​Note: Name links to official Purdue bio.
Position: Defensive End
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 265
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
High School: Princeton
Recruiting Class: 2023
Former Team: Michigan
Eligibility Remaining: 2 Seasons
Season(s) at Purdue: 2025
High School Recruiting Rankings: Rating 3* (84.7) – National Rank: 1167 – Position Rank: 55
Transfer Portal Rankings: Rating 3* (83.9) – National Rank: 2392 – Position Rank: 195
2023: Senior Season Stats – 64 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 2 interceptions
2023: Second Team All-Ohio
2023: All-Greater Miami Conference
Redshirt
Games Played: 8
Stats: 2 tackles
Games Played: 8 – Games Started: 4
Stats: 23 tackles, 2 tackles-for-loss, 1 sack
Put up a career-high 7 tackles and recorded his first sack vs Ohio State
Part of the Defensive End Rotation
Ishmail was an exceptionally athletic 205-pound outside linebacker when Michigan took a chance on his substantial upside and included him in their 2023 recruiting class. The challenge for Michigan wasn’t development; they already had a raft of other elite 260+ pound defensive ends who had already played the position. Ishmail grew from a 6’4”, 205-pound OLB into a 265-pound defensive end, but finding a role for him proved difficult amid Michigan’s crowded roster.
Enter Coach Odom, who was eager to bring the former project to Purdue and give him a real opportunity on the field. The results have been uneven, which is not unusual for a player who sat for two seasons in Ann Arbor and returned to the field 60+ pounds heavier at a new position. He flashed in a few games last season (5 tackles against Notre Dame, 5 tackles against Rutgers, and 7 tackles with a sack and a tackle-for-loss against Ohio State) but was largely a non-factor in several other games. This is not a flaw in the developmental arc; it’s a natural part of a player transitioning from a high-potential project to a productive contributor.
Michigan took a chance on a low 3* prospect because they saw what he could become; now Purdue has the finished product in Breeon as he enters 2026. He shook off rust and acclimated to Big Ten football in 2025, and if he continues on the expected developmental trajectory of a “project” player, 2026 could be the year he fully emerges as a dominant force on the defensive line. Breeon should be considered a sleeper “breakout” candidate for 2026, and he deserves a prominent place on any watch list for the defensive end rotation.
For 2026, look for Ishmael Breeon to play a significant role in Purdue’s defensive line rotation, continuing the progress he began in 2025. If the typical project-to-progression arc holds, 2026 is poised to be his breakout season, with the potential to become a key factor in Purdue’s pass rush and run defense. As a dynamic, versatile defensive end who has already demonstrated versatility at multiple levels, Breeon represents a high-upside option for Purdue’s front seven and a compelling storyline for fans and analysts tracking the program’s growth.