Purdue Football: 4 Takeaways From Big Ten Media Days
INDIANAPOLIS — If there was a phrase that could sum up Purdue's appearance at Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday, it would easily be "chip on our shoulders." That was repeated by coach Ryan Walters all afternoon long at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Walters and the three Boilermakers in attendance — quarterback Hudson Card, linebacker Kydran Jenkins and center Gus Hartwig — all have one goal in mind: Proving the doubters wrong.
There was plenty to discuss at Big Ten Media Days as Purdue enters Year 2 of the Walters era. Here were some of the key takeaways from Tuesday in Indianapolis.
Purdue is fully aware of the 18th place prediction
There's no need to remind Walters or his players that Purdue was picked to finish last in the Big Ten this season. It's a conversation the staff has had with the team, something that's providing a little extra motivation for the Boilermakers entering the 2024 season.
"As much as you try not to read the opinions of your program or yourself or your players, you still hear it," Walters said. "If you're not reading it, your friends are or your folks are or it gets back to you. I'd be naive not to address it with the team and not talk about the elephant in the room.
"I did mention a large chip on everybody's shoulder in that building and 18 out of 18 is a large reason why."
The message from Walters has resonated with his players. They know there's a tough road ahead, but they're willing to put in the work to prove the doubters wrong.
"We try to keep a chip on our shoulder, try to put our head down and work," Jenkins said. "When we break it down, we say, 'We work.' That's the mentality we're going to use going into the season."
Consistency is key with the Boilermakers staff
Keeping an entire coaching staff intact is almost impossible in today's era of college football. Yet Walters was able to retain his staff for a second season.
In an ever-changing world, having that continuity provides a level of stability for Purdue's players.
"Yeah, it's huge to have continuity. Especially, you come into a program and everything is brand new," Walters said. "We could've had more change going into Year 2 — it's hard because it's just different, right? So, to have familiar faces and to get to know how people operate, what to expect from everybody on a day-to-day basis, I think it creates a sense of calm. You continue to build trust and respect in the building and the chemistry and camaraderie gets ramped up."
For the players, it provides some much-needed familiarity. Hartwig says it's a huge benefit having such a strong relationship with the staff.
"It allows us to learn them and them to learn us more, just building that trust," he said.
The Purdue-Indiana rivalry is alive and well
If the Purdue-Indiana rivalry wasn't intense already, new Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti poured gasoline on the fire in the winter. After he was hired, Cignetti went in front of a packed house at Assembly Hall and proclaimed, "Purdue sucks!"
That's provided a little extra incentive for the Boilermakers heading into the 2024 season — not that any was needed.
Maybe Purdue-Indiana doesn't carry the same weight as a rivalry game between Michigan and Ohio State or Auburn and Alabama, but it is incredibly important to those involved.
"It means a lot. I've won every year so it would suck if we lost this year," Jenkins said. "It's still a pretty big game and we definitely want to come out with a win."
"It's something you hear pretty often at Purdue, the importance of the rivalry" Card said. "It was definitely one that we wanted (last year). It was a great atmosphere and a great experience."
Fixing the defense was a priority
Purdue's defense struggled quite a bit last season. The Boilermakers ranked last in the Big Ten in scoring defense, allowing 30.4 points per game. They also ranked last in pass defense, surrendering over 241 yards per game through the air.
Walters said a big key for Purdue in the offseason was to bring in more talent at cornerback. He also talked about adding depth along the defensive line. He believes those are huge improvements.
"We've done a lot. Some of the areas that we addressed were cornerback, specifically, in the secondary," Walters said. "We added a couple guys up front and added a couple edge rushers. I feel like we addressed some of the depth needs that we had."
Walters also reflected back on his time at Illinois. He talked about his defense making a big jump from his first year to his second year and expects to see the same at Purdue.
Jenkins backed up his coach's comments.
"We learned from a lot of our mistakes last year," Jenkins said. "That's going to help us become very good this year, because we know the things we need to do to be successful. I feel like with us coming together, being closer this year, we're going to be great on the field."
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