Key Purdue transfer QB gets edge over Notre Dame

Saturday game: Purdue (1-0) vs. No. 18 Notre Dame (1-1), 3:30 p.m. CBS
Purdue QB Hudson Card completed 24 of 25 passes for 273 yards and four TDs in a season-opening win over Indiana State.
Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard completed 20 of 32 for 165 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in last week’s loss to Northern Illinois.

WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue football quarterback Hudson Card’s performance in the season opener was marked by one notable flaw.

As in just one flaw, according to offensive coordinator Graham Harrell’s game film analysis — and it came on a success. Card chose to throw to running back Devin Mockobee too early in a progression, passing up a bigger opportunity elsewhere.

What a shame.

Card completed an FBS-record 24 of 25 passes in the season opener against Indiana State. He could have been 26 of 27, too, if not for two completions that the Boilermakers negated for holding penalties. Even the lone incomplete pass — a bomb over the top that fell just above receiver Jahmal Edrine — passed Harrell’s inspection as a good call.

Card has displayed the poise expected of a veteran quarterback who is skilled in his offensive system. That frequency of correct live evaluations gives Harrell confidence that his quarterback will hold up to more complex challenges. Like Saturday, when 19th-ranked Notre Dame brings what many consider one of the best secondary defenses in the country to Ross-Ade Stadium.

“His understanding, his understanding of what we’re trying to do, his decision making, the action of the football are all things that snowballed into having the kind of performance he had the other night,” Harrell said.

Those qualities have only improved in Card’s second year with the program. That could be a crucial difference against a Notre Dame offense struggling after a 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois. Riley Leonard, in his second game back after transferring from Duke, completed 20 of 32 passes for 165 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

That’s partly a positive reflection of Northern Illinois, a top-25 defense in 2023 that ranks among the top 10 in opposing quarterback ratings. It also suggests that Leonard and Notre Dame have failed to achieve greater consistency than the MAC.

Purdue, on the other hand, saw Card extend the momentum that began building last winter.

“He’s comfortable, man,” offensive lineman Marcus Mbow said. “Hudson has always been a really good player in my eyes, and I feel like he’s more comfortable with the offense now. He’s taking a bigger leadership role … he’s just controlling the offense and doing what he needs to do to take control of the game.”

Purdue recruited Card through the Texas transfer portal in December 2023 because it had an immediate need for a starting quarterback. (Card confirmed that Notre Dame also made contact, though he never visited. The Irish are instead using former Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman’s final season of eligibility.)

Card arrived in West Lafayette with two years of eligibility remaining. That allowed him to immediately move up in grade in year one and continue to work toward his ceiling in year two.

Some of the most successful quarterback transfer situations in recent years have involved second-year recruits. Consider:

In his first season after transferring from Ohio State to LSU, Joe Burrow He completed 57.8 percent of his passes and averaged 7.6 yards per attempt with a 133.2 efficiency rating. That’s about what Aidan O’Connell produced for Purdue in 2022. Burrow, a sophomore, had perhaps the best QB performance of all time: 76.3 percent completions, 10.8 yards per attempt and a 202.0 efficiency rating.
Baker Mayfield was really good in his first season after transferring from Texas Tech to Oklahoma (9.4 yards per attempt, 173.3 efficiency rating). He was incredibly good in his second season: 11.1 yards per attempt and 196.4 efficiency rating.
Bo Nix started off with a solid season at Oregon after transferring from Auburn (8.8 Y/A, 165.7). He became a Heisman Trophy candidate in his sophomore season (9.6 Y/A, 188.3).
Nix had no real chance of winning the Heisman, however, thanks to Jayden DanielsThe former Arizona State quarterback gave some hints of his talents in his freshman year at LSU: 7.5 Y/A, 144.5. Then he blew the doors off in his sophomore season: 72.2% completion, 11.7 Y/A, 208.0.
Take a close look at quarterbacks who had strong first seasons at their transfer destination, including USC Caleb Williams and Washington Michel Penix —and you will see marginal improvements in these success measures.

Card would need a monumental improvement to be mentioned alongside the quarterbacks above. His status as a repeat offender in Harrell’s system, however, contributed to preseason optimism about a potential offensive improvement. Drew Brees himself expected Card’s recall to surpass his debut.

Card did the same. By the end of the summer, he saw the overall benefits of his tenure taking shape, both in projects and relationships. This week, he said he felt more confident in everyone around him — and in himself.

“I think having an extra year in the system helps,” Card said. “Now I can check in and fix things that I didn’t do a year ago to help us play better. Any time you get an extra year in your system, you have a little more confidence. I think that’s how I feel, and that’s how I think this team in general feels.”

When asking about Card’s growing influence on the roster, leadership comes up a lot. It’s arguably the most important thing at quarterback. While a good first impression in terms of charisma and on-field performance can go a long way, that trust usually builds organically over time.

That could become one of Purdue’s biggest assets in matchups like Saturday’s. The rout of Indiana State went like a dream. Notre Dame could give him a cold water splash in the face for a troubling awakening. With cornerback Benjamin Morrison and safety Xavier Watts leading the defensive secondary and defensive tackle Howard Cross III leading the defense, Card should expect a less stable pocket and a murkier view forward.

Purdue can only win Saturday by facing adversity and then overcoming it. Despite a losing season in 2023, the Boilermakers entered 2024 with fresh memories of Card lifting the offense. In season-ending wins over Minnesota and Indiana, Card completed 65 percent of his passes, averaged 8.9 yards per attempt and threw six touchdowns with no interceptions.

“He’s definitely one of those guys that when he says something, everybody listens and respects him, because we know he works hard, and he would never ask us to do something he wouldn’t do,” defender Antonio Stevens said. “He really impacts everybody on and off the field. He’s a leader, for sure.”

Contrast that message with the one circulating in South Bend after last week’s upset loss. Coach Marcus Freeman had to answer questions about whether he needed to consider other quarterback options just two games into Leonard’s tenure. (Then the program had to answer additional questions about Leonard’s health, as he reportedly had to have an MRI on his non-throwing shoulder after the NIU loss.)

For the second straight year, Freeman has turned to the portal for a quick fix, with a year available to improve the offense. Compared to the program’s expectations, the results have been mixed.

Card also went 4-8 and had modest production in his first season. Saturday will be an opportunity to showcase the offensive proficiency and resilience under pressure expected of returning starters.

Walters acknowledged that Notre Dame represents an opportunity for a program and coach looking for a breakthrough win. Card shrugged off that aura, calling the game “just another game.” This week, it was also scheduled to be the first of six remaining games against first-time transfer quarterbacks.

It may not mean much when the Boilermakers face Oregon and Ohio State. In other matchups, perhaps as early as Saturday, it could mean everything.