Actual football doesn’t begin for another month, but Big Ten Media Days essentially marks the beginning of a new season. As Ryan Walters prepares for his second year at Purdue, there are a lot of questions about the status of the team entering the 2024 campaign.
Walters endured some growing pains in his first season with the Boilermakers. Purdue finished with a 4-8 record, missing out on bowl eligibility. The Boilers did end the year on a bit of a high note, winning two of its final three games and beating Indiana to retain the Old Oaken Bucket.
Heading into the 2024 season, Walters has a full year under his belt. Purdue has a young staff, several new players and an incredibly difficult schedule. There are no shortage of questions for the coach and the Boilermakers at Big Ten Media Days this year.
Walters will speak at 12:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 23 at Big Ten Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Here are just a few of the questions for the second-year coach of the Boilermakers.
What lessons did Walters learn in his first season at Purdue?
Walters’ first season as a head coach was filled with challenges. He was tasked with rebuilding a program that had just won a Big Ten West title and lost a good chunk of talent from the 2022 squad. That’s a difficult job for experienced coaches. But Walters navigated the waters well for a first-timer.
How did he learn from his experiences in 2023? What were his greatest successes and biggest mistakes as the leader of Purdue last year? And how will he build off of those lessons as he enters his second season in West Lafayette?
How does staff continuity help going into Year 2?
In the current landscape of college football, it’s almost impossible to retain an entire coaching staff from one season to the next. Yet Walters was able to keep his Purdue staff intact heading into the 2024 season. That should be an advantage for the Boilermakers this season.
There was a lot of turnover on the roster from last year’s squad. A total of 29 players transferred out of the program, creating a lot of holes for the staff to fill. The good news? The Boilers have brought in 18 players via the transfer portal, a class that ranks inside the top-30 nationall, per 247Sports.
Walters retaining an entire should help with the learning curve. It’s always beneficial to have the staff on the same page, even if there is a lot of turnover on the roster.
Who are the potential breakout Boilermakers?
We all know about defensive back and All-American Dillon Thieneman, star running back Devin Mockobee and veteran quarterback Hudson Card. But who are some other names to keep an eye on throughout the season? Which freshmen can have the biggest impact? Who is the transfer player that has impressed the most?
Are there any particular players who can have a breakout season? Or is it still too early to name anyone specific?
Where has Purdue seen the most improvement?
This question might be obvious — at least that’s what Purdue fans are hoping. The Boilermakers struggled mightily defensively last season, allowing a Big Ten-worst 30.4 points per game. It was a bit surprising, as Walters came to West Lafayette known for his defensive prowess.
Purdue needs to show improvement against the pass after allowing 241 yards per game through the air, which also ranked at the bottom of the Big Ten. Have the Boilermakers changed anything schematically to address those concerns? Or is it a matter of personnel?
How big is the chip on the team’s shoulder in 2024?
Purdue finished with a 4-8 record last season. It saw 29 players from last year’s roster — including star receiver Deion Burks and sack leader Nic Scourton — enter the transfer portal. The Boilermakers will play one of the toughest schedules in the country in 2024. Is it any surprise they’re picked to finish dead last in the 18-team conference?
Has that been a talking point at all in the offseason? Are the Boilers using the doubt as bulletin board material? Or has Walters simply ignored the hate and been focused on his team’s improvement?
Has Walters tried the peanut butter burger at Triple XXX yet?
Last year, someone (me) asked Walters if he had tried the famous peanut butter burger at Triple XXX, an historic establishment in West Lafayette. That’s obviously not the most pressing question for the Purdue coach at Big Ten Media Days, but he’s had a full year to try it. We need to know if he’s indulged in this delicacy and how he’d rate this famous burger on a scale of 1-10.
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