One of the teams to watch this offseason in the transfer portal is North Carolina with Bill Belichick at the helm. The Tar Heels have brought in a number of intriguing pieces to their roster, but they have lost some as well. Quarterback Ryan Browne, a Purdue transfer who committed to North Carolina just after it hired Belichick, re-entered the portal in the spring window.

On Friday, Browne committed to go back to Purdue and play for the Boilermakers again in 2025 according to Pete Nakos of On3 Sports.

Browne's decision comes on the heels of Belichick appearing to find his starter under center for the upcoming season. Former South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez is headed to Chapel Hill and will likely be the man leading the offense in year one under the NFL legend.

Now, Browne will have a chance to compete for the starting job at Purdue under new head coach Barry Odom, who had a very successful season at UNLV in 2024.

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Browne played sparingly in his redshirt freshman season in 2024, but he put up solid numbers when he was called upon for a Purdue football squad that really struggled to move the ball and win games no matter who was under center. For the season, Browne went 43-for-76 with 532 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. His most extended action came in a dramatic overtime loss to Illinois where Browne went 18-for-26 with 297 yards and three touchdowns.

Browne wasn't the only commit that landed at Purdue on Friday. The Boilermakers also landed someone who can come in and help protect Browne or whoever the starting quarterback ends up being with a commitment from former Auburn offensive lineman Bradyn Joiner, according to Tom Dienhart of On3 Sports.

Joiner started five games last season at left guard for Auburn and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team, so this is a big get for a Purdue football team that desperately needs to improve up front this offseason. Getting Browne back and bringing Joiner in gives the Boilermakers a foundation to build on for the rest of the spring and into fall camp.