WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – This fall offers a new opportunity for Purdue’s defensive ends. One that coach Jake Trump considers to be a “clean slate” for his unit, looking to provide production and stability to the Boilermaker pass rush in 2025. The Boilermakers return only one sack from last year’s total of 22, with linebacker […]
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – This fall offers a new opportunity for Purdue’s defensive ends. One that coach Jake Trump considers to be a “clean slate” for his unit, looking to provide production and stability to the Boilermaker pass rush in 2025.
The Boilermakers return only one sack from last year’s total of 22, with linebacker Winston Berglund being the lone player to have recorded one in a Purdue uniform or the Power 4 level. No defensive ends have done so during their respective careers.
“They all haven’t done much yet on the field, in terms of the Big Ten,” Trump said of his unit. “I think if you look at it from top to bottom, it’s a clean slate.”
“I would say all of them have a clean slate to go to work, go contribute, and we’ll see. We’ll learn a lot more after five weeks of football, three weeks of football, one week of football. So I’m excited for all of them.”
A trio of defensive ends have experience at the Power 4 level, with C.J. Madden, Trey Smith and Breeon Ishmail all getting playing time previously, but have yet to record a sack in their respective careers. That should change in 2025. Madden has cemented himself as a leader dating back to winter workouts, when Barry Odom and staff first got to West Lafayette. The redshirt junior has backed it up with his play on the field, but still has more to prove when the games start to count in just ten days.
“I’ve been very impressed with the way he has tried to set a standard in terms of his leadership and the way he talks and speaks and it speaks volumes, but it’s also with action. And I think there’s things he’s done throughout camp that have kind of proven his voice on the team. Now he’s got to continue to back it up every day, but in terms of leadership, he’s done really, really great job,” Trump said.
While the trio of Madden, Smith and Ishmail exude talent without having translated it to on field production just yet, three newcomers came to Purdue with several years of experience under their belt. CJ Nunnally was an All-MAC selection the last two years, with 27 tackles for loss and 11 sacks during that time, while Breylon Charles tallied six tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks at North Texas in 2024. Not to mention Monmouth transfer Miles Mitchell, who has 82 tackles and 14.5 tackles for loss in his career to date.
That group has proven it at the college level, but have all yet to do it in the Big Ten. Now is their opportunity to do so.
C.J. Madden figures to pace the unit to start 2025 after emerging as a leader for not only the defensive line, but the team as a whole. He and Trey Smith have remained constants with the first team defense throughout spring practice and fall camp, but Jake Trump doesn’t view the “starters” as “starters”, rather a holistic view of the guys that uphold the standard of what he wants to accomplish.
“We talk about it all the time. We don’t necessarily have starters in our room, but we have standards. And if you can uphold the standard, you can play,” Trump said. “I hope I’m able to be able to play a lot of my guys, and that’s what I intend to do.”
Trump took it a step further, disclosing that the Boilermakers could look to ride the hot hand later in games, regardless of who is first onto the field.
“Who starts the game doesn’t necessarily mean who’s going to end the game. It could be. We could have guys that run out there at the start who aren’t necessarily, it’s not their day, or they’re not performing the right way. And we get a guy in that comes off the bench and plays really well and shoot, he’ll be in at the end of the game, when it’s on the line,” Trump said.
That approach gives ample opportunity for everyone to get onto the field in some form or fashion for the Boilermakers. Healthy competition has caused the play of the unit to continue to rise this off-season, with the start of the fall now within arms reach.
“They’re great, great guys, and we’re always pushing each other. Me and CJ, always pushing each other. Trey and I always pushing each other, Breeon, the whole the whole d-line group. We’re always pushing each other just to be great running to the ball, getting off blocks, not staying blocked, just trying to dominate the line of scrimmage, getting knocked back. And it’s just competition, you know, it just takes the best out of us,” Nunnally said.
What the rotation actually looks like come August 30th remains to be seen, but don’t be surprised to see a healthy dose of pass rushers coming in and out of the game for the Purdue defense.
Category: General Sports