Old National Presents: The 3-2-1

Three things learned. Two questions. One bold statement. It’s The 3-2-1, a look at Purdue football as it heads to the offseason.

Three things learned

1 – Quarterback question

What will Purdue do at this oh-so-critical position? Will Barry Odom run it back with the Ryan Browne/Malachi Singleton combo? Will one of the two be gone? Will both be gone? Will Odom look for a portal signal-caller?

“It all depends on who ends up deciding to stay,” said Odom.

To get a bonafide, proven starter from the portal would not be a cheap proposition.

There was good from Browne, but he also tossed just nine TDs with 10 interceptions (second most in the Big Ten).

No decision this offseason will be more critical or more scrutinized or more discussed than the QB choice.

2 – Sense of urgency

The 2025 season ended with two resounding thuds: 49-13 loss at Washington and a 56-3 defeat vs. Indiana.

Not ideal.

Look, no one expected miracles in Year One, as Odom was left to straighten out a mess. Three or four wins seemed like the max win threshold in 2025. Purdue didn’t get there, finishing 2-10–with 10 defeats in succession to end the season. But the team looked better coached and competed, for the most part, save for a few outlier efforts.

The stakes in this new NIL/rev share world are high. The money is mad, the pressure is oppressive, the expectations enormous (Thank you, Indiana!). Look no further than Michigan State, which is eating $33 million in buyout money to part with Jonathan Smith after just two seasons and a 9-15 record. This, a year after Purdue paid out a $9.3 million buyout to part ways with Ryan Walters after only two seasons.

No doubt, the pressure will be turned up a few notches on Odom and Co., in 2026. Just part of the job.

“I’ll get it fixed where it’s going to be a lot of fun for everybody that has stuck with us,” Odom said after the loss to Indiana.

This all sets up to be a fascinating 2026 in West Lafayette.

3 – And so it begins

Purdue players already have begun to announce their intention to enter the transfer portal, which is open January 2-16. There will be no spring portal window, so that is it.

The Boilermakers have seen DB Stu Smith and RB Jaheim Merriweather already make proclamations about planning to jump in the portal. Who will be next?

Odom said after the Indiana game he didn’t anticipate as much churn as the program experienced last offseason, when 82 players were brought in.

“We’ve had exit meetings with all the players on the team,” said Odom. “I feel like we’re in a good spot. That can change in a moment’s time, you know, for the good or the bad.”

More: Purdue football National Signing Day tracker | GoldandBlack.com video: Purdue coach Barry Odom on 2026 recruiting class | Purdue flips DL Josiah Hope from Louisville | 2026 tight end Dream Rashad flips from Purdue to North Carolina | Purdue flips four-star safety Jett Goldsberry from Ole Miss | Takeaways from Purdue’s National Signing Day | Show me the money: Rev share now central to every Purdue recruiting pitch | 2026 QB Cole Bergeron taking a virtual official visit with Purdue on Tuesday

Two questions

1 – Does Purdue have the resources to compete?

This is a point of much consternation among the fan base. But Purdue staffers reiterated again during Signing Day they are well-resourced.

“We have everything that we need in order to compete with the best of the best,” said G.M. Brandon Lee. “Not only in our conference, but across the country, as well.”

Added Odom: “We’ll be as competitive as anyone. But if you’re just chasing money, if you’re just chasing what that looks like, you’re going to live a life full of unhappiness, and you’ll never be developed the way that you should.”

2 – How was Signing Day?

All things considered, the 21 players Purdue signed coming off a 2-10 were solid. And 17 of those are on track to enroll in January.

Flipping ATH Jett Goldsberry and DT Josiah Hope was big, as the two instantly became the gems of a class that Rivals ranks No. 13 in the Big Ten.

“We are really, really excited about the 21 guys that we have signed up to this point,” said Odom. “I think you look at the versatility in the class, the speed, the length, some of the things we were trying to address physically, at least in the incoming freshman class, on what that looks like, we hit in a lot of areas.”

Purdue could be on the cusp of adding another QB (Corin Berry signed Wednesday) to its 2026 class, as it is wooing one-time Virginia Tech commit Cole Bergeron. Georgia Tech also is in the mix for the Louisiana product.

One bold statement: Butler Benton will have big voice

Who is Benton? He’s Purdue’s executive director of player personnel, hired from UCLA in the fall. And he’s an important man.

In a nutshell, Benton will be tasked with evaluating talent and be the lead voice in shaping the roster with help from GM Brandon Lee and others.

Benton was at the Signing Day press conference with Lee, Odom and director of recruiting Brad Odom.

“Butler has so many different roles as we look at it, and what has happened and changed in the speed of the calendar, in recruiting,” said Odom. “They all play vital roles in us building our class and our team. Butler is heavy into the evaluation of each position and what that looks like.”