Purdue Making 'Great Strides' Defensively Following Rough 2023 Season
Nobody needed to remind Ryan Walters of Purdue's defensive struggles from last season. The defensive-minded coach was well aware that the Boilermakers fell short of expectations on that side of the football in 2023, resulting in a 4-8 record.
Purdue ranked last in the Big Ten in scoring defense (30.4 ppg), pass defense (241.5 ypg) and explosive plays allowed (plays resulting in 20 yards or more). The Boilers finished 12th in the conference in both total yards allowed (382.1 ypg) and opponent 3rd down percentage (41.2%).
Simply put, that kind of Swiss cheese defense isn't going to win many games in the Big Ten. Walters understands that. It's why the staff put an emphasis on filling the holes on that side of the football during the offseason.
"We've done a lot. We've got 37 new players on the roster that were not here a year ago. Some of the areas that we addressed were cornerback and secondary," Walters said at Big Ten Media Days. "Added a couple of guys up front, a couple edge rushers. So, I feel like we addressed some of the depth needs that we had."
The Boilermakers assembled an incoming transfer class of 18 players, eight of which will play on the defensive side. The most notable additions are edge rusher CJ Madden (Georgia), cornerback Nyland Green (Georgia), cornerback Kyndrich Breedlove (Colorado) and edge rusher Shitta Sillah (Boston College).
On paper, Purdue's defense should have a much more polished look than it had a year ago. But it's not simply the portal additions that has Walters so confident that the Boilers will be in better shape in 2024.
"The way our guys have embraced the work, the grind. Usually, when you have good teams, they embrace the hard moments," Walters said. "I got to see last season how we respond to adversity. The guys that we have coming back were the guys that responded the right way."
Walters' jump from Year 1 to Year 2 at Illinois
Walters has been in this position before — kind of. In 2021, when he was the defensive coordinator at Illinois, the Fighting Illini fielded a middle-of-the-road defense, leading to a 5-7 record. In his second year calling the defense, the defense made a major jump.
Illinois ranked in the top-three of the Big Ten in nearly every major statistical category in 2022, the second year of Walters calling the defense. The Illini finished that season with an 8-5 record and found themselves in the race for a Big Ten West title through most of the year.
Illinois Fighting Illini | 2021 (Big Ten rank) | 2022 (Big Ten rank) |
|---|---|---|
Points per game | 21.9 (6th) | 12.8 (1st) |
Rush yards per game | 151.8 (9th) | 99.8 (3rd) |
Pass yards per game | 215.2 (7th) | 173.8 (2nd) |
Total yards per game | 367.0 (8th) | 273.5 (2nd) |
Opponent 3rd down % | 35.3 (5th) | 30.1 (3rd) |
Sacks | 31 (T-5th) | 28 (T-7th) |
Turnovers gained | 17 (T-6th) | 31 (1st) |
"Year 1 to Year 2, from a schematic stance, you see a lot of great strides," Walters said. "Saw big jumps from Year 1 to Year 2 when I was the defensive coordinator at Illinois and anticipate seeing the same thing this season."
Nobody expects Purdue to make the leap from worst to first defensively. That gap is much wider than the one Walters faced from Year 1 to Year 2 at Illinois. But if the Boilermakers can field a defense that finishes in the top half of the Big Ten this season, they'll be in position to fight for bowl eligibility.
As simplistic as it sounds, having a full year in the system seems to be a huge benefit for the players in West Lafayette.
"We learned from a lot of our mistakes last year," said linebacker Kydran Jenkins. "That's going to help us become very good this year because we know the things we need to do to be successful. And I feel like with us coming together, being closer as a team, it's going to be great on the field."
Is Purdue's talent level at a competitive spot?
Perhaps the biggest question surrounding Purdue's defense in 2024 is whether or not the talent level is where it needs to be to compete in the Big Ten. With games against Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State all on the schedule, we'll find out if the Boilermakers have the strength to compete with the upper echelon of the conference.
Walters and his staff are confident in the players they picked up from the transfer portal in the offseason, believing that several of those newcomers can make an early impact.
"Looking at the secondary, guys like Nyland Green — he was the No. 2 corner coming out of his class, you see why. Kyndrich Breedlove is better than advertised, in my opinion," Walters said.
"Guys off the edge — to be able to add CJ Madden and Shitta (Sillah) and Jireh (Ojata), those guys will play significant minutes for us. So, I'm excited. "
As much as Purdue gained from the transfer portal, it also lost a big piece of last year's puzzle. Defensive end Nic Scourton — who led the conference with 10 sacks in 2023 — packed his bags and headed to Texas A&M.
That was a big blow to the Boilers, after piling up 35 sacks a season ago, the third-most in the Big Ten.
Walters didn't have time to dwell on the situation. He acknowledged that it was a big loss, but believes Purdue's situation at edge rusher is even better than it was a year ago.
"I think we got deeper at rush end. Now, can you replace the type of production Nic Scourton had? Leading the Big Ten in sacks and all the things that he did on a weekly basis — I don't know if any one player is going to make up for that production, but I think we're better collectively," he said. "We had 35 sacks last year, I anticipate us being close to that number."
The other bright spot during Purdue's 2023 campaign was the play of Dillon Thieneman, who earned All-American honors as a freshman. He ended the year with 106 tackles, six interceptions and two forced fumbles, resulting in Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.
Without question, Purdue has some "dudes" on the roster. Is it where it needs to be in order to compete with the best teams in the league?
"I think we're really close. We'll find out here in about a month, but I think we're really close," Walters said. "If everybody stays healthy and all the things of that nature are in our favor, I think we're right there."
If the Boilermakers are "right there," this could be a much more successful season than many expect.
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DUSTIN SCHUTTE