Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne. Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Coming back to Purdue has paid off for QB Ryan Browne

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 10:46 AM ET

It has been an interesting journey for Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne, but the twists and turns have led him to the title of QB1.

Browne was announced as Purdue's starting quarterback for 2025 after practice on Thursday. A sophomore from Clarkston, Michigan, he beat out Arkansas sophomore transfer Malachi Singleton, junior Bennett Meredith and Washington State redshirt freshman transfer Evans Chuba.

All the aforementioned quarterbacks split reps in fall camp, but Browne started taking the first-team reps on Monday of this week. It became official with head coach Barry Odom's announcement.

It’s official: Ryan Browne will be QB1 for Purdue, Barry Odom announced today after practice. pic.twitter.com/BCbRJdxtSv
— Tom Dienhart (@TomDienhart1) August 21, 2025

Browne was a 3-star quarterback who committed to Purdue out of high school. He took a redshirt season as a freshman in 2023 and then appeared in eight games with two starts in 2024.

In his first collegiate start, an overtime loss to No. 23 Illinois, he threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns while rushing 17 times for 118 yards.

He finished the season with 532 yards and four touchdowns against two interceptions and a total of 155 yards on the ground on 50 runs.

Browne entered the transfer portal after the season and wound up at North Carolina, but he transferred back to Purdue after the spring session, and after the Tar Heels went out and grabbed South Alabama transfer quarterback Gio Lopez in the portal.

The decision to transfer back to West Lafayette has clearly paid off, because now he'll get a chance to help Odom usher in a new era of Purdue football.

Odom was hired away from UNLV in December of 2024 to replace Ryan Walters, who went 5-19 in two seasons at Purdue and was fired after a season-ending 11-game losing skid.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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