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Date set for start of Purdue spring football

On3 imageby: Tom Dienhart02/15/23TomDienhart1
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(Getty Images)

Circle March 21st on your calendar, Purdue football fans. GoldandBlack.com has learned the Boilermakers will open 2023 spring practice on that Tuesday.

Purdue will culminate drills on April 22 with a spring game. It’s not known what the format will be: game or practice. The location is also unknown, with a venue in Indianapolis being the likely destination as Ross-Ade Stadium is unavailable during renovation work.

This will be the maiden spring practice for first-year Purdue coach Ryan Walters, who was hired in December to replace Jeff Brohm. Schools are permitted 15 practices in the spring, occurring within a six-week time frame.

Walters inherits a team that in 2022 went 8-6 overall (6-4 Big Ten) and won the Big Ten West, culminating with a trip to the Citrus Bowl. The spring will permit the staff the chance to install offensive and defensive schemes. Purdue will operate an offense based on “Air Raid” principles under coordinator Graham Harrell. Defensive coordinator Kevin Kane will teach the 5-2 base scheme he helped run at Illinois with Walters, who was the d-coordinator in Champaign the last two seasons.

The spring also will be the debut of several new players, including a group of four transfers led by Texas quarterback Hudson Card. The other transfers on campus are Arkansas safety Anthony Brown, Bowling Green offensive lineman Jalen Grant and Arkansas defensive end Isaiah Nichols. Stanford cornerback Salim Turner-Muhammad will arrive in May/June. Purdue is expected to add more transfers when the portal window opens May 1-15.

Purdue also has eight early enrollees among its 2023 freshman class who will take part in spring practices: cornerback Ethon Cole, offensive lineman Jimmy Liston, safety Dillon Thieneman, defensive end Will Heldt, defensive tackle Jamarrion Harkless, linebacker Owen Davis, quarterback Ryan Browne and cornerback Zion Gunn.

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