, but the the one thing I wanted to do was to bring in guys I can mold, and guys that I can train, and guys that I know that can throw the football and do what I wanted to do," Hinshaw said.

"I think all three of them that we brought in can play. And I'm excited about the quarterback room and where we're going. Yes, we are inexperienced, but we also have the ability to be very, very good in that position," Hinshaw said.

Hinshaw is aiming to return Purdue to its roots as the Cradle of Quarterbacks, where he looks back to his time shadowing Drew Brees with the Saints. During his tenure at Tennessee, Hinshaw had the opportunity to spend time in New Orleans, watching the former Boilermaker great up close and personal. The hard work, dedication and leadership he saw Brees exude is what he wants his quarterbacks to have as well.

"This place has had great quarterbacks, and my goal is that we have great quarterbacks for years to come," Hinshaw said. "He threw for more yards and more touchdowns than anybody at his time when he was playing, because he outworked everybody. That's what we have to do at the quarterback room, is we're going to have to outwork everybody. That's how I was as a player, and that's what we're going to instill in the quarterbacks here."

There is still over six months until Purdue has to make a decision on who its starter will be in the season opener, but Hinshaw and Henson both aren't prepared to force the issue and name a starter prematurely. The spring practice window will be key in the battle, especially with each signal caller having an even share of snaps. The rest will take care of itself.

"I'm just worried about installing the offense. If a starter just absolutely, just, you know, plays better than everybody, Coach Odom will make that decision if we want to announce a starter. So we'll worry about that when we get there," Hinshaw said.