BoilerUpload: Purdue Boilermakers Football & Basketball Recruiting - Takeaways from Purdue's first depth chart of the season (2024)

The most notable entries on Purdue's first depth chart of the year revolve around the talented crop of incoming players from the high school ranks. Ryan Walters and company netted the 28th ranked recruiting class in the 2024 cycle, the program's best since 2019, which is already showing signs of optimism in its first year in West Lafayette.

True freshmen Shamar Rigby (wide receiver) and Tarrion Grant (cornerback) are both listed as starters heading into the season-opener against Indiana State after having strong fall camps this month.

Grant is the most notable of the two, being one of the top cornerbacks in the class of 2025 before re-classifying to 2024 and getting to campus a year earlier than initially expected. Now, the talented defender gets an opportunity to shine and show why he was such a highly-touted recruit. Rigby was perhaps the biggest surprise of camp, thrusting himself into playing time amidst a new-look receiving corps and offering Hudson Card with a bigger option, athletic on the outside.

Injuries to CJ Smith at receiver and Nyland Green at cornerback opened the door for the rookies to earn starting roles, and while both Smith and Green could slide back in as starters upon their respective returns, having two freshmen as starters is encouraging for the present and future of the program.

Six other freshmen from the 2024 recruiting class were present on the initial depth chart, in Koy Beasley, Marcos Davila, Jaden Ball, Jaheim Merriweather, Demeco Kennedy and Spencer Porath.

Porath remains in competition with Ben Freehill for the title of starting placekicker, which could see one specialist solidify themselves as the starter early in the year. Despite not being starters, the likes of Merriweather, Beasley and Kennedy in particular could see time in the rotation from day one in West Lafayette as well.

Ryan Walters hit the recruiting trail hard over the last year getting the 2024 class set in stone, and it appears to be working in the Boilermakers' favor already.

An intriguing aspect of the depth chart was how the defensive line rotation began to come into frame, with two positions having the "OR" designation for their respective starting role.

At nose tackle, incumbent starter Cole Brevard and Mo Omonode are in competition for snaps, while the same can be said for Joe Anderson and Damajhe Lewis at one of the defensive end spots. Redshirt freshman nose tackle Jamarrion Harkless and Kentucky transfer defensive end Jamarius Dinkins are also expected to be in the rotation, sliding in behind both starting competitions.

At the third and final defensive line slot, Jeffrey M'Ba is listed as the starter after coaches say he improved dramatically from last season, backed up by true freshman Demeco Kennedy.

"All these guys have done a great job. I think the thing about how we play defense, you know, we talk about being physical up front and knock back and squeeze, and it's a physical game. So, a lot of those guys are gonna see a lot of reps," defensive coordinator Kevin Kane said on Monday. "All those guys are dudes that we're going to count on throughout the course of this year, not just Indiana State, but over the course of this year, and they've earned the right to go out there and play a lot."

Is how the depth chart shook out a matter of improved play and depth, or a sign of nobody separating themselves from the rest of the pack? That remains to be seen, but the Boilermakers should feature a healthy rotation in Brick Haley's group to start the season.

The question marks surrounding Purdue's receiving corps will not have an answer until the middle of September, at the earliest, and the depth chart did not put those questions to bed. While the group is improved on paper compared to last year which offers some intrigue, there is still mystery regarding how the group will perform once the season begins.

The Boilermakers will have three new starters for Hudson Card on the outside, with Jahmal Edrine, Jaron Tibbs and Shamar Rigby making up the group of first team pass catchers.

Tibbs is an interesting case as both Cory Patterson and Graham Harrell have gone on record as saying the redshirt freshman can play all three of Purdue's receiver spots, and he will begin the year in the slot. Edrine and Rigby will provide a mix of size and athleticism that Purdue did not possess on the outside a year ago.

The second unit also has some experience, with Georgia transfer De'Nylon Morrissette and Andrew Sowinski working out of the slot, while Jayden Dixon-Veal backs up Edrine and JUCO receiver Leland Smith lines up behind the true freshman Rigby.

There are a pair of wildcards that are still on the mend and should factor into a deeper rotation in transfer pass catchers CJ Smith and Kam Brown. It remains to be seen where each will slide in when they return from injury, but there is the potential for both to be starters.

Much has been made of Purdue's pass catchers and the revamping of the group in 2024. Edrine and company will have the opportunity to prove themselves and put any doubts to bed starting this Saturday.