What to know about the Purdue Boilermakers entering the 2025 season.
In the first year of the expanded 18-team Big Ten, Purdue brought up the rear with a 1-11 record, worst among the power four conferences, and no wins in conference play. Following their worst showing since 2013, the Boilermakers fired head coach Ryan Walters, who went 5-19 in two seasons leading the team. Heading into 2025 with a new coach and roster, Purdue is hoping to bounce back and compete for bowl eligibility, though it'll be an uphill battle. Here's a look at the current state of the program.
2024 in review
Purdue's 2024 campaign was historically bad, including the worst defensive EPA in the country and the fifth-worst offensive EPA. The Boilermakers kicked off the season with a 49-0 win over Indiana State before being blown out in nearly every other matchup. They forced overtime against Illinois and Northwestern, but couldn't prevail with a conference win.
Head coach profile
After firing Walters, Purdue brought in Barry Odom from UNLV, where he found ample success the last two seasons. In 2023, Odom led the Rebels to a 9-3 record and was named Mountain West Coach of the Year. He followed it up with a 10-3 record in 2024, and had UNLV ranked for the first time in program history. Previously, Odom had a four-year stint as the head coach at Missouri, where he posted a 25-25 overall record highlighted by an 8-5 season in 2018. The Boilermakers are hoping Odom can rebuild the program quickly after doing so at his previous stop.
Top offensive player
Running back Devin Mockobee is one of the few remaining players from last year's team following a wave of departures and a heavy transfer portal haul. Mockobee has been a proven commodity for Purdue the last three seasons, averaging over 800 yards per season. He took a step back statistically last season, largely because he was the only major offensive threat and drew much of the attention, though the Boilermakers are hoping that's not the case in 2025. Additionally, Odom had a strong rushing attack at UNLV, meaning he'll likely make good use of Mockobee's talents.
Top defensive player
Purdue returns just one experienced player from last year's defense, which ranked dead last in the country. They'll be banking on transfers to step into major roles, but none of the new arrivals were considered major additions. Cornerback Tony Grimes has spent five seasons at three different schools, most recently spending the last two seasons with Odom at UNLV. He's been a full-time starter when healthy and play a major role as an experienced leader in 2025.
2025 schedule
- Aug. 30 vs. Ball State
- Sept. 6 vs. Southern Illinois
- Sept. 13 vs. USC
- Sept. 20 at Notre Dame
- Oct. 4 vs. Illinois
- Oct. 11 at Minnesota
- Oct. 18 at Northwestern
- Oct. 25 vs. Rutgers
- Nov. 1 at Michigan
- Nov. 8 vs. Ohio State
- Nov. 15 at Washington
- Nov. 28 (Fri.) at Indiana
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Previewing Purdue in 2025
Category: General Sports
