Purdue football confirmed long-term upside, but Notre Dame will demand much more

WEST LAFAYETTE – Purdue football’s Tarrion Grant threw a shoulder into Indiana State receiver Rashad Rochelle at full stride, sending him careening out of bounds.

The Boilermakers’ true freshman opening-day starter at cornerback made the Sycamores pay a price for their only third-down conversion of the first half. The biggest hit of the day came with 22 seconds left in the first half of an eventual 49-0 thumping .

Similar moments sprung up throughout that season-opening rout. The other true freshman starter, Shamar Rigby , secured the first two of what should be many receptions. Will Heldt led the defense by invading the backfield. Elijah Jackson displayed breakaway speed in an elusively compact package.

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Purdue’s young talent previewed how good this team might be by December. Saturday confirmed many of the conclusions of preseason camp. This defense attacks and frustrates. This offense significantly multiplied its playmaking options.

All of which will still be true in two weeks, regardless of whether this roster is also ready to slay a giant. Assuming Notre Dame opens with a win over Texas A&M on Saturday night, it will bring a top-10 ranking and expectations of an undefeated regular season to Ross-Ade Stadium on Sept. 14.

Ryan Walters is not building a team to win any one game, though. He is early in the second season of trying to recapture the level of success which preceded him. Saturday confirmed what he and his staff began seeing last winter. That progress of performance is accelerating.

“We've seen the majority of the roster since January,” Walters said. “So the things that they're doing — it's not unique to them anymore. I think you can expect the guys that played well today to continue to play well, because they approach their craft the right way, and they play football the right way.

"Hopefully this is just a sign of things to continue to come.”

Increasingly, that upside stems from the 2023 signing class Walters completed after his hire that December. Dillon Thieneman ’s freshman All-American season established a foothold for that group.

Heldt looks ready to reach for the next rung.

The sophomore from Carmel lived up to preseason buzz in his starting debut. His seven tackles tied for the team lead, and three went for loss. That included his first career sack, on which he stormed off the edge and crumpled Elijah Owens before the Sycamores quarterback could react.

Purdue’s chances of real improvement in Walters’ second season hinges on how many breakthroughs that 2023 class of recruits and transfers achieves. Among those suggesting they would lead the effort Saturday were Jahmal Edrine, Hudson Card’s most targeted wideout on a record-setting day; fellow receiver Jaron Tibbs, catching one of Card’s four touchdown passes; and defensive tackle Jeffrey M’Ba, racking up six tackles at the line of scrimmage.

Heldt, though, faced a unique responsibility. Purdue asked him to replace the elite pass rush prowess diminished by Nic Scourton’s transfer and Kydran Jenkins’ move to Mike linebacker.

It showed up Saturday, in ways that suggest it will keep showing up all season.

“It's night and day for me, honestly,” Heldt said. “Just being in the system, coming in early and being there for a whole year and playing behind two just absolutely great players, just learning from them. Now that I have a better feel for rushing and being on the edge like that, I feel like I can go out and let those big plays come.”

Purdue also asked a lot of Grant and Rigby. The former started in part because Georgia transfer Nyland Green, seen prior to the game with a boot on his left foot and using a walking scooter, was not ready to start the season. The latter showed up in July, impressed coaches and teammates from Day 1 of preseason camp and all but demanded to start with his play.

Grant held his own with a pair of tackles. Walters pointed out how, after getting beat on an angle route early, Grant shut it down when Indiana State challenged him again. Rigby’s first career reception converted a third down, and he added another to total 13 yards. Walters also complimented his blocking on the perimeter.

Both continue to evolve and entice in real time. They looked like they belonged Saturday. What could they look like by kickoff of the Old Oaken Bucket game  on Thanksgiving weekend?

“Any time you can be a starter Game 1 as a true freshman, that means you are fully comfortable with the game plan, fully comfortable with the adjustments within the game plan,” Walters said. “That's hard to do, especially when we didn't have them in the spring.

“It’s just is a testament to one, how much affinity they both have for learning, and two, our staff has prepared them — knowing that they're in our best 11 from a talent standpoint, so people are up to speed, so that we're not hindered on what we can call on game day.”

Card also came in with Walters’ first transfer class. Enhancements on the offensive line and the receiver corps increased expectations for his encore season as starter. He rewarded that optimism with a 24-of-25 performance which tied the FBS single-game completion percentage record.

Yet he did so while demonstrating a second-year starter’s command of the system. He completed passes to nine receivers. He attacked on the perimeter with Edrine on the first two snaps of the opening drive. Then he countered by targeting his tight ends — including Max Klare’s first career touchdown for a 7-0 lead.

No single player’s performance more affects Purdue’s chances to shock one of its four top-10 opponents this season. Card’s degree of difficulty increases massively against the Fighting Irish . Howard Cross leads a tough defensive front. Benjamin Morrison leads a skilled backfield. The pocket pressure ratchets up, and the passing windows shrink.

Completing 96% of one’s passes against an FCS opponent does not tell us much about how Card will handle that challenge.

It did legitimize the momentum he and the offense said they’ve been building throughout the offseason. Regardless of opponent, and regardless of outcome in two weeks, that progress of performance remains the true prize Purdue chases this season.

Follow IndyStar Purdue Insider Nathan Baird on X at @nwbaird.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue football confirmed long-term upside, but Notre Dame will demand much more