Purdue Boilermakers have four talented players that can give the Notre Dame Fighting Irish some headaches if they allow them to
Notre Dame football is a massive favorite against the Purdue Boilermakers this weekend. They are several players, however, that the Irish need to be ready for.
Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame football program are coming off a disappointing two-game stretch to begin the 2025 college football season. They will be welcoming the Purdue Boilermakers to South Bend, and they desperately need a huge bounceback performance and to taste victory once again. Barry Odom is now the head coach of the Boilermakers, and he has instilled some much-needed energy back into this program.
Make no mistake about it, this is not a good Purdue team. It is, however, a much-improved team than we saw a year ago lose to the Fighting Irish 66 to 7. They have several talented players who can give Notre Dame some headaches if they allow them to. Here are the main Purdue players to know heading into the matchup.
QB Ryan Browne (#15)
Browne is going to make some mistakes (just go pop on the USC film), but he is still a very talented signal caller. The arm talent does pop off the film, as does his movement skills. If Notre Dame doesn’t do a better job creating pressure against Browne, he has the talent to make some plays. He could be a huge head coach for defensive coordinator Chris Ash.
LB Charles Correa (#5)
So far this season, Correa has been the best player on this Purdue team, and I’m not sure it’s been particularly close. He is an athletic linebacker at 6-3 and 230 pounds, and always seems to be around the football. Correa is a bit skinny right now, so the Irish offensive line will have to get inside of his frame. If they allow Correa to run free, he could make a lot of plays.
DT Jamarrion Harkless (#97)
It doesn’t take long to get eyes on Harkless in the middle of the Purdue defense. He is a massive interior player at 6-3 and 345 pounds. Harkless isn’t a great mover due to his size, but he also plays hard enough to get involved in plays in the backfield. His natural power will be a challenge for an inconsistent Notre Dame interior offensive line.
S Myles Slusher (#9)
Slusher has spent some time with both the Arkansas and Colorado programs during his college career. He brings a lot of experience on the back end for the Boilermakers, and they needed it desperately. At 6-0 and 195 pounds, Slusher brings solid size to the table and isn’t afraid to come down and get involved in the running game.
