Purdue football is almost here, and the staff’s forecast for 2026 is all over the map. One thing everyone seems to agree on: there are still plenty of unknowns hanging over this team, and the schedule doesn’t leave much room for comfort.
The range starts with a sharp split in optimism. Ledman lands at 4-8, saying he wants to believe in a bigger jump but can’t get past the questions around the offensive line, Ryan Browne’s growth, the wide receiver room, and whether the defense has actually taken a real step forward. He points out that Indiana State won’t tell anyone much either way, but he still sees enough to think Purdue can double its win total for a second straight year.
Travis sees a much rougher path. His pick is 2-10, with Indiana State as the only sure thing on the board.
He argues Purdue is still starting from too far back in the Big Ten, and last year’s problems with depth showed up in losses to Rutgers, Minnesota, and Michigan. He also calls out the nonconference slate, saying Wake Forest and Notre Dame are brutally difficult matchups for a team trying to climb out of a hole.
Beyond that, he says he just isn’t seeing enough wins, even if Maryland in November and Wisconsin after Luke Fickell has already been fired look appealing.
Kyle takes the optimistic side of the debate, but only so far. He has Purdue at 5-7, with wins over Indiana State, Wake Forest, UCLA, Minnesota, and Maryland.
Wisconsin, in his view, is the swing game that could get the Boilers to 6-6. He does think the team will be noticeably better, especially with transfers and another year for Browne in the offense, but the schedule is still loaded with Notre Dame, Washington, Penn State, Iowa, and Indiana.
He also says he doesn’t trust the defense enough yet in those games. Even so, he believes Purdue could finish anywhere from 4-8 to 7-5, and he expects the team to look better than the final record.
Jed’s take sits closer to the middle, but it still ends in disappointment. He says Barry Odom appears to have a better grasp on the program in Year 2, though he notes that the public admission that Purdue didn’t give Odom what he needed in Year 1 didn’t exactly inspire confidence.
He also says the schedule remains one of the hardest in the Big Ten and that Purdue’s nonconference approach still looks like a program trying too hard to get noticed. On Ryan Browne, Jed says improvement can’t just be credited to better protection and better skill talent around him; Browne has to prove he can make plays and avoid the kinds of bad throws that cost Purdue points.
He also raises a red flag about the return of former defensive coordinator Kevin Kane, saying that move will either work out well or sink Barry Odom’s tenure. Even with that skepticism, Jed sees six winnable games and one where Purdue could hang with a stronger opponent.
His final call is 4-8, with growth in the right direction but no bowl trip.
He adds one more grim forecast: Purdue wins four games and it feels like both a good season and a letdown after starting 2-0. From there, the schedule tightens, injuries pile up, and Big Ten physicality starts to wear the team down. His bottom line is blunt: until Purdue builds a line that can hold up on both sides and gets a quarterback who can elevate the rest of the playmakers, the Boilermakers will keep needing near-perfect weeks just to win conference games.
In Other News...
Trey Kaufman-Renns NCAA Fight Could Reopen A Huge Purdue What-If
Former Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn is taking the NCAA to court in a fight that could have ripple effects well beyond his own career. He has filed a lawsuit seeking an additional year of eligibility under the organizations new age-based model, and the legal process has now moved to a September 8 hearing in Clark County Circuit Court. For Purdue fans, it is the kind of development that inevitably brings back the old what-if game around a player whose timeline already looked a little different from the typical college star.
Kaufman-Renn was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he has not signed a professional contract yet, leaving the door open while the eligibility case plays out. The issue is bigger than one roster decision, because a ruling here could shape how Purdue and other programs think about older players, draft picks and the changing line between college and pro basketball. For now, the next meaningful step is the hearing, and everything around this story still seems to hinge on what comes out of it. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue's Opener May Be Less Comfortable Than Fans Expected
Purdues season opener has the look of a game the Boilermakers should control, but Indiana State arrives with a little more offensive bite than a casual glance might suggest. The Sycamores were only a step away from starting their year with a win, putting up 346 total yards and hanging around in a tight game against SEMO, which is the sort of early September evidence that can make a cross-state matchup a little less comfortable than it appears on paper.
Indiana State also showed it can move the ball through quarterback Elijah Owens, who was back after a season-ending injury last September and threw for 288 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The Sycamores did stumble in their opener, but the combination of a productive passing game and a defense that limited SEMO to 327 yards gives Purdue a little more to sort out than just showing up and collecting a routine first-game win. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Suddenly Faces A Big Early Test Without Key Clarity
Purdues volleyball season has barely gotten underway, but the Boilermakers are already dealing with an early personnel problem that could shape the next stretch of their schedule. Grace Heaney went down with a lower-leg injury in the opener against Creighton and did not return, leaving coach Dave Shondell without clarity on when one of his key players might be back in the rotation.
The uncertainty does not stop there, either. Purdue is also without outside hitter Kenna Wollard because of an undisclosed medical issue, which leaves the Boilermakers thin at a time when they are heading into upcoming matches against Texas A&M and Georgia. With two notable absences and no firm timeline on Heaneys return, Purdue is suddenly facing a test it probably did not expect this early. [Read more 🡒]