Former Penn State DT Cole Brevard reveals transfer destination
Penn State Nittany Lions transfer defensive tackle Cole Brevard has revealed his next destination. The Indiana native will make the move to Purdue to continue his collegiate career.
Brevard entered the transfer portal shortly following the conclusion of Penn State’s spring practice, with his entry becoming public on April 15.
Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin had previously expressed a hope that Penn State wouldn’t lose anyone to the portal in spring practice’s aftermath, but acknowledged the possibility.
“After spring ball, I hope we don’t lose anybody, but if you look around the country, that happens after spring ball,” Franklin said. “So we’ll have to have our antennas up.”
Brevard is a former four-star prospect according to the On3 Consensus, which ranked him as the No. 384 overall player in the Class of 2020. He also came in as the No. 43 defensive lineman and the No. 2 prospect in the state of Indiana.
It was apparent that Brevard was relatively low on the Penn State depth chart last year.
He played on defense only once during the 2021 season according to Pro Football Focus data — taking the field for one snap in a Week 12 win over Rutgers.
The Nittany Lions suffered a wave of illness in the leadup to that game, leaving them without some key contributors and forcing them to dip deeper into their depth chart than they otherwise might.
Following PJ Mustipher’s decision to return and Zane Durant‘s emergence as a budding star this spring, Brevard’s roster outlook didn’t seem to tangibly improve.
Penn State transfer Cole Brevard’s outlook at Purdue
Brevard won’t have to wait very long for an opportunity to get a crack at his former team.
The Nittany Lions make the trip to West Lafayette on September 1, opening their season with a Thursday night contest against Jeff Brohm’s Boilermakers.
Brevard leaves Penn State’s program with all four years of eligibility still intact. The 2020 season did not count toward his eligibility clock as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he retained his redshirt in 2021 by appearing in only two games.
He joins a Boilermaker defense that was middling last season, allowing 5.6 yards per play. The 22.4 points per game surrendered by Purdue ranked seventh in the Big Ten.
Notably, the Boilermakers struggled mightily to defend the run last year. The 4.4 yards per carry allowed by Purdue placed them second-to-last in the conference, with only Northwestern posting a worse mark.
At 6-foot-3, 317 pounds, Brevard’s physique should make him a useful presence against the run game if he can get up to speed in West Lafayette.
