Football Adds Consensus Top 10 Transfer Class - Purdue Boilermakers (2024)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – As the spring semester begins at Purdue University, head coach Ryan Walters and the Boilermaker football team have added 14 transfers to the squad for the 2024 season. The class of transfers, currently ranked No. 7 nationally by Rivals, features 11 players from Power 5 schools.

The newest Boilermakers make up a consensus Top 10 class according to multiple national transfer rankings. Along with being ranked seventh by Rivals, 247Sports ranks Purdue's class eighth, while the Boilermakers are 10th in ESPN's rankings.

"We are always looking at ways to improve our team. Using the transfer portal to do that is vital in today's landscape," said Walters. "I am proud of the work our staff put in to assemble a group of guys that can potentially make an immediate impact on the field. We are excited that they are joining our Purdue Football family."

The incoming transfers consist of eight offensive players and six defensive players. A trio of wide receivers joins Purdue in Kam Brown (UCLA), De'Nylon Morrissette (Georgia) and C.J. Smith (Georgia). Running back Reggie Love III made a similar move as his new head coach, heading east to West Lafayette from Illinois. Rounding out the offensive side of the ball, the Boilermakers add four linemen, a position Walters emphasized as a need for depth heading into the offseason. Joshua Sales Jr. (Indiana), Corey Stewart (Ball State), Joey Tanona (Notre Dame) and DJ Wingfield (New Mexico) add depth and experience to the offensive line room.

Purdue brings in two defensive linemen, two linebackers and two defensive backs, including the No. 7 rated transfer and highest ranked cornerback in the portal in Nyland Green (Georgia). Kyndrich Breedlove (Colorado) joins Green as the newest Boilermakers in the Purdue secondary. CJ Madden (Georgia) and sh*tta Sillah (Boston College) bolster the outside linebacker group, looking to play on the edge of Walters' defense. For the interior of the line, Jamarius Dinkins (Kentucky) and Jireh Ojata (Franklin) make the move to the Old Gold and Black for the 2024 campaign.

All 14 Boilermakers have enrolled in classes as Purdue begins offseason workouts ahead of spring practice, which will start in March. Additional information on each transfer can be found below.

Kyndrich Breedlove

• Played in nine games for Colorado in 2023
• Returned a fumble on a two-point conversion against Oregon State for a defensive conversion, the first for the Buffs since 1991 and only the second in school history
• Spent two seasons at Ole Miss

Kam Brown

• Spent the past three seasons at UCLA, starting 26 games for the Bruins
• Recorded 54 receptions for 772 yards and six touchdowns for UCLA
• Began collegiate career at Texas A&M (2019-20)

Jamarius Dinkins

• Spent the past three seasons at Kentucky, playing in 24 games as a Wildcat
• Played in 11 games last season
• Appeared in nine games as a redshirt freshman and made the SEC Academic Honor Roll

Nyland Green

• No. 7 rated transfer and highest ranked cornerback in the portal according to 247Sports
• Spent the past three seasons at Georgia
• Played in 23 games over the past two seasons, including 13 during the 2023 campaign

Reggie Love III

• Spent the past four seasons at Illinois, playing in 37 games for the Illini
• Rushed for 1,054 yards over the past three years
• Led Illinois in carries (116), rushing yards (567), rushing yards per game (70.9), and rushing touchdowns (4) during the 2023 campaign

CJ Madden

• Rated No. 107 in Rivals' portal rankings, Purdue's third highest-ranked transfer
• Began his college career at Georgia, spending two seasons with the Bulldogs
• Played in seven games during the 2023 campaign as a redshirt freshman

De'Nylon Morrissette

• Began his college career at Georgia, spending two seasons with the Bulldogs
• Appeared in 14 games for Georgia, including 11 during the 2022 season to help the team win the national championship
• 4-star prospect out of high school according to 247Sports

Jireh Ojata

• Rated the No. 22 edge rusher in the transfer portal according to 247Sports
• Spent the past four seasons at Franklin College, playing in 46 games
• Three-time First Team All-HCAC, including being named the 2023 HCAC Defensive Player of the Year

Joshua Sales Jr.

• Spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Indiana
• Played in 15 games over the past two seasons after redshirting during the 2021 season
• Started four times as a redshirt freshman in 2022

sh*tta Sillah

• Spent the past five seasons at Boston College before deciding to play his final year for the Boilermakers
• Appeared in 39 games for the Eagles, recording 79 tackles and 12.0 tackles-for-loss
• Bounced back to play in eight contests during the 2023 season after missing most of the 2022 campaign due to injury

C.J. Smith

• Began his college career at Georgia, spending two seasons with the Bulldogs
• Played in 11 games over the past two years
• Recorded 57 receiving yards in the 2023 season opener

Corey Stewart

• Spent the past four seasons at Ball State
• After redshirting the 2020 season, played in 33 games over three seasons which included 28 straight starts
• First Team All-MAC in 2023, while also earning a 98 percent pass blocking efficiency grade by Pro Football Focus

Joey Tanona

• Rated No. 32 nationally in Rivals' transfer portal rankings
• Ranked the No. 10 offensive tackle in the portal according to 247Sports
• Spent the past two seasons at Notre Dame, but did not see action due to initial medical retirement

DJ Wingfield

• Spent the past two seasons at New Mexico
• Played in nine games during the 2023 campaign after missing most of the 2022 season due to injury
• Appeared in all 22 games over two seasons at El Camino Junior College (2020-21), earning SCFA National Division Central League All-Second Team honors