Purdue heads into Friday night’s season opener against Indiana State with Barry Odom sounding far more settled in his Monday briefing than a coach still trying to figure things out.
Odom said he has “a lot more confidence in what they have as an organization now, compared to this time last year,” and pointed to the way players and staff have connected throughout the offseason. He said communication has been strong, the work has been there, and the team has given him plenty of reason to feel good entering the year.
That confidence extends to the offensive staff. Odom said he is “very confident in Josh Henson as a play caller,” and praised the way the group has operated together. He said the staff has “done a great job of working together and has great harmony,” adding that Henson, Kane, and Shibest have done a strong job building schemes for their respective sides of the ball.
The Boilermakers are also expecting to have most of their roster available when they open the season, with two exceptions. Odom said everyone should be active except Kylan Fox and Raderrion Daniels, both of whom suffered season-ending injuries in fall camp. He also said he is not going to put out an injury report this week.
On the calendar side, Odom said he likes the way things are set up right now, especially the fact that there is one transfer portal window in the winter. He said that has created more continuity for his team this offseason than it had a year ago.
There’s also optimism about what Purdue has built in recruiting. Odom said he likes the current high school class, the 2027 group, and noted that most of those players are expected to be mid-year enrollees.
Wide receiver is another spot that left Odom encouraged. He said he is pleased with the group and the way it has developed over the offseason, and believes it can create plenty of mismatches depending on the matchup.
As for Indiana State, Odom made it clear he has plenty of respect for Curt Mallory and the way his teams are prepared. He said Mallory always has his teams ready to play, and pointed out that Indiana State had a chance to win against SEMO last week.
Purdue, Odom said, has a good plan going into Friday, but in-game adjustments will matter. He added that the Boilermakers need to figure out what they think they can be good at and then make sure that shows up against another opponent.
Odom also said it is important for Purdue to play five of its first seven games at Ross-Ade Stadium.
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The same is true on the other side of the ball, where Purdue needs more consistent pressure after struggling to disrupt opposing quarterbacks a year ago. The matchup with an FCS opponent should help reveal whether the front can turn a deeper rotation into real production, with several players expected to play meaningful roles in that effort. For a team with bigger tests waiting soon after, this one is less about the final score and more about whether the Boilermakers can leave with a few answers. [Read more 🡒]