[2024] Purdue Running Back Room Breakdown

[BabaYaga]

Unlike the quarterback position, there will not be a lot of interesting stories coming out of camp for the Purdue Boilermakers in regards to the running back room. Purdue has a fairly strong committee at running back and should be a strength once again for the team with quite a bit of youth mixed in. Below, we will take a look at who could win the job out of the spring, the projected starter, and a look at the depth that Purdue has in the room. Purdue has six RB's on the roster and three of them are blue chip prospects. Two of the blue chips are underclassmen.

Returning Players
Henry Adams - 2* SR - B-
Marcus Dade - 4* (JR) - A
Alan Willman - 3* SO - C
Louis Fink - 4* (FR) - B

Incoming Players
Gerald Wasserman - 4* FR - C
James Diaz - 3* FR - C

2023 Season Stats
Dade - 2 rushes, -7 yards, 63 catches, 910 yards, 7 TD's - was used as WR1
Willman - 1 rush, 2 yards

Purdue RB Room Breakdown

Projected starter: Marcus Dade - Dade is the clear starter coming into the season. He has been a big beneficiary of collecting full time snaps at WR for the last two years and has developed well. He has A+ catching out of the backfield but also is an A or better in every category. He will be Purdue's best player every time they step on the field the next two years.

One to Watch: Louis Fink - Fink had a successful redshirt season and is right on the cusp of becoming the next Purdue running back that makes some noise. He'll look to get some backup duties this year and should be able to take over the starting job in two years.

Darkhorse: Henry Adams - Adams is beloved by his teammates and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him get some run in this offense. He is going to be a guy who can catch passes but also fights for extra yardage. The Boilermaker faithful might feel like he is due for some spot minutes this year.

Redshirt Candidate: Gerald Wasserman - Wasserman is a strong back who is going to be very good in time. He already has B carrying and B strength as a freshman and the staff would like to work on his speed and agility for the future. This might be a guy to monitor as a potential 1-2 punch with Fink in a few years.

Notes on others:
Alan Willman - Willman saw the field last year but looks to likely be a deep depth chart contributor this year with Dade swinging back into the backfield.
James Diaz - Diaz will very likely not be redshirted this year and might find a role on special teams.
Max Benson (QB) - Look for Benson to get a look at running back in the spring.

Purdue RB Room Future Outlook
The RB room outlook for Purdue is similar to the QB room...it is average to good. Dade is your #1 RB for the next two years and there are players to like behind him. With two freshmen blue chip backs, one of them will seemingly develop well enough to be a solid starter. Purdue will likely need to create a little more depth here in the offseason but if Benson is able to seamlessly bump over to RB as expected, then this position could be set up fairly well for the next few years.