Purdue Football – 2026 Countdown to Kickoff – #98 Drake Carlson
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Drake Carlson
*Note: Name links to official Purdue Bio.
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Bio
Position: Defensive Line
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 302
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
High School: Father Ryan
Recruiting Class: 2023
Eligibility Remaining: 2 Seasons
High School Recruiting Rankings: Rating: 3*(87.5) – National Rank: 659 – Position Rank: 70
High School
- Four-year starter
- Team Captain as Senior
- Three-Time all-region
- All-State OL and DL in 2021
- Won State Championship in shot put and discus
- Father was an All-American shot putter, and his mother was a tennis player for Tennessee.
High School Highlights
View LinkCollege Career
2023 Season
- Redshirt
2024 Season
- Appeared in 9 games
- 4 tackles, .5 tackles for loss
- Academic All-Big Ten
2025 Season
- Appeared in 12 games
- 118 Special Teams Snaps
- Academic All-Big Ten
2026 – Season Outlook
Defensive Line Rotation / Depth
Thoughts
Carlson is one of the few remaining Ryan Walters recruits on the roster. It’s interesting, his career is on a normal trajectory for defensive linemen, but the current state of college football has eroded my patience. I thought he might grab a spot in the defensive line rotation last season, but I’m going to guess he ended up as the last man out. He did play a significant number of snaps on special teams, which is good for his development.
This is the make-or-break season for Drake’s Purdue career. He’s built experience on special teams and built his body in the weight room. Purdue has invested significant time and resources into his development. There is a reason why Coach Odom kept him on the roster, and I don’t think it’s because he’s a good special teamer. He needs to crack the defensive line rotation in 2026.