Purdue’s defensive end room might be the most intriguing position group on the roster heading into fall camp, and that’s because there’s real competition here - not just bodies.
The Boilermakers have seven players who can legitimately claim a shot at the 4-5-man rotation, and that alone marks a major step forward from 2025. The question now is whether anyone turns that depth into something more dangerous. If one of these ends makes the leap from merely playable to outright disruptive, Purdue’s outlook in 2026 changes fast.
At the top of the group are CJ Madden and Trey Smith, both back after underwhelming 2025 seasons. Together, they produced 31 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Those numbers are hard to ignore, especially when you spread them across two players expected to anchor the edge. Madden has 26 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and .5 sacks in four college seasons.
Smith has 17 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 1 sack over three years. Smith only started two games last season, but even with that context, it’s fair to wonder how secure either player’s hold on a starting job really is.
The most interesting name in the room is Elo Modozie. He’ll be called a Georgia transfer, but the better label is Army transfer who spent last season buried at the back end of Georgia’s defensive end rotation.
Before that, in 2024 at Army, he started 14 games and posted 34 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and two blocked kicks. That earned him All-AAC Third Team honors.
He was one of the top rush-end transfers in 2025, signed with Georgia, and then essentially disappeared in a five-man rotation before moving on. Purdue and Georgia are not operating on the same talent level at defensive end, so Modozie feels like the player most likely to make a real impact here.
He was a high school wide receiver, and he looks like a strong bet to earn a rotation role, with a starting spot not out of the question.
He’s not alone in the fight. Keyshawn Burgos, Jeremy Lewis and Breeon Ishmail all enter the mix with a chance to push for snaps.
Burgos comes in from Virginia Tech as a 6-foot-5 strong-side end who has 10 starts and a reputation for handling the run, even if the pass-rush production has been modest - just 2.5 sacks in four seasons. Lewis arrives from Iowa Western C.C. after winning a NJCAA D1 National Championship in 2025 and earning Second Team NJCAA All-American honors.
His line was loud: 41 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and an interception. That kind of production is exactly what you want from an edge defender, and he looks like a real candidate to start.
Ishmail, meanwhile, got his first meaningful college action last season and handled it well enough to stay in the conversation. Michigan viewed him as a developmental prospect, and now he should be ready to move up.
The eligibility shifts matter here too. Modozie gets an extra season after beginning his career at Army as a freshman, and Lewis gets another year as a junior college transfer. That’s a big deal for Purdue, especially since both are expected to be part of the 2026 rotation.
There’s also a younger layer to this group that could matter down the line. Landon Brooks, listed at 6-foot-5 and 220, still needs to add weight, but he’s an interesting long-term piece.
Mason Alnutt has the frame at 6-foot-4, 250, though he needs more experience. Katrell Webb brings real speed off the edge and arrives with 54 tackles for loss and 30 sacks on his high school résumé.
Maximillian Carmicle, a true freshman listed at 6-foot-8, 255, is such a unique body type that it’s hard to know exactly how Purdue will use him, though he should be fun on the kick-block team. Aiden Solecki is another big freshman, listed at 6-foot-6, 260, and he looks built for the strong side as well.
This is the spot to watch in camp. Purdue has numbers now, and better ones than it had a year ago. What it still needs is a breakout - someone who can turn a crowded room into a real edge presence.
In Other News...
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Purdue Media Day Put New Focus On A Forgotten Receiver
Big Ten Media Day in Chicago gave Purdue a chance to put a few faces in front of the room, with Coach Odom, Ryan Browne and Charles Corea all making the trip for the usual mix of prepared remarks and questions about where the program is headed. The event also offered a small but telling glimpse at how the staff is sorting out roles, especially with Odom talking through player development and the pieces Purdue hopes to lean on this fall.
One of those pieces was DeNylon Morrissette, whose presence stood out because it suggested the Boilermakers still see a place for a receiver who has flashed before. Morrissettes name carries some intrigue after his limited production a year ago, and his inclusion in Chicago only added to the sense that Purdue may be preparing to ask for more from him if the offense is going to take a step forward. [Read more 🡒]