Purdue QB O’Connell, other top players opt out of Cirtus Bowl

Purdue alum Drew Brees will serve as an interim assistant coach at the Cirtus Bowl but the Boilermakers will not have their starting quarterback.

Aidan O’Connell will skip the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against LSU on Jan. 2, he announced Thursday on Instagram.

The Purdue senior quarterback joins tight end Payne Durham, wide receiver Charlie Jones and cornerback Cory Trice as opy outs on the Big Ten West Champions for the matchup with the Tigers.

Under departed head coach Jeff Brohm the past two seasons, O-Connell threw for 7,190 yards. Durham and Jones were Purdue’s top two wide receivers this past season. Trice is a projected Day 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.