Purdue football picked up a big win in the transfer portal, securing the commitment of an ex-Georgia receiver. The Boilermakers have undergone numerous changes this offseason. The head coach from the past two seasons, Ryan Walters, is out, and former UNLV head coach Barry Odom has filled that vacancy. Amid a crowded Big Ten Conference, Odom is attempting to rebuild a program that was seeing some success just recently. It might not have been the success of the Jack Mollenkopf years, but Jeff Brohm, now the head coach at Louisville, led Purdue to several bowl appearances during his time in West Lafayette.

Those seasons feel long gone now, and Odom has his work cut out for him. Fortunately, the new head coach secured the commitment of Nitro Tuggle on Monday. On3 National Recruiting / Transfer Portal Reporter Hayes Fawcett announced the news of the former 4-star recruit's decision. Tuggle appeared in just six games for the Bulldogs this past season and has three years of eligibility remaining.

Purdue football has been very busy in the transfer portal amid its rebuild

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Nitro Tuggle (2) runs after a catch against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Sanford Stadium.
Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
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As of today, Tuggle is the 38th incoming player from the portal for the Boilermakers. That fact is very encouraging amid what will undoubtedly be a rebuilding year for Purdue. Odom, however, has demonstrated his effectiveness in this new era of college football, which is why this hire by the athletic department was so astute. The longtime assistant coach had a previous tenure at Missouri during the 2010s that did not exactly go as planned. The Tigers were 25-25 during Odom's tenure, and he was fired after four years.

The Lawton, Oklahoma, native subsequently worked as an assistant at Arkansas for three years before returning to the head coaching ranks in 2023 at UNLV. Before Odom took over in Las Vegas, the Rebels had recorded nine straight losing seasons. In just one year, Purdue's new head coach made UNLV relevant again, leading them to a 9-5 record. The following season was even better, with the Rebels having their best season in school history. This team was one win away from a College Football Playoff berth and finished with their first Top 25 ranking ever. Much of this rebuild was done through the transfer portal.

Overall, it might take some time before Purdue football sees this kind of progress under Odom. After all, the Big Ten is a whole different animal from the Mountain West Conference. That being said, there's plenty of reason for optimism with the Boilermakers going forward. Commitments from players like Nitro Tuggle are hopefully just the beginning.