Barry Odom Provides Update on Purdue's Quarterback Situation Entering 2025 Season

When Purdue concluded its spring practice schedule in April, the quarterback situation remained a bit of a mystery. The Boilermakers have plenty of options at the position, but nobody seemed to separate themselves from the pack.

That remains the case in West Lafayette with fall camp creeping closer.

During that spring period, Purdue returned only Bennett Meredith from last year's roster, while also bringing in Malachi Singleton (Arkansas), Evans Chuba (Washington State), and EJ Colson (UCF) via the transfer portal. Then, after spring ball concluded, the Boilermakers lost Colson to the transfer portal, but were able to land Ryan Browne, who transferred out of Purdue and spent the spring season at North Carolina.

So, needless to say, the battle for the starting job in West Lafayette has been a bit of a cluster. Odom is not really any closer to naming a starter now than he was at the conclusion of spring.

"During the summer, you're limited on what you can do with your players," Odom told The Fan Morning Show on 107.5 The Fan. "So, the evaluation that the guys went through in the spring, and then we added Ryan Browne after spring practice."

When Purdue returns to the practice field, Meredith, Singleton, Chuba, and Browne will continue to fight for the starting position. Odom understands that a decision needs to come quickly, but he's not going to rush to name a starter.

"I know that decision needs to come sooner than later," Odom said. "I also understand to make a decision when there's a competitive battle going on, with competition in the room, we need to let it play out a little bit.

Odom also indicated that the offense could utilize more than one quarterback throughout the course of the 2025 campaign. He says each guy brings a unique skill set to the room, which could be advantageous in certain situations.

"I do feel strongly that we have multiple quarterbacks that can play winning football in the Big Ten Conference. I think it's going to take more than one guy to get that done this year, for a numer of reasons. Injuries always happen, there are a number of skill set differences in the room that cater to somebody more than another guy."

On Thursday, Odom will take the podium at Big Ten Football Media Days in Las Vegas to talk about the upcoming season.