Purdue’s first day of fall camp brought the usual curiosity about depth charts, starting jobs and who might separate at the skill spots. Barry Odom wasn’t interested in getting ahead of himself.
The Boilermakers opened work on Thursday in West Lafayette as they begin preparing for the 2026 season and year two under Odom, and the head coach made it clear his focus is on volume, competition and building toward Week 1 rather than sorting out roles immediately.
"We've got really good competition," Odom said. "Right now, it's about reps.
How many reps can we get as a program, how many guys can we get game-ready to play winning football? We're not really concerned about a depth chart for the next few days.
What I want to see is great competition."
That approach lines up with how Odom has handled the roster over the last eight months. Last fall, Purdue had to keep adding pieces in the spring and summer after players entered the transfer portal. This time, with no spring portal window, the staff has had a full offseason to work with the same group and build more continuity.
Odom said that has put the program in a much stronger spot.
"From the last eight months, the staff, the organization, all of the people who are part of the program, we're a completely different team, which is exciting," he said. "
One of the biggest on-field priorities remains the same: Purdue wants a sturdier run game. The Boilermakers averaged 126.4 rushing yards per game last season, and Odom wants that number to climb. He also wants the ground game to become more reliable no matter the setting.
"Playing this offensive line, all five guys together and how important that is. Not only the O-line, but the tight ends.
And then the runners, making tough runs and making a guy miss," Odom said. "If you can run the ball, that opens up everything in your playbook.
So, we need to get that established. It has to be something not just that we do Week 1, but we can carry it with us home, away, neutral site, whatever.
We need to know we can run the ball."
Purdue has reason to believe that part of the offense can take a step. Odom pointed to more depth and experience up front, and the backfield includes Fame Ijeboi, Travis Terrell Jr., Jerrick Gibson and Antonio Harris.
The other side of the ball has its own area of emphasis, and Odom believes the edge group has made real progress. Purdue’s pass defense was hurt last season, and he said some of that came from not being able to consistently pressure quarterbacks.
He likes what he has seen from Tre Smith, CJ Madden, Elo Modozie, Jeremy Lewis and Keyshawn Burgos, even if the room is not especially deep.
"I think Tre Smith, CJ Madden, the work they've put in and they've got some game experience," he said. "I thought in spring, as they developed, they're so much better now than at any point last year, which is a positive.
Elo Modozie has played real college snaps. Jeremy Lewis had a great junior college career.
Keyshawn Burgos has played.
"You're better defensively when you can affect the quarterback. I do think we're going to be able to get some pressure and affect the quarterback's throws. It may not be sacks, but if we can affect throws, get hits on the quarterback, disrupt the timing, that helps the pass defense and makes everything so much better."
Beyond the X’s and O’s, Odom also used day one to set a tone for how he wants Purdue to look and feel. For a program that has not won a Big Ten game in two seasons, he wants effort to become part of the identity.
"It's our goal, and I'm not afraid to say it out loud: I want to be the hardest-playing team in college football," Odom said. "The only person who decides that is who's looking back at you in the mirror. It's up to us."
That message has already been echoed inside the program, including by linebacker Charles Correa. For Odom, it’s a starting point he believes the players have bought into as camp gets rolling in West Lafayette.
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