What a disastrous year it was for Purdue! The Boilermakers wrapped up the season with a 1–11 overall record. And when it came to their record in conference play, they went winless. So, it was obvious that this would lead to a player exodus. Dating back to the reports that came to light at the beginning of this year, Odom lost 33 players who thought of swapping wagons. That went with the winter window of the transfer portal. Right now, the spring window has opened, and the Boilermakers lost their cornerback, known for his 76-tackle feat. While Purdue lost their key player, they have successfully been able to keep their quarterback close with a ‘rare’ factor.    

Walking into the 2025 season, the Boilermakers thought of firing Ryan Walters after compiling a 5-19 record in two seasons in West Lafayette, Indiana. They then went for Barry Odom. The new HC came fresh off steering UNLV Football to its winningest season in 40 years. Naturally, the hopes were quite high. Unfortunately, the Odom factor was not enough to keep the players tight. So, they started falling like dominoes last winter. Even spring thought of landing them with one of the hardest blows.

On April 9, On3 Sports analyst Pete Nakos confirmed, “Purdue starting cornerback Markevious Brown tells @On3sports he is entering the transfer portal.” This is definitely a big loss for the Boilermakers. After all, Markevious Brown did give his best to the program, posting 76 career tackles, 4 TFLs + 11 passes.

Now, this definitely has been painful, but the Purdue fans might have been prepared for this. Last year in October, the team confirmed that Brown would no longer be with the team and would miss the remainder of the 2024 season. The statement released by the school read, “It is necessary for Markevious Brown to step away from the team at this time. As of today, it is our expectation that he will rejoin the program for the 2025 season. This is a personal matter, and we will have no additional comments.” The Ole Miss transfer jumped into Purdue after transferring from the Rebels back in the 2023 season. And definitely, he did not disappoint.

In 2024, Brown played in all 12 games last year and made 11 starts. He racked up 45 tackles, six pass break-ups, two forced fumbles, and a sack for the Boilers that year. Last season, the cornerback started in all four games. The result? Nine tackles and three pass break-ups. Now, this might be filling Odom with some heavy regret. After all, he did not get the opportunity to use a player who had a good starting experience in a power conference. But at least he could win his quarterback’s trust. 

A new era begins for Purdue Boilermakers under Barry Odom

When Odom stepped in as the new HC, he had a two-part message for members of the 2024 Boilermaker roster. First, he promised the players to give it a shot and that they would not regret it while having the most rewarding athletic experience they’ve had. Second, the HC would give them enough chances to compete for the starter role. That’s when Purdue quarterback Bennett Meredith believed in him. When his teammates did not give it a second thought while jumping into the portal, Meredith set his vision on being Purdue’s starting quarterback in 2025.

However, he very well knows that he is not the only one running the race to land the role. Odom’s staff also brought in three new quarterbacks out of the transfer portal who are competing with Meredith. They are Malachi Singleton, EJ Colson, and Evans Chuba. Out of the bunch, Meredith brings the most consistent play right now, but the other three do offer a higher potential ceiling.

Bennett Meredith hopes he’ll earn plenty more game-day reps when Purdue kicks off its 2025 season. And what if he doesn’t? Then, too, he would not be having much regret. “He [Odom] has been nothing but authentic and truthful from the jump. That’s rare. I have the utmost respect for him and the staff. They’ve been true to their word. It’s been fun. It’s been rewarding,” he said. Well, it’s definitely going to be a new experience for Purdue. Barry Odom had a special guest attend practice on April 5. That’s none other than the legendary basketball coach Gene Keady. This is how the Boilermakers are going to be—hard, smart, and tough with a whole lot of newness.