Purdue football bold predictions 2024: An All-Big Ten QB and league's best pass rush

WEST LAFAYETTE – Purdue football’s schedule contains multiple opportunities for a truly bold achievement.

Tripping up Notre Dame’s playoff bid early on? Finally winning at Wisconsin? Shocking Ohio State or Oregon on those teams’ presumptive march to the playoff final four?

The Boilermakers can seize any one of several moments and give Ryan Walters a signature victory in his second season.

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In order to achieve a bold victory, though, this team must first summon a bold level of play on the field. Three ways in which individuals or units could reach for their ceiling and potentially lead to a stunning win.

Defense allows under 5.25 yards per play

I promise this won't be an accounting seminar.

Purdue, though, has not threatened that number since 2017 (5.27). Star power could not prevent last season’s defense (5.72 yards per play) from allowing big plays and struggling on third down. Transfer portal additions improved the potential for consistent play across all 11 positions.

Allowing half a yard less per play equals about 30 yards per game. Purdue ranked last among Big Ten teams in preventing plays of 30-plus yards in 2023. Taking one per game off the board goes a long way toward turning last season's competitive losses into victories.

QB Hudson Card voted All-Big Ten

Let's be honest — in some not-so-distant past seasons, a quarterback could stumble into third-team honors. The conference is not known for elite quarterback play outside of Ohio State and the occasional one-off elsewhere. That had already begun to change, though, and should accelerate with the addition of the four West Coast teams.

Card making third team means he beats out someone from this list: Dillon Gabriel, Will Howard, Drew Allar, Miller Moss and whatever young quarterback surprises with a breakout season. Card, though, will be better protected than a year ago and has an improved receiver corps at his disposal. Jahmal Edrine, Shamar Rigby , CJ Smith and others project as more reliable and explosive than last season’s corps.

A season similar to Aidan O’Connell’s 2022 is not out of the question.

Pass rush leads Big Ten in sacks

Penn State (49) and Michigan (39) were the only Big Ten teams to sack the quarterback more than Purdue’s 35 last season. With its top sack man now in the SEC and the No. 2 guy now at Mike linebacker, can the Boilermakers really replicate that?

Yes, and the talent added in the secondary might be a bigger factor than the additions up front.

Nyland Green and Kyndrich Breeslove transferred in and jumped directly to the top of the depth chart. Freshman Tarrion Grant impressed during camp and will start on opening day. The elevated cornerback talent should force quarterbacks to more frequently hold on to the ball slightly longer. Walters’ aggressive defense will keep attacking.

And while Kydran Jenkins has moved off the line of scrimmage, he’ll also match up with a running back more frequently when blitzing from Mike linebacker. That’s still a win for Purdue and a potential tragedy for quarterbacks.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue football bold predictions 2024: An All-Big Ten QB and league's best pass rush