How a Purdue football captain found his confidence to win starting role
· Yahoo Sports
WEST LAFAYETTE — Jude McCoskey's commitment to Purdue football out of the transfer portal in April 2025 qualified as a case of perfect timing − or so it seemed from the outside.
The Terre Haute native, after two years starting at Indiana State, would fulfill his Big Ten dream less than two hours from home. McCoskey now admits he joined the Boilermakers that summer under a cloud. Despite finally finding a home in a major conference, his confidence was "at an all-time low."
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“In the Bible, it says do not listen to the strangers’ voice – and I was listening to that strangers’ voice,” McCoskey said. “I let some evil stuff get to me and put myself in a bad confidence spot.”
McCoskey's confidence had to be close to an all-time high Tuesday morning. Two years ago, he started for the Sycamores at Ross-Ade Stadium in Purdue’s 49-0 victory. In Friday night's season opener he’ll line up against them, starting at right tackle as a Boilermaker team captain.
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McCoskey spent last season as the backup right tackle and sixth offensive lineman on the “jumbo” package. He enters this season as a key component to whether or nor the offense reaches another level.
Tuesday, less than an hour after his captaincy was announced, the former Terre Haute South standout called that a “good pressure.” With three newcomers projected to start at the three interior positions – including first-year Brock Brownfield at left guard – McCoskey's veteran voice matters.
What Purdue also needs from him – and the other four spots up front – are stability and production.
“Jude’s done an unbelievable job developing and attacking,” first-year offensive line coach Zach Crabtree said. “We talked right when I got here (about) some technique things, some things I think he had to do in his game. He’s done an unbelievable job of working on those things every single day – by himself at times, and calling me with questions throughout the offseason.”
McCoskey’s first name shares two origins. The first is Biblical, as in the author of the penultimate chapter in the text. The other from his late grandmother, who loved The Beatles, including the Paul McCartney penned anthem “Hey Jude.”
He was not a power conference prospect coming off an all-state high school career. He became one at Indiana State. He started nine of 11 games as a freshman and all 11 as a sophomore, displaying enough versatility to handle either tackle spot.
When he went into the portal in December 2024, Purdue was in the middle of the coaching transition from Ryan Walters to Barry Odom. Rather than wait to see how things shook out, McCoskey made a quick decision to commit to Tulane. That experiment lasted about three weeks before McCoskey realized "I need to be home.”
McCoskey went back in the portal, and with Odom’s staff settled, Purdue was still interested. He played 89 total snaps last season, including 33 on the offensive line. When Bakyne Coly exhausted his eligibility, the Boilermakers needed a new starting right tackle.
By luck of the schedule, the first game of his football future will collide with his past. One of the edge rushers he’ll be blocking, fellow T.H. South grad Alex Rose, “will probably be my best man in my wedding some day.”
McCoskey can also put himself in the Sycamores’ mindset better than any other Boilermaker. His 2024 effort against former Boiler edge rushers Will Heldt and Kydran Jenkins helped convince him he was ready to move up to the Big Ten.
“Go have fun. Go put yourself out there,” McCoskey said. “Go put film out there so the world can see you’re not to be messed with, either.”
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How a Purdue football captain found his confidence to win starting role
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