Last week, the NCAA announced they were moving forward with a rule change that eliminates redshirts and allows five seasons of eligibility as long as you are enrolled by the time you’re 19. This, in part, was a reaction to the influx of European professionals into college basketball last season. It also clears up the eligibility issues regarding junior college recruits after Diego Pavia received an additional year of eligibility through a court injunction. In theory, these new rules will take effect for any player who enrolls on or after January 1, 2027, while players who enroll before next year will get whichever set of rules is most beneficial for them.

To boil that down to its essence, athletes who played as “true freshmen” under the old system will get an extra year of eligibility.

You can read the press release from the NCAA here.

We’re always looking for things to write about in the summer, so this seems like the perfect time to run through the roster, adjust everyone’s eligibility, and discuss what those changes mean moving forward.

3*(83.4)

Venice HS / Milford Academy

Clearwater Academy (FL)

3*(85.3)

Wash St.

3*(84.8)

3*(82.1)

3*(86.4)

Purdue has five quarterbacks on the roster, but Ryan Browne is the only somewhat known commodity. No one would confuse Browne with the second coming of Drew Brees after last season, but he did enough to warrant another season with an upgraded supporting cast in 2026. Browne is the undisputed starter coming into the season and, if things go well, could return in 2027, giving Coach Odom the quarterback experience coaches covet. That, of course, is all dependent on his play this season. He needs to clean up the game-wrecking disaster plays and find a receiver he trusts to move the chains. If that happens, Purdue could have one of the better quarterback situations in the Big10 heading into 2027, assuming they bring Browne back for his final season.

If Browne struggles, I have no idea what the quarterback room looks like in 2028. In fact, if Browne struggles or gets injured this season, I have no idea what Purdue does at quarterback. They have several options on the roster, but none are tested. The only way a quarterback gets experience is by playing in college football games, but in the portal era, I wonder how comfortable Coach Odom would be with an inexperienced 3-star quarterback starting in 2027. I’m not sure he has a long enough leash to try to develop another quarterback if Browne doesn’t work out.

My crystal ball is notoriously unreliable, but I think the quarterback room could look significantly different heading into the 2o27 unless Browne secures the job this season. Obviously, Browne will have every opportunity to make this his job. If that doesn’t happen, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Coach Odom bring in a quarterback from outside the program for what could be a crucial third season for a coach working for an athletic director and president who had nothing to do with his hiring.