Let’s take a swing at what might be a better defense than most realize..
The Purdue Boilermakers are just over two weeks away from kicking off their 2024 season and what will be Ryan Walters’ second season as head coach. Following a 4-8 season that saw frequent injuries to many of the key players Purdue relied on, the 2024 Boilers appear to have upgraded the talent level at many of the key positions on both sides of the ball. On defense, however, it was the transfer of Nic Scourton to Texas A&M that hurt the Boilers the most.
Even with that, the Boilers return experience at almost every position along with upgrades to other positions through the transfer portal. Key additions such as CJ Madden (Georgia), Nyland Green (Georgia), Kyndrich Breedlove (Colorado/Ole Miss), Shitta Sillah (Boston College), Jireh Ojata (Franklin College), Sterling Smith (Holy Cross), Jamarius Dinkins (Kentucky) will all likely play an important role in the defensive two deep this season.
Strength:
It is no secret that one of the best players in the country is patrolling the defensive backfield in Dillon Thieneman. The freshman All American may be the best overall player Purdue has had, in terms of NFL talent, since Ryan Kerrigan. A big bodies safety who has been timed in the 4.4’s in the 40 yard dash, is considered one of the most athletic freaks in the country. He cleaned up a lot of mistakes last season for a position group that was, by kind terms, bad.
This season, he’ll get to enjoy the fruits of labor from Ryan Walters and his defensive staff with an overall group that may be the most talented in the last thirty or more years at Purdue. Although it may lack experience and known ability, the talent level is certainly there. Nyland Green is a former five star recruit and top 20 recruit in his 2021 class (247) and originally signed and played one season for Kirby Smart at UGA. With other players such as Markevious Brown (Ole Miss), Derrick Rogers Jr., Kyndrich Breedlove, and Salim Turner-Muhamed, the defensive backfield may be one of the better in the entire B1G.
Weakness:
Defensive line is an extreme concern headed into the season. Now, the starters are good and should be able to compete with just about anyone in the B1G. Heldt is as athletic as they come from that rush end spot and Cole Brevard is tailor made for the nose position in Walters’ defense. Other than that, it’s a whole lot of question marks. Georgia transfer CJ Madden has impressed in camp and the former 4 star, top-200 recruit is going to be needed to make an immediate impact. After that, it seems like it might just be a bunch of guys though if players like Joe Anderson, Jeffrey M’Ba, and Mo Omonode don’t take the next step in their development.
An intriguing prospect is D3 Franklin College transfer Jireh Ojata and it may end up being the most intriguing in the B1G this season. He was a very late bloomer out of Carmel High School but he began to get the eyes of NFL scouts last season who started attending practices and games. He made the jump with the hopes of showing his dominating presence at that level translate to major D1 football.
Defensive Two Deep:
Overall:
Well, when you look at the two deep there may not be a lot of guys that Purdue fans really know their backstory. Of the twenty two positions listed above there are twelve transfers. So is the story of modern day college football. Walters did a great job identifying the weaknesses on the team last season and going out to find the best available players to come to Purdue. That much can’t be ignored.
What else can’t be ignored is that there is clearly an upgrade in the overall talent that is stepping onto the field this fall for the Boilers on the defensive side. Yes, Scourton jumping back home to Texas A&M hurts because he is likely a Round 1 or Round 2 type of NFL player (if he is able to replicate some of that success for the Aggies that he had at Purdue) but the backfield may eventually be one of the better groups in the B1G.
The question marks come in at the linebacker position where Yanni Karlaftis appeared to make some big strides near the end of his sophomore season. Has he put on a few more pounds of muscle and gained the experience in his second year under Walters to make a big jump? What about Kydran Jenkins’ jump from the defensive line to the middle linebacker spot? That’s a big position switch but one that Jenkins appears to have done well at, so far.
The defense clearly took a step forward when Walters took over the play calling duties on that side of the ball last year. Will he start the season giving his defensive coordinator Kevin Kane that responsibility or just call the defense himself all season? I’d have to think he sticks with what worked last year and that was calling it himself.
MVP:
If anyone tries to put anyone else other than Dillon Thieneman as the defensive MVP, they need to get their head checked. The sophomore safety is probably the best at his position in the country and may be well on his way to a first round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s probably the best player in the defensive backfield Purdue has had since Rod Woodson, and yes I know that leap frogs Stu Schweigert. Thieneman is that damn good.
Biggest Surprise:
Jirah Ojata was a division three star at Franklin College and had brought some NFL interest to the tiny college south of Indianapolis. He is a late bloomer who always had the athletic ability but lacked the true size to play major college football. The years in the weight room have clearly paid off and Ojata appears to be a player that could potentially make a big impact. That position paid dividends for Nic Scourton last season and he’ll be given opportunities behind Heldt. He can be a difference maker for the Boilers this season.
Biggest Need:
Nyland Green was a touted of a high school recruit in the country as a senior than anyone else. A top priority for the dominant force in college football, the Georgia Bulldogs, things just never seemed to come together for him there. Can he step onto campus at Purdue and be that level of player? I think Green’s ability to take an opposing team’s best receiving threat out of the game is key to Purdue trying to claw itself to bowl eligibility.
Locking down one side of the field with Green and Thieneman would help Walters call an aggressive style of defense that keeps opposing offensive coordinators double guessing. It’s what he had at Ilinois in his final season with two NFL quality cornerbacks and he gets that again this season. Purdue NEEDS those two to play up to their ability all season long to get the ball back in the hands of an offense that appears ready to be more explosive with Hudson Card and a better overall set of receivers this season.