The Purdue Boilermakers take on the top ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in Ross Ade stadium tomorrow afternoon in what is almost certain to be a blood bath. At the same time, I said that last week and Barry
Odom’s crew gave the Wolverines all they could handle in Ann Arbor. This team may not be good, but they play hard and I’ve yet to see them quit on the field. I get it, that bar of success is buried deep underground but there is something to be said for a coach who can keep the locker room despite on-field futility. Say what you will about this group, but there’s no quit in them.
Last week I was looking for some answers at key positions moving forward, and the team provided me with a few glimmers of hope. I’m looking for the same against the Buckeyes tomorrow. Purdue’s not going to win this game, it’s going to be a blowout, but there are still things they can learn from losses.
Offensive Line
Brayden Joiner and Hank Purvis
If you’re looking for a strength Coach Odom and company can build around this offseason, the combination of center Braydn Joiner and right guard Hank Purvis have been a bright spot for the Boilermakers, and both have eligibility remaining. Against Michigan the interior combination of Jalen St. John, Bradyn Joiner, and Hank Purvis helped the offense move the ball on the ground against the stingy Wolverine run defense.
Purvis, in particular, was a monster when Purdue went to their zone blocking scheme. Pro Football Focus graded him out as Purdue’s best run blocker with an overall grade of 75.8, but when the Boilermakers went to their zone run scheme, the impossibly large freshman dominated, with a PFF grade of 82.4. Joiner wasn’t as dominant, but his overall grade of 65 was respectable and the offense had decent success in the “A” gaps, especially in the gap between Purvis and Joiner.
I’ll be interested to see if the Boilermakers can find the same success running in the right A gap against Ohio State. Needless to say, their defensive line is stacked with future NFL talent Barry Odom can only dream about, but you can say that about Michigan as well. If Jointer and Purvis can hold their own in the middle tomorrow, it’ll be a great sign for the 2026 offense.
Defensive Line
Jamarrrion Harkless and Ian Jeffries
Like the offense, one of the strengths of the defense is the interior offensive line where Jamarrion Harkless and Ian Jeffries have proven to make a formidable tandem in the middle of the Boilermaker defensive line. Physically, the Harkless resembles a mid-90’s Dodge Caravan. If you’ve ever been privileged enough to own one, you know how difficult they are to push out of the way. He’s paired with Arkansas State transfer Ian Jeffries who moved into the starting lineup midseason and laid claim to the defensive tackle position.
If Harkless is a Dodge Caravan, Jeffries is more like a Bronco. He’s still plenty big, but he’s got a little more get up and go. He provides Purdue with a solid push on the interior on passing downs. PFF considered him Purdue’s third best pass rusher against Michigan with a 75.6 rating. In true pass set situations, they thought he was the best.
Harkless and Jeffries are both Sophomores. They should provide defensive coordinator Mike Schere with a sturdy foundation for his 2026 defense.
Running Back
Antonio Harris
Devin Mockobee’s career winding up early because of injury is truly a cosmic injustice to the hard charging senior back. The only positive about losing the senior leader of the offense is that Purdue gets an extended look at their bench over the remaining games, and that starts with sophomore back Antonio Harris.
When Purdue ran the ball into the teeth of the Wolverine defense, in the “A” gap between their center and right guard, they came away with 47 yards on eight carries (5.9 YPC), including two first downs. The running back combination of Malachi Thomas and Antonio Harris gave offensive coordinator Josh Henson a solid power / speed combination and he used them to keep his offense on the field and his team in the game. Keep in mind, Harris is playing the speed role at 6’0”, 210.
Antonio averaged 4.9 YPC on 11 attempts and picked up four first downs against one of the best defensive lines in the nation last week. He’ll get another chance to show what he’s got against the best against this week. Keep an eye on #22 when he enters the backfield, the Boilermakers may have found something in the sophomore out of Chandler, Indiana.
Quarterback
Ryan Browne
As I mentioned last week, I’d love to see the Purdue staff give Malachi Singleton an extended run before the end of the season, but that doesn’t look like it’s in the cards. Malachi will play, but if he’s healthy, Browne looks to be the choice to guide this team through the rest of the brutal schedule.
Browne was … fine against Michigan. In fact, it was one of his most efficient games of the season. The normally mistake addled Sophomore completed 19/24 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, he didn’t throw the ball to the wrong team, which allowed Purdue to stay in the game late. The problem, of course, is that while he completed 75% of his passes, they didn’t go anywhere, and while he didn’t throw an interception, he lost yet another fumble.
Coach Odom’s signal caller has thrown four touchdowns and five interceptions against conference opponents this season. He kept the INT column vacant against Michigan, but fifteen of his nineteen completions occurred either behind the line of scrimmage or with 10 yards. His other four completions were intermediate routes. Purdue didn’t throw a single deep ball against the Wolverines.
I’m not sure if Browne is the guy moving forward. His physical traits are intriguing, and he seems well-liked by the coaching staff and in the locker room. Furthermore, it’s tough to look good as a quarterback when the other team has more talent on their defense than you have on your offense. Still, if Purdue is going to invest another season, and substantial financial resources in Browne moving forward, I want to see something down the stretch.
Can he figure out how to stay aggressive with his throws down the field without putting the ball in jeopardy? Purdue needs a playmaker at quarterback. A game manager isn’t going to get the job done.
Can Browne maintain his playmaking ability while being safer with the ball. We saw safe but we didn’t see play making against Michigan. That may be the best to hope for against the Buckeyes, but it’s hard to play offense in a phone booth against a defense like Ohio State’s.
Prediction
Is this the game someone finally blows out the Boilermakers? Purdue hasn’t won a conference game, but they’ve made everyone earn their W.
At the same time, Ohio State is a different beast all together.
Vegas is giving Purdue 29.5 points. Last week they crushed the spread against Michigan. If you want to make this game more interesting, pretend Purdue starts with a 29.5-point lead and see how long it takes Ohio State to catch up.
I don’t think they will.
Purdue: 6
Ohio State: 34
