Purdue HC Ryan Walters excited by program’s NIL growth, incoming crop of transfers

Coming off a 4-8 season in Ryan Walters‘ first year at Purdue, the Boilermakers saw one of the country’s largest roster turnovers among Division I football programs this offseason.

Twenty-seven high school prospects joined the program, along with 18 transfers, while 29 players from the previous year’s roster are no longer in West Lafayette.

That isn’t expected to be a trend under Walters, but his strategy is dependent on where the program is at when it comes to each position.

And this year’s class was heavy on newcomers.

“I think it just depends on your positional needs. Recruiting high school still matters in terms of setting a foundation and building culture, and making your program a developmental program,” he told On3’s Steve Wiltfong on Tuesday at Big Ten media days. “But at the end of the day, if a guy is not ready, you’ve got to go get an experienced guy. It’s case-by-case scenario based on who you retain, who leaves and what that position’s depth chart looks like.”