Purdue football defensive line breakdown: Boilers bolster unit with 3 SEC transfers
WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue football's spring camp had one major obvious area of concern.
Due to graduations, transfers and injuries, the Boilermakers lacked depth on the defensive line.
How did Purdue football coaches hopefully solve that for defensive line coach Brick Haley?
The Boilermakers signed two incoming freshmen and added three players from the Southeastern Conference via the transfer portal.
The defensive front now could possibly be one of Purdue's strengths.
From the SEC to Big Ten
Graduate transfers Isaiah Nichols from Arkansas and Malik Langham from Vanderbilt, as well as junior Jeffrey M'Ba from Auburn, provide an instant upgrade in both talent and depth.
M'Ba is the least experienced of the crew, seeing action in 10 games at Auburn after transferring there from a junior college. The other two are veterans of college football.
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Nichols was a starter at Arkansas and had 62 tackles in three seasons as a key component for the Razorbacks. Langham played in two games for Florida way back in 2018 before going to Vanderbilt and seeing the field in 33 games the past three seasons.
"We're in the Big Ten now and I am just excited to see all the opponents," said Nichols, who has been working at nose tackle. "The only Big Ten team I've ever played before is Penn State a couple years ago in a bowl game. I am looking forward to seeing how the league is different and seeing all the new competition."
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In the middle
Nichols is the most experienced among four rotating nose tackles, but he's being pushed by the surging Cole Brevard, a redshirt junior who had 10 tackles for Purdue last season after transferring from Penn State.
Two other names to know there: Sophomore Mo Omonode, the former standout from nearby West Lafayette High School, and 315-pound freshman Jamarrion "Chops" Harkless, who was originally committed to Auburn before flipping to Purdue.
Battling back
Redshirt junior Demarjhe Lewis missed all of last season with an injury and still appears to not be 100 percent, but he's full go, competing for a defensive tackle spot with Langham and redshirt senior Sulaiman Kpaka, who had 19 tackles last season.
"Even if I don't feel 100 percent, if I take the field, I am going to give it my all," Lewis said on Thursday.
Addition to the Den?
Purdue football's history of producing NFL talent at defensive end led to the Den of Defensive Ends slogan.
And how M'ba, Joe Anderson and Joe Strickland will be used might be in a different role than Purdue football fans are accustomed to, but production is expected nonetheless.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue football defensive line breakdown: 3 SEC transfers bolster line
