Boilers Head Back Outside for Thursday Practice

Interviews: Coach Shibest | Coach Trump | Elo Modozie | Trey Smith

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue Football took spring practice back outside on Thursday morning as tempuratures reached the 70s.

Getting work with a strong mix of returners and newcomers, Purdue's defensive ends have been making strides throughout spring ball. The group, guided by assistant coach Jake Trump, brings back seven from last season to go along with three transfer portal additions and three true freshmen.

"The value that was brought to the room, in terms of [Elo Modozie], [Keyshawn Burgos] and [Jeremy Lewis], is not only in just the football aspect, but the maturity aspect," said Trump. "I’m very proud of the way they approach it, and I’m proud of the guys here that understand what it looks like to have new teammates coming in."

Of the transfer portal additions, Modozie has a track record of success as an American Athletic Conference Third Team selection in 2024. His 8.0 tackles-for-loss and 6.5 sacks that season caught the eye of Georgia ahead of the 2025 campaign, when he appeared in 12 games for the Bulldogs before making the move to West Lafayette this winter. 

"It’s a good change. I feel like for me, I can finally get the chance to be on the field again and show exactly what I’m about," said Modozie. "I’m a guy that’s going to give 110-percent on all four downs and is going to do anything to help his team get a win."

Purdue also added valuable experience in the portal via Burgos, who appeared in 41 games at Virginia Tech, and Lewis, who was a NJCAA DI National Champion and Second Team All-American at Iowa Western CC. 

CJ Madden and Trey Smith are the longest tenured Boilers in the defensive end room, entering their third seasons. They are two of five athletes in the room heading into 2026 with at least three seasons of college experience.

"I’ll say the entire room can get to the quarterback," said Smith. "I think we’re all great players."

In addition to the defensive ends taking media availability, special teams coach James Shibest also provided an update on his unit. Specifically, Shibest gave some insight on the punt return game after Michael Jackson III, an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten returner last season, graduated. 

"I’ve been really excited about [Xavier Townsend] back there at punt return. Ball skill wise and decision making wise, he’s done it all in the past at different places," said Shibest. "Travis Terrell Jr. has shown some explosion back there. Asaad Waseem has also done a good job. I think we’re going to have multiple candidates to go handle that responsibility."

A key retention in the special teams room was long snapper Luke Raab, who totaled three punt coverage tackles and was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten in his redshirt freshman season.

"I think he’s one of the better ones in the country. It’s not just the snapping… His coverage skills down the field, he was on top of that returner a lot last year," said Shibest. "He’s valuable for our whole team, and he’s not looked at as a specialist by his teammates. He is a ball player.