The 2022 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University in the West Division of the Big Ten Conference for the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Jeff Brohm was in his sixth and final season as the team's head coach before going to Louisville. Brohm announced his resignation on December 7, 2022, thus making Brian Brohm, Jeff's younger brother, the interim head coach for Purdue's game against LSU at the Citrus Bowl. Purdue represented the Big Ten West in the Big Ten Championship Game for the first time in school history against Michigan, thanks to an 8–4 season, 6–3 in Big Ten play, which placed them at the top of their division. In the Citrus Bowl, Purdue lost 63–7 with the absence of 4 players including starting quarterback, Aidan O’Connell, and star wide receiver, Charlie Jones. After the bowl, on December 13, 2022, the school named former Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters the team's new head coach. At the time, Walters was the fourth youngest head football coach at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Boilermakers played their home games at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Offseason
Coaching changes On January 5, 2022, Brad Lambert accepted a defensive coordinator position at Wake Forest. Two weeks later, cornerbacks coach James Adams followed Lambert to Wake Forest, while JaMarcus Shephard accepted an assistant coaching position at Washington. Assistant offensive line coach Neil Callaway also announced his retirement following the 2021 season.
To replace these coaches, former Western Kentucky head coach and recent Purdue quality control coach David Elson was hired as linebacker coach, former UAB coach Garrick McGee was brought in as wide receiver coach, and Ashton Youboty was hired as the cornerbacks coach. Ryan Wallace was also promoted to assistant offensive line coach.
Transfers Outgoing
Notable departures from the 2021 squad included: Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes Jack Plummer 13 Quarterback 6'5" 212 Senior Gilbert, Arizona Transferred to CaliforniaJa'Quez Cross 28 Running back 5'10" 170 Sophomore Fordyce, Arkansas Transferred to Arkansas State Dontay Hunter II 91 Defensive end 6'5" 235 Junior Westerville, Ohio Transferred to OhioBryce Austin 92 Defensive tackle 6'2" 285 Sophomore Southfield, Michigan Transferred to Western MichiganAnthony Romphf 27 Cornerback 6'0" 180 Sophomore Southfield, Michigan Transferred to Western MichiganAnthony Watts 8 Defensive linesman 6'4" 290 Senior Houston, Texas Transferred to MarshallElijah Ball 32 Cornerback 6'1" 190 Senior Indianapolis, Indiana Transferred to Eastern IllinoisMarvin Grant 4 Safety 6'2" 200 Junior Detroit, Michigan Transferred to Kansas
Incoming Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes Prev. School Cole Brevard 91 Defensive line 6'3" 305 Sophomore Carmel, Indiana Transferred Penn State Elijah Canion 5 Wide receiver 6'2" 190 Sophomore Hollywood, Florida Transferred Auburn Charlie Jones 15 Wide receiver 6'0" 190 Senior Deerfield, Illinois Transferred Iowa Kobe Lewis 25 Running back 5'9" 175 Junior Americus, Georgia Transferred Central Michigan Reese Taylor 1 Cornerback 5'11" 190 Senior Indianapolis, Indiana Transferred Indiana Sione Finau 72 Offensive guard 6'3" 300 Junior Keller, Texas Committed FIU Tee Denson 11 Cornerback 6'0" 180 Sophomore Ellenwood, Georgia Transferred Kansas State Tyrone Tracy 3 Wide receiver 5'11" 195 Junior Indianapolis, Indiana Transferred Iowa
Preseason
Recruits The Boilermakers signed a total of 19 recruits.
Schedule The 2022 schedule consists of 6 home and 6 away games in the regular season.
Game summaries
Penn State
Indiana State
At Syracuse
Florida Atlantic
At No. 21 Minnesota
At Maryland
Nebraska
Statistics NEB PUR First downs 15 38 Total yards 476 608 Rushes/yards 23–122 47–217 Passing yards 354 391 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 16–29–2 35–54–1 Time of possession 17:18 42:42 Team Category Player StatisticsNebraska Passing Casey Thompson 16/29, 354 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing Trey Palmer 1 carry, 60 yards Receiving Trey Palmer 7 receptions, 237 yards, 2 TDPurdue Passing Aidan O'Connell 35/54, 391 yards, 4 TD, INT Rushing Devin Mockobee 30 carries, 178 yards, TD Receiving Charlie Jones 12 receptions, 132 yards, 2 TD
At Wisconsin
Iowa
Source:
Purdue had won four of the previous five in this series, but the Hawkeye defense held the Boilermaker offense 190 yards and 30 points below their averages. Entering the game, Purdue hadn't scored fewer than 20 points in a game this season, and it was the first time Purdue didn't score an offensive touchdown at home since 2013. Freshman running back Kaleb Johnson had 22 carries for 200 yards that included a 75-yard TD run, earning him B1G Offensive Player of the Week and B1G Freshman of the Week honors.
Statistics IOWAPUR First downs 15 17 Total yards 376 255 Rushing yards 184 87 Passing yards 192 168 Turnovers 0 2 Time of possession 28:02 31:58
Team Category Player StatisticsIowa Passing Spencer Petras 13–23, 192 yards, 2 TD Rushing Kaleb Johnson 22 carries, 200 yards, TD Receiving Sam LaPorta 3 receptions, 71 yards, TDPurdue Passing Aidan O'Connell 20–43, 168 yards, 2 INT Rushing Devin Mockobee 14 carries, 65 yards Receiving Charlie Jones 11 receptions, 104 yards
At No. 21 Illinois
Northwestern
At Indiana
Vs. No. 2 Michigan (Big Ten Championship)
Sources:
Vs. No. 17 LSU (Citrus Bowl)
Rankings
Roster
Wide receiver Milton Wright was ruled academically ineligible for the 2022 season.
2022 NFL draft
Boilermakers who were picked in the 2022 NFL Draft: Round Pick Player Position Team 1 30 George Karlaftis DE Kansas City Chiefs 3 99 David Bell WR Cleveland Browns 7 260 Zander Horvath FB Los Angeles ChargersUndrafted DaMarcus Mitchell LB/DE New England Patriots Jaylan Alexander LB Chicago Bears
Awards and honors
Award watch lists Listed in the order that they were released Maxwell AwardAidan O'ConnellQBGSJuly 18, 2022Davey O'Brien AwardJuly 19, 2022John Mackey AwardPayne DurhamTE SRJuly 22, 2022 Rimington TrophyGus HartwigOLJRLou Groza AwardMitchell FineranKGSJuly 27. 2022Paul Hornung AwardCharlie JonesWRSRJuly 28, 2022Wuerffel TrophyAidan O'ConnellQBGSWalter Camp AwardJuly 29, 2022Earl Campbell Tyler Rose AwardKing DoerueRBSRAugust 10, 2022Polynesian College Football Player Of The Year AwardSemisi FakasiieikiLBGSAugust 18, 2022Sione FinauOLSRManning AwardAidan O'ConnellQBGSAugust 22, 2022Johnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardAidan O'ConnellQBGSAugust 24, 2022Fred Biletnikoff AwardCharlie JonesWRSROctober 5, 2022
Weekly Awards Weekly AwardsPlayerAwardDate AwardedRef.Cam AllenBig Ten Defensive Player of the WeekOctober 3, 2021Aidan O'ConnellBig Ten Co-offensive Player of the WeekOctober 17, 2021Devin MockobeeBig Ten Freshman of the WeekBig Ten Co-Freshman of the WeekNovember 28, 2022
All-Conference Honors All-Conference HonorsPlayerPositionCoachesMediaCharlie JonesWR1st Team1st TeamKRHMHMPayne DurhamTE2nd Team2nd TeamAidan O'ConnellQB2nd Team3rd TeamDevin MockobeeRBHMHMCory TriceCBHMHMJack SullivanDEHMHMJalen GrahamLBHMHMBranson DeenDTHMKydran JenkinsDEHMGus HartwigOLHMMarcus MbowOLHMSpencer HolstegeOLHMCam AllenSHMLawrence JohnsonDTHM
References