Purdue Depth Chart Review: Indiana State – Offense

After a long weekend of college football, chores, and unbearable heat, it’s time to do a quick review of Purdue’s performance on Friday night before I dive into the crucial upcoming Wake Forest game. The opener against the Sycamores started slow, with Purdue’s inability to score touchdowns in the redzone keeping the FCS in the game longer than expected. The Boilermakers solved that problem at halftime, dominated the third quarter, and coasted to the finish using their depth. It wasn’t a perfect game by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a game Purdue dominated throughout, despite the uncomfortable first stanza.

Here are my thoughts on the individual position groups.

Quarterback

1. Ryan Browne: 57 Snaps – 23/29 (79.3%) – 317 Yards – 3 Touchdowns – 4 Rushes – 1 Yard
2. Evans Chuba: 18 Snaps – 4/5 (80%) – 29 Yards – 2 Rushes – -4 Yards

Grade: A-

It wasn’t a perfect performance. Indiana State should have picked off at least one pass (the one they undercut at the goal line on the first drive comes to mind), but it was the most efficient football I’ve seen from Ryan Browne during his time at Purdue. This was the highest completion percentage of his career (.1 ahead of last season’s Michigan game). The ball looked good coming out of his hands, and he put the ball in good spots for his receivers. There were a couple of misfires, including a deep ball in the first half that would have gone for 6 with any semblance of the good throw, but I’m chalking that up to having a little extra juice for the opener. I’m going with an A-, with some points deducted for the slow start, but I was encouraged by what I see as growth from last season. We’ll know if it was real or a product of playing Indiana State after the game on Saturday.

Chuba looked fine. I liked him in the zone read game with Jerrick Gibson, and he put some nice zip on the ball. He has starter-level physical tools, but he also got ear-holed on 3rd down because he didn’t see the blitz coming off the edge and adjust his protection. That’s the part of the game he needs to continue to improve upon, but I feel a little better about Purdue’s quarterback room after Friday night.

Running Back

1. Fame Ijeboi: 29 Snaps – 11 Rushes – 87 Yards – 1 Touchdown – 2 Receptions – 30 Yards
2. Travis Terrell Jr. – 26 Snaps – 11 Rushes – 32 Yards
3. Jerrick Gibson – 17 Snaps – 6 Rushes – 26 Yards – 1 Reception – 5 Yards
4. Antonio Harris – 7 Snaps – 6 Rushes – 32 Yards

Grade: B

If I were only grading Fame Ijeboi’s performance, this would be an A, but Fame established himself as the clear lead back and was robbed of a 100+ yard, 2 touchdown game by a holding call on a 60-yard touchdown run that showcased his combination of power and speed. Pro Football Focus gave Fame the highest grade on the team (96.1), which matched what I saw on the field. My only quibble was Purdue’s inability to score touchdowns inside the 5 in the first half, but that was more on the blocking than the running in my humble opinion.

The bench brings the grade down a letter. Travis Terrell split the carries with Fame but didn’t find the same success. The diminutive back couldn’t find any space between the tackles, and Indiana State did a good job of keeping him contained on the outside. I do want to clear up one thing. I understand why people are confused about using Terrell between the tackles, but if he’s going to be the second running back on the depth chart, he has to be able to run the offense. I’ve watched Kansas State make a killing in the Big 12 by running small backs between the tackles behind big offensive lines. I also think the coaching staff was keeping things fairly vanilla for the first game against an FCS school. Terrell has to be better between the tackles, but I don’t think you saw him used to his full utility on Friday.

Texas transfer Jeffick Gibson saw limited action in the first half and picked up some more snaps in garbage time. He ran hard, and I especially liked him in the zone-read game, Chuba. He was nicked up during camp, and that set him back on the depth chart, but the primary backup job is still wide open after Friday night. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Gibson cut into Terrell’s carries moving forward.

Antonio Harris also looked good in limited action. He’s a crucial special teams performer for the Boilermakers, but in terms of ability, I don’t see much difference between him and the other backs vying for the backup spot. He runs hard and allows Purdue to legitimately go 4-deep in the running back room.

Wide Receiver

1. Chauncey Magwood – 36 Snaps – 1 Reception – 6 Yards – 1 Touchdown
2. Xavier Townsend – 29 Snaps – 7 Receptions – 47 Yards
3. De’Nylon Morissette – 27 Snaps – 0 Receptions
4. Asaad Waseem – 27 Snaps – 6 Receptions – 107 Yards – 1 Touchdown
5. Bisi Owens – 22 Snaps – 0 Receptions
6. Jesse Watson – 20 Snaps – 2 Receptions – 57 Yards
7. Tra’Mar Harris – 18 Snaps – 2 Receptions – 17 Yards – 1 Touchdown
8. Jaylan Hornsby – 13 Snaps – 2 Receptions – 22 Yards
9. Brandon Kinsey – 9 Snaps – 0 Receptions
10. Ricky Sampson – 4 Snaps – 0 Receptions
11. Quinn Rosenkranz – 3 Snaps – 1 Reception – 7 Yards

Grade: B

First and foremost, the wide receivers caught the passes that hit them in the hands, which is a huge upgrade from last season. Asaad Waseem cracked 100 yards and had one of the highest PFF grades (90.1) on the team. Ryan Browne needs a go-to receiver, and Waseem made a solid argument for the job in the first game of the season. He’s not the biggest receiver on the roster, but he flashed solid hands and was open more often than not.

Xavier Townsend led the team in receptions, but Indiana State did a good job of limiting his run-after-catch. Like Waseem, Townsend worked primarily out of the slot. He caught everything that was thrown in his direction, and I’ll never complain about that, but I wanted to see a little more from him after the catch.

After Waseem and Townsend, there was a significant drop-off to Chauncey Magwood and De’Nylon Morissette. Magwood had a single catch, but it was for a touchdown. Meanwhile, Morrissette was shut out, but he was the wide-open receiver Browne missed in the first half. Morrissette did his job, and Browne didn’t come through on his end; such is the life of a wide receiver sometimes.

Waseem, Townsend, Morissette, and Magwood were the first tier of receivers based on snap count (and when those snaps occurred). Purdue has a wealth of talent in the slot with Waseem and Townsend, but Morissette and Magwood could have been more productive out wide for the Boilermakers.

The second tier of receivers consisted of Bisi Owens, Jesse Watson, and Tra’Mar Harris. Out of those three, Watson was the most productive, but he’s also a slot receiver. I’m pretty confident Watson will have a role in the offense despite playing the same position as Waseem and Townsend because he always seems to be open when he’s on the field. Owens missed the spring and summer and is still trying to develop a rapport with Browne. Ideally, he settles in and moves into the top tier for either Magwood or Morrissette, because his size and leaping ability bring something different to the outside. Every snap should help get him closer to that goal. Meanwhile, Tra’Mar Harris came through with a nice touchdown grab in the redzone and is another guy who could cut into the snaps of the two veterans.

The third tier consisted of Hornsby, Kinsey, Sampson, and Rosenkrantz. Out of this group, Hornsby may be the one to watch. The 6’3”, 215-pound transfer from Syracuse brings something different to the passing attack with his size and could establish a more prominent role in the offense. I wouldn’t say I was disappointed in freshman receiver Brandon Kinsey, but the playing time didn’t match the hype coming out of camp. He’s talented, but maybe we should put a fork in him being an impact player for now. Sampson is a late-arriving JuCo transfer with nice size and speed for an outside receiver, but like Owens, doesn’t have many reps under his belt with Browne yet. I like what he brings to the table, at least in theory, but it’ll take time to bring him online. Rosenkranz saw some work in garbage time and acquitted himself well, but it’s going to be hard for a slot receiver to find much playing time with Waseem, Townsend, and Watson all filling that role.

Tight End

1. George Burhenn – 37 Snaps – 2 Receptions – 43 Yards
2. Ar’Mari Towns – 18 Snaps – 1 Reception – 5 Yards
3. Jackson Berryman – 15 Snaps – 0 Receptions
4. Luca Puccinelli – 14 – o Receptions
5. Jordan Cree – 1 Snap – 0 Receptions

Grade: B+

George Burhenn made it through the game without sustaining a season-ending injury; that alone is worth a B. The plus comes from Burhenn’s diving 26-yard catch on Purdue’s first offensive drive of the second half, which helped snap the Boilermakers out of their funk. Browne missed on an open deep ball in the first half; George made sure he didn’t miss a second opportunity.

This isn’t an A because of Purdue’s first-half struggles in the redzone. Inside the 10-yard line is the domain of tight ends. Jackson Berryman and Luca Puccinelli are on the roster because of their blocking, but they couldn’t help push the ball into the end zone from inside the 5-yard line against Indiana State. Purdue isn’t good enough to regularly give away 4 points because they can’t finish drives, and some of that falls on the tight ends. While I love Burhenn as a receiver, I hate him as a blocker. That’s not his role in the offense, but when you put Berryman and Puccinelli in the game, you’re telling the defense a run is on the way. Indiana State was able to concentrate their defense between the tackles because they weren’t worried about a tight end leaking out for an easy pitch-and-catch touchdown. He’ll need to continue to improve that aspect of his game if he has aspirations of playing on Sunday.

It was nice to see Ar’Mari Towns get some run as well. He’s by no means a finished product, but he could come in handy, especially as the season progresses. The position was supposed to have another playmaker, but UCF transfer Kylan Fox went down with a knee injury in fall camp. Anything Towns can provide helps fill in that gap.

Offensive Line

1. LT – Nuku Mafi – 57 Snaps
2. RG – Micah Banuelos – 57 Snaps
3. C – Boaz Stanley – 57 Snaps
4. RT – Jude McCoskey – 57 Snaps
5. LG – Brock Brownfield – 52 Snaps
6. LG – Marques Easley – 23 Snaps
7. C – Ethan Trent – 19 Snaps
8. LT – Rico Schrieber – 18 Snaps
9. RT – Terrell Berryhill Jr. – 18 Snaps
10. RG – Mason Vicari – 18 Snaps

Grade: B-

First, the good. The run game was cooking. Fame Ijeboi averaged 7.9 yards per carry, and the Boilermakers finished with 177 rushing yards. They were particularly potent running outside the tackles, putting up 66 yards on 9 carries outside the left tackle and 25 yards on 4 carries outside the right tackle. That’s pretty good considering left tackle Joey Tanona sat this one out with an injury. Browne had a clean pocket most of the game, despite 2 sacks, and the offensive line improved as the game progressed. Coach Crabtree was able to go 10 deep despite Tanona’s absence. Freshman Brock Brownfield started the game, and fellow class of 2026 members Rico Schrieber and Terrell Berryhill Jr. received playing time in their first college game. If the Boilermakers can keep them together, I see the potential for a more homegrown offensive line in the not-so-distant future. The more offensive linemen you can develop, the better, because linemen with experience are outrageously expensive in the transfer portal. Speaking of the portal, Nuku Mafi stepped in at left tackle and held up well. He’s only in his 3rd year, which should also help long-term. Overall, I was happy with the offensive lines performance.

However, the interior run game struggled, especially in short yardage. There wasn’t enough push from the three large lads in the center of the line, and that could be an issue moving forward, considering the competition. Center Boaz Stanley forgot the snap count on one play and cost Purdue 5 yards. Penalties were a problem for Stanley last season, and I wasn’t thrilled to see that continue in his first game at Purdue. Part of the issue was Brownfield, who had the lowest run-blocking grade in the zone scheme, where size and strength matter. He had the highest run-blocking grade in the gap scheme, which allows him to use his athleticism in space. Marques Easley came in and provided more push at left guard, and I can see Easley getting the call in goal-line and short-yardage situations where mass matters.

Giving up two sacks isn’t ideal, but at least one of those was on Browne.

If I graded this on everything but outside the 10, it would be a B+, but offensive linemen make their money in the redzone, and Indiana State was somewhat in the game at halftime because the Purdue line couldn’t dominate when it mattered most.

Overall Performance

First Half: D+

Second Half: A

Total Game: B-

That averages out to around a B-, and that feels right for an uneven performance that had everyone deep in their feelings during the first half (me included). Everything worked out in the end, but the Boilermakers will need to put together a complete game to knock off Wake Forrest on Saturday.