Latest news with #BarryOdom
Indianapolis Star
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Nike releases Purdue running shoe to celebrate start of college football season
The smell of freshly grilled hamburgers, steaks, chicken and spreads of veggies, fruit, chips and coolers packed with refreshing beverages to stay hydrated or take the edge off will be upon us in a few weeks with college football starting. Purdue and first-year coach Barry Odom have a sizable rebuild ahead of them. But Boilermakers fans planning gameday outfits and looking for comfortable kicks to walk from tailgates to Ross-Ade Stadium to bars and elsewhere on gameday have a comfortable option released today. Nike released its annual college team sneakers, the Air Zoom Pegasus 41. Get yours here: Shop Purdue Nike running shoe The Boilermakers-themed shoe is priced at $154.99. And, yes, it is comfortable as this model of shoe is what I use to get my steps in. As Purdue starts a new chapter on the football field, or hopes to make a national championship run in men's basketball, be sure to accessorize your gameday fit with these shoes. Shop Purdue Nike running shoe
Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Experts align on Purdue's starting quarterback: Who will it be, expectations, what's the future?
One quarterback chose Purdue football in the transfer portal only after leaving to study under six-time Super Bowl champion coach Bill Belichick at his new digs at North Carolina. Three other quarterbacks had transferred, one leaving the Boilermakers after spring practice, and those remaining will compete for the starting quarterback job in Barry Odom's first year as Purdue coach. An offense that was seventh-worst in yardage last season has plenty of room to improve. And quarterback play will be a key element. So, who emerges to take the first snaps? That battle begins Thursday and will run to Aug. 30 when Purdue hosts Ball State. IndyStar Purdue insider Nathan Baird and Courier-Journal reporter Sam King huddled with IndyStar assistant sports editor Aaron Ferguson to discuss Purdue's quarterback situation. Here is their conversation. Ferguson: Which quarterback will take the first snap of the Barry Odom era, and why do you think he will win? King: Ryan Browne. That nobody stood out enough to own the position throughout spring camp probably played a part in Browne's return to Purdue after a spring under the tutelage of Bill Belichick. He has dual threat ability and, though he doesn't have a ton of games under his belt, he's played meaningful reps at quarterback in the Big Ten over the past two seasons. However, this is a competition that still may not be settled when someone steps behind center against Ball State on Aug. 30. Baird: I agree Browne seems the likeliest candidate. I would not rule out Bennett Meredith, who held his own against the wave of transfers who came in before the spring. The best case scenario, though, would be Purdue having the opportunity to give two or more contenders a lot of reps in those first two games against Ball State and Southern Illinois. It needs multiple starting-caliber Big Ten quarterbacks and, frankly, it starts preseason camp uncertain whether it has one. If this competition must extend into the season, so be it. In the context of where this program wants to be long-term, the question of who takes the first snap is almost academic. The crucial question is does Purdue have the correct QB in place for a winnable span of games in mid-October? Boiler homecoming: Why this quarterback left Purdue football for Bill Belichick, and returns to 'home for me' Ferguson: Purdue's offense was seventh worst nationally in total offense, somehow ahead of two Big Ten teams, not even gaining 300 yards per game. Most of that had to come through the air due to large deficits the Boilers faced. Obviously quarterback plays a central role in the offense but what can we expect in terms of what this offense looks like? Baird: This team wants to establish the run. It has an offensive coordinator, Josh Henson, with a background on the offensive line. It has a reliable veteran running back in Devin Mockobee. All of its quarterbacks add some running ability. Maybe most importantly, its offensive line has some upside. Jalen St. John was a second team All-Mountain West tackle but may play guard. Giordano Vaccaro was a star in Canada and is in line to succeed Gus Hartwig at center. I don't know how explosive this offense will be, but if it can control the line of scrimmage it will give itself a chance. King: Barry Odom admitted at Big Ten media days that he wanted to know how many yards away Mockobee is from Mike Alstott's Purdue career rushing record. Like Nathan said, the transfer portal included major upgrades on the offensive line, which was a liability at some spots and a reason Purdue struggled offensively. Only six Purdue players have rushed for 1,000 yards in a single season. If Mockobee gets close, that will be a positive sign for the offense, which also appears to have significantly improved its receiving corps. Henson is getting his crack at play calling and I'd expect it to be pretty balanced in competitive games. Purdue didn't have many competitive games a year ago, which dictated what it had to attempt to do offensively. Insider mailbag: What will Purdue's offense look like? What's next for Boilers basketball? Ferguson: I know the nature of this conversation is about this fall, but it's hard not to look ahead as Barry Odom tries to build a program. Does the commitment of Corin Berry at QB show what he's looking for at that position, or is that reading too much into it? And the second prong of this thought would be, is there a quarterback on the 2025 roster who could take the reins into 2026 or will the position again need to be addressed? King: Any coach who isn't trying to recruit the best players is doing a disservice to the program regardless of who may or may not be returning. Odom has said previously he wants Purdue to recruit high school talent and develop from within. Given the situation he came into, a complete roster overhaul was necessary. Among the portal pulls were two young quarterbacks who began their careers elsewhere. I'm sure QB coach Darin Hinshaw would love to see Evans Chuba and Malachi Singleton elevate into starting caliber quarterbacks beyond 2025, much like he would returnee Browne and freshman Garyt Odom. Right now there are too many unknowns to pin down a potential long-term quarterback. Baird: All of the quarterbacks on the roster could conceivably be the long-term QB of the future. All also have some mobility, which Odom said is one of the attributes they seek when recruiting that position. We know Purdue has a plethora of young options. We have no idea if it has an answer. This season will be a 12-week proving ground to come up with that solution. Or, Berry and whoever transfers in restart the competition again next spring. Insider: How Barry Odom established Purdue football recruiting base, priorities after 1,800 mile move Ferguson: The way college football rosters have been constructed of late, I don't know that the 2026 QB is on the roster. However, we do know who is for this season. And, since both are in agreement on Browne, what are expectations for him this season? Baird: He is the most experienced option on the roster. He also created a tangible spark last season — at least for one game. He says his time at North Carolina was valuable and he learned a lot from being in meetings with Belichick. What we saw against Illinois was how much his legs could make a difference in the passing game. They had to respect him as a rushing threat, and even novice offensive play caller Ryan Browne could scheme up big vertical passing plays against those coverages. Browne should benefit from a more sophisticated approach, but he also needs some leeway. He was not yet ready to seize the starting job with a wide-open opportunity last season. He may be a better October and November talent than he looks to start the season. King: While Browne is the most experienced and, likely, the most suitable option to at least open camp as QB1, he is the least experienced with this coaching staff. Chuba, Singleton, Meredith and Odom all went through spring. Expectations are hard to place, but like Nathan said, we've seen Browne's ability to make plays. He did it two years ago at Northwestern and last season at Illinois. The Oregon game didn't fall fully on his shoulders, but last season the Ducks made Browne look pedestrian just six days after his performance against the Illini. It was always Hudson Card's job last season once he got healthy. If Browne earns the starting role, I think we'll see some dashes of brilliance but I'd temper expectations.
Indianapolis Star
6 days ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Take our IndyStar Boiler Update newsletter survey
The 2025-26 athletics year should be intriguing for Purdue University in some ways. The men's basketball team is poised to make another run in the NCAA Tournament after advancing to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season in 2025. Meanwhile, the football team is coming off a 1-11 season and has a new coach in Barry Odom. To cover everything there is to know about the Boilermakers and college athletics, we have our Boiler Update newsletter. Our dedicated reporter, Nathan Baird, leads the Purdue beat for the IndyStar.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Barry Odom aiming to resurrect Purdue football the same way he made UNLV a winning program
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Purdue coach Barry Odom isn't concerned that the Boilermakers won just one game last season, or that they were in the 2022 Big Ten championship. He certainly isn't bothered that they've been picked to finish last in the 18-team league this season. 'We'll be defined by what we do,' Odom said Thursday, the last of three Big Ten media days. 'If we take the approach from the day that we got the job, every single day our approach is you get up and make Purdue football better and you find a way to consistently instill those habits in everyone around in the organization. Then by the time that the season rolls around, we'll be ready to be the best versions of ourselves.' After turning around one of the worst programs in college football history, Odom spoke with vigor and confidence about resurrecting a Purdue program that went 5-19 the last two seasons. Odom pulled off the unthinkable at UNLV two seasons ago, turning around a program that annually ranked near the bottom of college football in every aspect, and prior to his arrival, was a combined 29-74 the previous nine seasons. In two seasons under Odom, the Rebels made it to the Mountain West championship twice and and were one win away from advancing to the College Football Playoff last season, when they won 11 games for the first time since 1984 and cracked the AP top 25 rankings for the first time in their 46-year history. Now, he has his sights set on the Boilermakers, who ranked near the bottom of nearly every statistical category, including an offense that gained just 299.3 yards per game (127th nationally) and a defense that allowed 452.7 yards per contest (123rd). After a 49-0 season-opening win against Indiana State, the Boilermakers lost their next 11 games — eight by double digits — including the season finale against in-state rival Indiana, 66-0. With an uncertain depth chart entering camp, and a scarce number of returning starters across all three units, Odom's message has at least one of the program's leaders buying in. 'I mean, I feel like it's sort of intrinsic ... especially as big of a turnover that we had, you have a whole new room of guys and basically a new program,' fourth-year running back Devin Mockobee said. "Having that aspect of coming in and having a fresh start, it's easy for everyone to get on board very fast and be able to build a culture very fast.' If there's anyone who can attest to Odom's approach and wherewithal to improve a program, it's defensive back Tony Grimes, who followed his coach from UNLV to West Lafayette, Indiana. 'Hard, smart and tough,' Grimes described Odom during spring practice. 'How he practices, how he makes us work, his schedule, his routine got us built on ... building calluses, meaning every day we're gonna go hard until we can't go no more. 'He took me in out of the portal when honestly no one really wanted me. He gave me that confidence that I needed back and now I am here what I am today.' It's the same confidence and will to get the best out of players that Odom is ready to instill while bringing life back to the Boilermakers. 'From the day that we got the job, every single day, our approach is you get up and you make Purdue football better,' Odom said. 'You find a way to consistently instill those habits in everyone around the organization. Then by the time that the season rolls around, we'll be ready to be the best versions of ourselves.' ____ AP college football:
Fox Sports
6 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Barry Odom aiming to resurrect Purdue football the same way he made UNLV a winning program
Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — Purdue coach Barry Odom isn't concerned that the Boilermakers won just one game last season, or that they were in the 2022 Big Ten championship. He certainly isn't bothered that they've been picked to finish last in the 18-team league this season. 'We'll be defined by what we do,' Odom said Thursday, the last of three Big Ten media days. 'If we take the approach from the day that we got the job, every single day our approach is you get up and make Purdue football better and you find a way to consistently instill those habits in everyone around in the organization. Then by the time that the season rolls around, we'll be ready to be the best versions of ourselves.' After turning around one of the worst programs in college football history, Odom spoke with vigor and confidence about resurrecting a Purdue program that went 5-19 the last two seasons. Odom pulled off the unthinkable at UNLV two seasons ago, turning around a program that annually ranked near the bottom of college football in every aspect, and prior to his arrival, was a combined 29-74 the previous nine seasons. In two seasons under Odom, the Rebels made it to the Mountain West championship twice and and were one win away from advancing to the College Football Playoff last season, when they won 11 games for the first time since 1984 and cracked the AP top 25 rankings for the first time in their 46-year history. Now, he has his sights set on the Boilermakers, who ranked near the bottom of nearly every statistical category, including an offense that gained just 299.3 yards per game (127th nationally) and a defense that allowed 452.7 yards per contest (123rd). After a 49-0 season-opening win against Indiana State, the Boilermakers lost their next 11 games — eight by double digits — including the season finale against in-state rival Indiana, 66-0. With an uncertain depth chart entering camp, and a scarce number of returning starters across all three units, Odom's message has at least one of the program's leaders buying in. 'I mean, I feel like it's sort of intrinsic ... especially as big of a turnover that we had, you have a whole new room of guys and basically a new program,' fourth-year running back Devin Mockobee said. "Having that aspect of coming in and having a fresh start, it's easy for everyone to get on board very fast and be able to build a culture very fast.' If there's anyone who can attest to Odom's approach and wherewithal to improve a program, it's defensive back Tony Grimes, who followed his coach from UNLV to West Lafayette, Indiana. 'Hard, smart and tough,' Grimes described Odom during spring practice. 'How he practices, how he makes us work, his schedule, his routine got us built on ... building calluses, meaning every day we're gonna go hard until we can't go no more. 'He took me in out of the portal when honestly no one really wanted me. He gave me that confidence that I needed back and now I am here what I am today.' It's the same confidence and will to get the best out of players that Odom is ready to instill while bringing life back to the Boilermakers. 'From the day that we got the job, every single day, our approach is you get up and you make Purdue football better,' Odom said. 'You find a way to consistently instill those habits in everyone around the organization. Then by the time that the season rolls around, we'll be ready to be the best versions of ourselves.' ____ AP college football: recommended Item 1 of 3
