Ethan Trent forging own path with Purdue football

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Trent family story in West Lafayette is far from over. Purdue sophomore offensive lineman Ethan Trent has been a Boilermaker since long before he ever got to campus as a true freshman in 2023.

The inspirational story of his older brother, Tyler, that captivated the college football world in 2018 is something the Boilermaker lineman will always carry with him. He didn’t always want that to be the case, however.

“When I first came to Purdue, it was kind of something that I was a little bit ashamed of because I just didn’t want to be in his shadow while I was here. And as I’ve kind of worked my way up and I’ve been able to embody a role of my own, it’s changed, and I’m really proud of his story, and I love when people ask me about it,” a candid Trent said on Wednesday.

When the younger Trent joined the Purdue football program as a walk-on, he strived to forge his own path in Boilermaker lore. That is the path he has put himself on over the last two years, with 2025 providing an opportunity to write a new chapter in the Trent story in West Lafayette.

The goal was to not just be an afterthought on the sidelines, but to get onto the field during his time with the Boilermakers. He accomplished the first part of that goal last season, suiting up in three games, versus Indiana State, Penn State and Indiana, getting a total of 17 snaps.

But Trent wanted more.

When Barry Odom got the job in December, he provided players with the opportunity to meet with him one-on-one, which Trent swiftly accepted. He wanted to pick his new head coach’s brain and ensure that he would be given a chance under the new regime.

“I reached out to him, because I wanted to meet with him and kind of pick his brain a little bit and just see what he was thinking. I just wanted to make sure that we were on the same page and that I was going to be able to get an opportunity,” Trent said.

An opportunity is what Trent sought out, and an opportunity is what he got. Odom laid out what he was expecting out of his players, and offensive linemen in particular, and molded himself after that.

He’s made the most of it.

The emergence began during spring practice, when Trent earned a scholarship during after emerging as a trusted option for Vance Vice’s offensive line and vaulting up the depth chart for the Boilermakers. Coming out of summer workouts and into fall camp, Trent became a mainstay with the first-team offensive line and is now poised to make his first career start in a matter of days against Ball State on Saturday afternoon.

This newfound success and opportunity is a long time coming for the rising redshirt sophomore, who has made massive strides since his days as a standout at Carmel High School, with a focus on development.

“When I first got here, my body wasn’t where it needed to be, mentally, I wasn’t where I needed to be. I think it was a blessing with how I came in, because I didn’t expect to play, and I just kind of had the mindset where I was just going to get every little bit of extra work I could get. It was really good for me just to be able to develop,” Trent said.

Getting on the field was always the goal, but Trent didn’t allow himself to become obsessed with the end result, rather staying focused on his development and taking things one day at a time has put him in a position to be a difference-maker for the program heading into his third year on campus.

“I don’t know if I ever thought that far in the future. I think it’s always been my goal to get on the field, and for me, I’m just kind of a one step at a time type of guy. I try to stay in the moment. I think that formula of just taking it one day at a time, one month at a time, one lifting cycle, one camp at a time, has allowed me to become the best player I can be so far,” Trent said.

“Just being able to get in the film room, learn from my mistakes, and have been super blessed to have some really experienced guys in my room in the past. So just being able to learn from them and everything they do, and I’ve kind of been able to do that myself and embody what they did. I had a good path carved out for me,” Trent said.

Trent has exuded not only what Odom is searching for in his players, but offensive line coach Vance Vice, as well. Vice had high praise for what is looking like his starting right guard to start the season, highlighting why Trent has put himself in a position to make an impact this fall.

“[Trent] brings that no nonsense approach every single day and he is a worker. He crushes every practice we got with the right mindset. He crushes the weight room. I mean, there’s no relaxing him, which is kind of what you have to be to be an interior guy,” Vice said.

“I just define him as Purdue. That’s what he is. That’s what we want Purdue to be. That lunch pail attitude,” Vice said.

Being a Boilermaker is something Trent takes pride in and there are few examples of players who represent the program in such a manner.

“I would say a Boilermaker is someone who just works really hard and just finds a way, just has a little bit of grit to them. I like to pride myself in that. You got to have that mindset, that no matter the circumstances of the situation, you got to find a way. So, honored that he said that about me,” Trent said.

The Purdue faithful will always remember the Trent family, but the redshirt sophomore is aiming to give more reasons to remember him as he writes a new chapter in the Trent legacy.

“It’s funny how God works,” Trent said. “The best is yet to come. I’m still a young man, and I’m excited for the future and excited for what he has in store for me.”