Defense is the reason Coach Odom is at Purdue; in fact, defense is the reason Barry Odom is a head coach at any school. His first order of business in West Lafayette is to fix the defense his former protege left in shambles. That means bringing in a new system and a slate of new players. It also means you should take everything in the following article with a giant grain of salt. Keep in mind, I’m giving y’all the best-case scenario, and things rarely end up at the best-case scenario.
Defensive Line
The defense line seems like the best starting point because, at least in theory, it should be a strength. Heading into fall camp, a few hold-overs from the previous staff are poised to make an impact off the edge. That starts with former four-star edge rush recruit, Georgia transfer CJ Madden. An injury ended his 2024 season after three games. Honestly, this is all a projection based on who I think Madden can be in this defense, because in three seasons, he’s produced ten total tackles. He was a hybrid edge-rusher / outside linebacker coming out of high school and is now listed at a healthy 6’4”, 270 pounds. He has intriguing physical skills, but must show that he can stay healthy and translate those skills into production.
The same can be said about his presumed running mate, Trey Smith. Smith transferred from Illinois last season and appeared in nine games; granted, his two total tackles don’t instill a ton of confidence. Based on size, I assume Smith plays on the weak side and Madden lines up on the strong side. Madden’s better equipped to fight off tight ends at the point of the attack, and Smith, at 255 pounds, is better suited to chase things down from the backside. Again, all of this is theoretical because they have zero sacks and seventeen combined tackles thus far, but I can see the vision.
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Publish date : 2025-05-17 12:01:00
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