'Every one of them can play': Purdue football QB coach excited about position group

‘Every one of them can play’: Purdue football QB coach excited about position group

Posted by author February 19, 2025 Football

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WEST LAFAYETTE − Three decades ago, Darin Hinshaw was a record-setting college quarterback.

After a couple years trying his luck at a pro career, Hinshaw dove into coaching. His ladder climb included runs as offensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State, Kentucky, UAB and most recently his alma mater Central Florida.

Hinshaw is now Purdue football‘s quarterbacks coach, leading a position group with a long lineage of NFL talent.

The current crop includes just one returning scholarship player in Bennett Meredith.

The Boilermakers added three quarterbacks from the transfer portal and signed another in its freshman class.

Three questions with Purdue football quarterbacks coach

Q: How important was it to create a quarterback competition with the number of guys you brought in through the portal, signing a quarterback and having Bennett Meredith as a holdover? It seems like in today’s college football world, the strategy is to give a guy a bunch of money and anoint him the starter and it seems like Purdue has taken a different approach.

A: When we got here, I looked at what we had and it was a situation where quarterbacks had left (Ryan Browne to North Carolina and Marcos Davila to Nebraska). I wanted to bring in guys I knew could throw the football and be successful throwing the football that were athletic and could go play, that we could mold in the next eight months and build a quarterback room. We’re going to have a competition that started the moment they all got here. They all know they’re competing. We’re not announcing any kind of starter. We’re going to build that room and we’re going to build where every one of them can play.

Q: What’s it like taking over as quarterbacks coach at a place with the lineage to call itself the cradle of quarterbacks?

A: We have the cradle of quarterbacks on our wall. This place has great quarterbacks and my goal is that we have great quarterbacks for years to come.

Q: Is there concern about the lack of experience in the quarterback room?

A: One thing when we were going through the portal and I was looking at all the different situations, there was different ways you can go. The one thing I wanted to do was bring in guys I could mold and guys I can train. … We had Tyler Bray at Tennessee that started as a true freshman. I’ve been able to do that with young quarterbacks. I am excited about molding these guys the correct way. I think all three we brought in (Malachi Singleton from Arkansas, EJ Colson from UCF and Evans Chuba from Washington State) can play. I am excited about the quarterback room and where we’re going. Yes, we’re inexperienced. But we also have the ability to be very, very good at that position.

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.