Purdue Starting Defensive End Hops Into NCAA Transfer Portal
Another prominent Boilermaker has decided to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal. On Friday, defensive end Will Heldt became the latest Purdue player to announce his decision to explore his options.
Heldt was at Purdue for two seasons, playing in all 24 games. He made a huge jump from his freshman year to his sophomore campaign, finishing the 2024 season with 56 tackles and five sacks. He was also responsible for 10 tackles for loss.
In a post on social media, Heldt cited the coaching change as a reason why he decided to enter the portal. Purdue fired coach Ryan Walters after the team finished the year with a 1-11 record.
"First and foremost, I want to thank God, my family, teammates, coaches and the Purdue fans for your incredible support over my past two seasons at Purdue," Heldt said. "Due to recent coaching changes, I have decided to enter the transfer portal. I am open to all possibilities, including a potential return to Purdue.
"I am excited for what the future holds and I look forward to the next chapter in my football and academic career."
#Purdue sophomore edge rusher Will Heldt will enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, he announced. @RivalsPortal
— Dub Jellison (@DubJellison) December 6, 2024
Tallied 10 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks as a sophomore this season. pic.twitter.com/gx3LFMAzAR
Heldt is a native of Carmel, Ind. and was a three-star member of Purdue's 2023 recruiting class. He committed to the Boilermakers over offers from several other Big Ten programs, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Northwestern.
Heldt still has two years of eligibility remaining and has not used a redshirt season.
Related stories on Purdue football
MARCOS DAVILA ENTERS TRANSFER PORTAL: Purdue quarterback and former four-star prospect Marcos Davila will reportedly enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal, according to a report. CLICK HERE
PURDUE TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER: Keeping track of Purdue football's incoming and outgoing transfers during the 2024-25 college football offseason. CLICK HERE
PURDUE SIGNS SIX RECRUITS: Purdue signed just six recruits during the first day of the Early Signing Period. It's not too surprising, as the Boilermakers currently don't have a coach. CLICK HERE
PURDUE FOOTBALL COACHING SEARCH: Purdue is moving on from Ryan Walters after two years. A few names come to mind as the Boilermakers begin their coaching search, including Tyson Helton, Jon Sumrall, Jason Candle and others. CLICK HERE
