Spring Football Showcase: Thoughts & Review

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

It was the second installment of a spring showcase for Purdue Head Coach Barry Odom, and this spring, it seemed the program took a step forward from where it had been left following the worst two-year stretch in program history. With the advent of the transfer portal and NIL, Odom seems to have a handle on what Purdue needs to continue finding success, as the staff loaded up on talent from across the spectrum of college football. From bigger offensive linemen to more athletic skill positions, it seemed Odom was only happy with his QB room, as he will rely on QBs Ryan Browne, Evans Chuba, and Bennett Meredith again this season.

Let’s get into some thoughts and review:

Browne Takes A Step Forward

Barry Odom has hitched his wagon to QB Ryan Browne, and the signal-caller seems to have taken another step in the right direction. Although Browne struggled last season—completing 58.9% (199/338) for 2,153 yards with 9 TDs and 10 interceptions—a lot of that might have been due to an offensive line that performed well below average in almost every regard. Browne is a large signal-caller at 6’4″ and 220 lbs, but the redshirt junior needed this spring to develop further into a Power Five QB.

Browne appears to have taken a step forward in that development, but some elements are still lacking. He still seems slow to read the defense; he missed open receivers often and tended to hold onto the ball for far too long. In one play in particular, Browne missed a receiver down the left sideline and then scrambled out of the pocket. He eventually chucked it downfield, but the throw was significantly underthrown and was caught by another receiver who was running what appeared to be a deep-in route. The initial receiver should have caught the ball in stride down the sideline for a touchdown of 30+ yards. Instead, it was a “duck” that was luckily caught rather than intercepted.

Browne has more opportunities to work with his offensive staff, and they seem to like his ability to make plays outside of the pocket and in the running game. The issue is that there appears to be a severe drop-off behind Browne with Evans Chuba and Bennett Meredith. Chuba seems like a decent backup, but I don’t think he poses a realistic threat to unseat Browne. It may be in Odom’s best interest to find someone in the portal who has yet to find a home to come in, push Browne, and serve as a higher-end backup.

The issue is that with the new portal windows, there just isn’t a lot of talent left at this point in time.

Better Skill at Running Back and Inside Receiver

One of the bright spots of the spring has been the emergence of explosive players at two positions that were clearly lacking last season. The player who stood out the most is Fame Ijeboi, a 6′, 210 lb running back transfer from Minnesota. Initially a strong three-star recruit, Ijeboi chose Minnesota over Nebraska, Northwestern, Rutgers, Vanderbilt, and Virginia Tech. He appears to be the main back who will take over for Devin Mockobee following the beloved back’s graduation (cue up Irene Cara’s “Fame” for when the back has a big play).

This is a solid, detailed breakdown of the spring showcase. I’ve cleaned up the grammar, specifically focusing on possessive vs. plural apostrophes (e.g., QBs instead of QB’s), hyphenation for compound adjectives (e.g., two-year stretch), and subject-verb agreement. I also tightened some of the phrasing for better flow.

Here is your corrected copy:

Purdue Spring Showcase Review

It was the second installment of a spring showcase for Purdue Head Coach Barry Odom, and this spring, it seemed the program took a step forward from where it had been left following the worst two-year stretch in program history. With the advent of the transfer portal and NIL, Odom seems to have a handle on what Purdue needs to continue finding success, as the staff loaded up on talent from across the spectrum of college football. From bigger offensive linemen to more athletic skill positions, it seemed Odom was only happy with his QB room, as he will rely on QBs Ryan Browne, Evans Chuba, and Bennett Meredith again this season.

Let’s get into some thoughts and review:

Browne Takes a Step Forward

Barry Odom has hitched his wagon to QB Ryan Browne, and the signal-caller seems to have taken another step in the right direction. Although Browne struggled last season—completing 58.9% (199/338) for 2,153 yards with 9 TDs and 10 interceptions—a lot of that might have been due to an offensive line that performed well below average in almost every regard. Browne is a large signal-caller at 6’4″ and 220 lbs, but the redshirt junior needed this spring to develop further into a Power Five QB.

Browne appears to have taken a step forward in that development, but some elements are still lacking. He still seems slow to read the defense; he missed open receivers often and tended to hold onto the ball for far too long. In one play in particular, Browne missed a receiver down the left sideline and then scrambled out of the pocket. He eventually chucked it downfield, but the throw was significantly underthrown and was caught by another receiver who was running what appeared to be a deep-in route. The initial receiver should have caught the ball in stride down the sideline for a touchdown of 30+ yards. Instead, it was a “duck” that was luckily caught rather than intercepted.

Browne has more opportunities to work with his offensive staff, and they seem to like his ability to make plays outside of the pocket and in the running game. The issue is that there appears to be a severe drop-off behind Browne with Evans Chuba and Bennett Meredith. Chuba seems like a decent backup, but I don’t think he poses a realistic threat to unseat Browne. It may be in Odom’s best interest to find someone in the portal who has yet to find a home to come in, push Browne, and serve as a higher-end backup.

The issue is that with the new portal windows, there just isn’t a lot of talent left at this point in time.

Better Skill at Running Back and Inside Receiver

One of the bright spots of the spring has been the emergence of explosive players at two positions that were clearly lacking last season. The player who stood out the most is Fame Ijeboi, a 6′, 210 lb running back transfer from Minnesota. Initially a strong three-star recruit, Ijeboi chose Minnesota over Nebraska, Northwestern, Rutgers, Vanderbilt, and Virginia Tech. He appears to be the main back who will take over for Devin Mockobee following the beloved back’s graduation (cue up Irene Cara’s “Fame” for when the back has a big play).

A player Purdue fans will remember from last season (a rarity, it seems, in today’s landscape) is Antonio Harris. Harris has added size to go with his speed and is a solid option in the backfield. He showed flashes last season following Mockobee’s injury, running for 305 yards on 69 carries (4.4 yards per attempt) and two touchdowns.

Along with Harris and Ijeboi, Texas transfer Jerrick Gibson is a player to watch. A player who seems to have been vastly underused in his time at Texas, Gibson is a former four-star, top-70 recruit out of Bradenton, Florida. A downhill runner, the trio of Ijeboi, Harris, and Gibson should provide a stable of backs that finally fits into the Big Ten. However, that means nothing if the offensive line can’t get figured out.

At the inside receiver spots, Xavier Townsend (Iowa State) and Jaylan Hornsby (Syracuse) were the most impressive, getting in and out of breaks and catching the ball cleanly. Those two looked like they may be the mainstays at the slot receiver positions, but the outside seems to still be lacking a true playmaker.

Chauncey Magwood and De’Nylon Morissette have gotten the first crack, but the staff has three players coming in this summer who will push everyone in the receiver room. Jojo Johnson (6’4″, 180 lbs, Fr.), Bisi Owens (6’4″, 215 lbs, Penn), and Rickey Sampson (6’4″, 210 lbs, Victor Valley College JuCo) add much-needed size on the outside. Of that group, watch for Bisi Owens to make the jump from the Ivy League to the Big Ten; he was a first-team All-Ivy League selection last season with 66 receptions for 696 yards (10.5 yards per reception) and five touchdowns.

Offensive Line Looks the Part…But Will They Play Like It?

The offensive line was clearly an area of focus for Purdue, as Barry Odom was not happy with how that unit performed last season. They lacked size and athleticism, which showed up every Saturday as they failed to provide running lanes for the backs or time for the quarterbacks to operate. Did the coaches get it right, though?

Well, they certainly look much bigger, as the transfers all have the legitimate size to compete in the Big Ten. There are some “earth movers” in the group, including Jatavius Shivers (6’6″, 330 lbs, South Carolina), Marques Easley (6’6″, 320 lbs, Georgia), Jude McCoskey (6’6″, 320 lbs, Indiana St.), Marc Nave Jr. (6’4″, 355 lbs, Kentucky), Micah Banuelos (6’2″, 315 lbs, USC), Nuku Mafi (6’4″, 330 lbs, Oklahoma State), Makai Saina (6’4″, 300 lbs, USC), and Boaz Stanley (6’4″, 315 lbs, South Carolina). The challenge will be molding that group into a cohesive unit of starters and depth pieces that can generate points for an offense that was, kindly put, putrid last season.

Odom hired Zach Crabtree from Fresno State and moved Offensive Coordinator Josh Henson to coach Tight Ends. Crabtree is on the younger side but spent time in the NFL after a successful college career at Oklahoma State and served on staff with Henson at USC. It will be up to him to get the unit prepared, as the offense was incredibly limited last season by the offensive line’s performance. On paper, at least, it looks much more promising than it did at any point last year.

At the very least, we no longer have an offensive line unit that looks smaller than what Carmel or Westfield would trot out on a Friday night.

TE Jackson Berryman is One to Watch For

I’m not sure if he’ll get many opportunities early in the season, but it is hard not to see Jackson Berryman and be excited. At 6’8″ and 260 lbs, the redshirt freshman is oozing with potential. With a frame that looks more suited for the power forward position inside Mackey Arena, Berryman moves remarkably well for his size and showed good hands. He might be a year away from making a major impact with guys like George Burhenn, Luca Puccinelli (Wake Forest), and Kylan Fox (UCF) on the roster, but Berryman possesses a unique skillset that any OC would be wise to utilize.

Purdue’s Got A Set of Linebackers to Build Around

Coming from UNLV with Coach Odom, Charles Correra stepped in and stepped up for the Boilers last season. His ability jumped off the page quickly as he led the Purdue defense with 96 total tackles, 7.5 TFLs, and 3 sacks. It was a big win for Odom and his staff to retain him, but it was obvious he was going to need help. Insert Anthony Speca.

Speca is a transfer from Penn State who appeared in 17 games over two seasons. A former four-star recruit who was ranked as the 11th overall player at his position in high school, Speca has talent that just needs the opportunity to develop. The Boilers also bolstered their linebackers room with Illinois transfer Jojo Hayden. Hayden had a solid season for the Illini last year, totaling 26 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, and one fumble recovery in 11 games. Another former four-star recruit, Hayden was a top-25 player at his position coming out of high school.

Paired with Correra, the trio appeared to play well together during the showcase and will likely be the anchor of a defense that still has plenty of areas to improve.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos