Purdue football: Can Ryan Walters continue Boilermakers’ winning ways?

Can Walters improve Purdue football’s defense?

The defense wasn’t bad in 2022. It needed to stay healthy because it wasn’t very deep and had good luck staying healthy. Purdue finished 53rd in yards allowed and 74th in scoring defense. Allowing 106 points in its last two ball games likely skewed that scoring defense. Walters knows defense, and there is an expectation (rightly so) the defense takes a step forward.

The Illini led the NCAA in interceptions and scoring defense. Purdue won’t flex those numbers, but they should be better.

Purdue has to get in the backfield more than they did in 2022. Purdue had 28 sacks and 62 tackles for loss last year. The Boilermakers were the beneficiary of a solid secondary last year, which covered the lack of push up front.

In addition to the pass rush, the Boilermakers were poor against the run, and that doesn’t bode well when you play the likes of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa every year.

Nose tackle Cole Brevard is a space-eater in the middle of a defensive line that includes Auburn transfer Jeffery M’Ba and Vanderbilt transfer Malik Langham. Walters and defensive coordinator Kevin Kane have to figure out how to get more push along the defensive line to improve the defensive numbers.