Fall camp starts for Ryan Walters and Purdue on Wednesday as the 2023 season creeps closer to a start. After months of roster turnover, a coaching change and several other changes, there are a number of question marks surrounding the program as it enters a new era.

Boiler Upload breaks down the three biggest questions for Purdue football heading into fall camp.

Cornerback is one of the positions Purdue has seen the most turnover at this off-season, losing all but one scholarship player at the position to the NFL or transfer portal in the last few months.

The lone returner at cornerback is sixth-year senior Jamari Brown, who is also the most experienced in Sam Carter's group, appearing in 42 games over his collegiate career. Brown's experience could lead to a starting role in the Boilermakers' new-look defense this fall, but he will have some competition.

Ryan Walters and Carter brought in five cornerbacks from the transfer portal, along with true freshman Zion Gunn and preferred walk-on Zeke Williams also entering the fold.

The Boilermakers will also welcome Marquis Wilson, Salim Turner-Muhammad and Markevious Brown into the fold as they revamp the cornerbacks room from a year ago. Wilson (Penn State) and Turner-Muhammad (Stanford) are veterans of the college game, but weren't able to crack the starting lineup at their previous schools. Both defensive backs will come to West Lafayette with the possibility to breakthrough.

The third transfer cornerback coming to the Big Ten West is Markevious Brown, who spent the last two seasons at Ole Miss. Brown was reportedly running with the first team during spring practice before entering the portal in mid-April. The SEC import is a dark horse to enter the regular rotation and has the opportunity to make a strong impression during fall camp.

Two other dark horses are 2023 four-star and Ole Miss transfer Braxton Myers and JUCO cornerback Botros Alisandro, who was a summer newcomer and an under-the-radar addition to the unit. The duo will likely be depth pieces to start their respective Purdue careers, but could fight for reserve minutes with strong fall camp performances.

Quite possibly, the biggest question mark for Purdue in 2023 will be a two-parter. How will Marcus Johnson put the pieces together, and how well will they play together?

Before Big Ten Media Days, Ryan Walters shared that Marcus Mbow will start fall camp at right tackle. That possibility began during the first spring practice when Mbow was seen working at the position. The move makes sense for Purdue, with Eric Miller exiting the program since then.

Opposite of Mbow will be redshirt sophomore Mahamane Moussa, who established himself as the Boilermakers starting left tackle in 2022. He is set to reprise his role as one of the top contributors along the offense line this fall. Incoming transfer Ben Farrell and Daniel Johnson are the two top reserves for both tackle spots.

Beyond Mbow and Moussa is where things get tricky. Purdue brought in four transfers who primarily played on the interior at their previous stops, Jalen Grant, Austin Johnson, Preston Nichols, and Luke Griffin.

Multi-year starting center Gus Hartwig’s return is questionable for the start of the regular season, which opens up another spot in the trenches. Bowling Green transfer Jalen Grant, who has started 12 games at center during his career, will likely fill that void.

Recent Colorado transfer Austin Johnson is also a possibility, after having spent the majority of his snaps with the Buffs as a center too. As well as Josh Kaltenberger, who filled in for Hartwig at the end of 2022 and can play guard.

That leaves Preston Nichols and Luke Griffin as the two front runners to secure starting spots at each guard position, with Griffin likely sliding in at left guard and Nichols handling right guard to start the season.

Purdue will also have valuable depth pieces in redshirt freshman center Malachi Preciado, NAIA transfer Blakyne Coly, Andre Oben, Jimmy Liston, and Vince Carpenter.

This spring, Purdue was struck by the injury bug in a major way, which ended up being one of the main reasons the Boilermakers did not have a traditional spring game in April. Many of those players on the mend for Ryan Walters are expected to be primary contributors this fall.

The trenches were hit the hardest with injuries on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Along the offensive line, Gus Hartwig was the most notable name on the sidelines for Marcus Johnson. Hartwig suffered a season-ending leg injury against Northwestern in November and has taken rather long in his recovery process. As mentioned previously, it seems unlikely that he will be back by September 2nd.

The other notable lineman working his way back onto the field is sixth-year senior Daniel Johnson, who tore his ACL after just five games and two starts in 2022. Johnson, if healthy, will be the top backup at both tackle spots for Purdue.

Tight end Garrett Miller is also a big piece of the puzzle that has yet to return to action after tearing his ACL last August during training camp. Miller is expected to be back for the season opener but could take some time to get his legs under him, which thrusts Paul Piferi into a more prominent role to open up the year.

Kevin Kane's front seven also expects some reinforcements after being thin during spring ball. Outside linebackers Kydran Jenkins and Scotty Humpich had off-season procedures but will likely be back for fall camp and the start of the season to form one of the most intriguing position groups on the roster.

A quartet of defensive linemen are also looking to return for the fall, including two that are fighting for starting spots, Isaiah Nichols and Damarjhe Lewis. The Arkansas transfer Nichols was one of the early transfers of the off-season but did not get on the practice field. Lewis missed all of 2022 with a brutal ankle injury during fall camp last season but is primed to earn a significant role in Brick Haley's unit this season. Sulaiman Kpaka and James Prince Boyd Jr. are expected to be back after missing nearly all of spring and will likely be rotational pieces.