Big Ten Daily (Dec. 26): Purdue Football Gets Christmas Present From Transfer Portal

Purdue received a major gift from the transfer portal on Christmas Day. The Boilermakers received a pledge from former Georgia defensive back Nyland Green, the No. 1 cornerback on the transfer market.

Purdue coach Ryan Walters and his staff woke up to a pretty nice gift on Christmas morning. The present didn't come courtesy of Santa Claus, but from the transfer portal, instead.

The Boilermakers received a commitment from former Georgia cornerback Nyland Green, making Christmas merry and bright in West Lafayette. Green made his announcement with a post on X, saying "From the G to the P."

Walters seemed pretty excited about the announcement, too, posting "Merry Christmas Boilermaker Family … We definitely got what we wished for," on social media.

Green, who spent three seasons in Athens, was one of the most coveted defensive backs in the transfer portal. He ranks as the No. 1 cornerback on the market, per 247Sports. 

As a high school recruit, Green was a four-star talent and a top-20 overall prospect. It's a huge addition for a Purdue squad that struggled in the secondary during the 2023 campaign.

While with the Bulldogs, Green never quite got his footing. He appeared in 26 contests over three seasons, accounting for 12 tackles and two passes defended. This past year, the defensive back totaled seven stops, a pass break-up and a tackle for loss.

Because of Purdue's lack of depth in the secondary, it's fair to assume Green can earn a starting job pretty quickly with his new team. Although it's impossible to know the type of impact he can have, the former Georgia defensive back fills an important need.

The Christmas Day commitment from Green was a nice change of pace for the Boilermakers. Since the conclusion of the 2023 campaign, a number of players from Purdue rushed to enter their names into the transfer portal. 

Big-time contributors like wide receivers Deion Burks, TJ Sheffield and Abdur Rahmaan-Yaseen, as well as tight end Garrett Miller, will all be continuing their careers elsewhere. 

Purdue needed a bump in the transfer market. It happened on Christmas Day with Green's pledge.

Is Tommy DeVito's Time Up?

Tommy DeVito's fame and popularity might have expired in a New York minute. The former Illinois quarterback was benched Monday after a sluggish start to the Giants-Eagles game.

DeVito, who had been showered with praise after leading the Giants to a 3-1 record in his first four starts, was replaced by Tyrod Taylor after a rocky performance Monday. The rookie completed just nine-of-16 passes for 55 yards before New York made a switch.

Taylor finished the game, throwing for 133 yards with a touchdown and an interception while completing just seven-of-16 throws. The Eagles defeated the Giants 33-25.

"It's tough. It's just a constant reminder that it's a business," DeVito said, per ESPN. "They're always going to try to find someone to replace you, wherever it is.

"At the same time, it is a business. It's your job. I respect it. There's no hard feelings one way or another. I was hoping [Taylor] was going to go out there and ball and we win the game. It's nothing more than that. That's all it is."

Just a few weeks ago, DeVito was praised for his incredible preparedness, leading New York to wins over the Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers. It appeared that the Giants had found a diamond in the rough at quarterback.

The last two games haven't worked out quite as well.

In last week's contest against the New Orleans Saints, DeVito completed 20-of-34 passes for 177 yards but was sacked seven times for 57 yards. The Giants dropped a 24-6 decision to the Saints.

After the game, Giants coach Brian Daboll said he just "tried to spark" the team. 

So, does this mean we've seen the last of DeVito this season? Daboll said he hasn't made a decision regarding the final two games of the year just yet.

Gophers In Action Tuesday

More Big Ten bowl games are coming your way this week, and it starts with Tuesday's Quick Lane Bowl. Minnesota plays Bowling Green, with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN-Plus.

The Golden Gophers backpedaled their way into the postseason, finishing with a 5-7 record. However, there were not enough 6-6 teams to fill the bowl slots, leaving an open spot for P.J. Fleck's squad, thanks to a high APR score.

Minnesota is hoping to end the year on some sort of positive note. After consecutive wins over Iowa and Michigan State to close out October, the Gophers fumbled their chances at a division title, losing their final four games of the season.

Although Fleck says (ad nauseam) that he doesn't believe in momentum, it would give Minnesota something positive to talk about heading into the offseason.

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