Purdue Football: Wide receiver room growing by leaps and bounds

Purdue football coach Ryan Walters went out and attacked the portal last year, looking to reshape his offense, especially when it comes to wide receivers.

Purdue football added  former UCLA standout Kam Brown, as well as former Georgia wide receivers De’Nylon Morrissette and C.J. Smith and their impact was felt during spring practice, according to wide receiver coach Cory Patterson.

“As a group, I think that’s a real solid group. It’s yet to be seen what we are going to do when the real bullets get to flying, but I think those guys brought some real stuff to the program. Those guys can run, catch the ball well. I am just excited to see what’s coming in the fall,” Patterson said of his transfers.

One thing that is coming is balance to the receiving corps, prompting Patterson to say “it is why we are where we are right now.”

“I expect a whole lot more. I think we all do,” Patterson said of the need for balance.

In addition to the transfers, Purdue football brings back the likes of Jayden Dixon-Veal, Jaron Tibbs, Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen and Deion Burks, among others.

Patterson said he is expecting big things out of Dixon-Veal.

“I think Jayden has done a really good job for us in the spring. He is a guy, in my opinion, I thought would develop a little in his first year coming from JUCO, his development continued towards the end of the year. You saw him start to phase into what you want him to be. He continued to work his tail off in the weight room and once his body changed, his demeanor changed. You could see all those things change, like how hard he works and this spring, he kind of put it on tape,” Patterson said.

Tibbs is another player Purdue football will lean on, and Patterson said the former Cathedral (IN) standout had a “huge jump last year.”

“The development of those guys from last year to this year has been tremendous, especially for him. He’s a smart kid, but he had a year of college football and you can see it starting to sink in. He’s really developing into something that I think will be able to really help us,” Patterson said.

Patterson said from January to present, his unit has developed and worked hard to get better.

“It started off the field. You see these guys develop in the classroom. You see what’s happening out here, and that is what I always talk to them about. In my opinion, we are in the basement right now. It’s one of those things where we have to continue to build, and by fall, we need to be up in that first or second floor. We haven’t touched that top of the house yet. I think those guys have bought into that and are working their tails off,” Patterson said.

Purdue football opens the season Aug. 31 at home against Indiana State.