TRANSACTION: Selected by Las Vegas Raiders in the fourth round (135th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft, April 29, 2023.
COLLEGE: Played in 33 games with 26 starts over five seasons (2018-22) at Purdue…Completed 826-of-1,328 passes for 9,219 yards and 65 TDs…A two-time All-Big Ten selection, finishing his career as the school's all-time leader in completion percentage (66.7), passer rating (141.8) and 500-yard passing games (two)…His five career 400-yard passing games and 14 career 300-yard passing games rank second in school history, trailing only QB Drew Brees…As a senior in 2022, started in all 12 games and completed 320-of 499 passes for 3,490 yards and 22 TDs…Earned Second Team All-Big Ten (Coaches, AP)…Led the Big Ten in passing yards per game (290.8) and completions per game (26.7), while ranking second in total passing yards (3,490) and third in passing touchdowns (22)…Recorded six 300-yard passing games for the second straight season…Completed 17-of-19 passes for 211 yards and four TDs against Indiana State…Threw for a season-high 424 yards with three TD at Syracuse…Passed for 360 yards and two TDs at Maryland…Completed 35-of-54 passes for 391 yards and four TDs against Nebraska…Passed for 366 yards in the Big Ten Championship against Michigan…In 2021, appeared in 12 games with nine starts…Completed 315-of-439 passes for 3,712 yards and 28 TDs…Set Purdue single-season records for completion percentage (71.8) and passer rating (158.8)…Averaged 11.8 yards per pass and 309.3 passing yards per game…Named Second Team All-Big Ten (Coaches, AP, PFF, Phil Steele)…Threw two TDs against UConn…Went 12-of-19 for 182 yards and one TD against Illinois…Completed 34-of-52 passes with one TD against Minnesota…Threw for 375 yards and two TDs and rushed for a touchdown against Iowa…Went 40-of-54 for 536 yards and three TDs against Michigan State…Recorded his second-straight 40-completion game at Ohio State, throwing for 390 yards and four TDs…Connected on 29-of-39 passes for 423 yards and three TDs against Northwestern…Finished with 278 yards and four TDs against Indiana…Completed 26-of-46 passes for 534 yards and five TDs in the Music City Bowl against Tennessee…In 2020, started three games before missing rest of season due to injury…Completed 88-of-136 passes for 916 yards and seven TDs…Passed for 282 yards and two touchdowns against Iowa…Completed 29-of-35 passes for 371 yards and two TDs at Illinois…Finished 28-of-51 for 263 yards and two touchdowns against Northwestern…In 2019, played in six games with three starts and completed 103-of-164 passing attempts for 1,101 yards and eight TDs…Connected on one pass for four yards at Penn State…Recorded first career TD pass against Illinois…Went 6-for-7 for 62 yards against Nebraska…Made first start and completed 34-of-50 passes for 271 yards and two TDs at Northwestern…Completed 26-of-43 passes for 289 yards and two TDs at Wisconsin…Finished 28-of-49 for 408 yards and three TDs against Indiana…Entered Purdue as a walk-on in 2017 and did not see action in his first two seasons…Graduated with a degree in General Management…Earned his Master's degree in Technology, Leadership & Innovation.
PERSONAL: Played football and basketball at Stevenson High School in Long Grove Ill., where he was named the 2016 News-Sun Football Player of the Year and a Class 8A All-State quarterback… In his lone season as the full-time starter for the Patriots (2016), O'Connell set school records for passing yardage in a season (2,741), touchdown passes in a season (26) and passing yardage in a game (447)…Earned his Master's degree in technology, Leadership & Innovation (May 2022)…Married to Jael Johnson, a four-year letterwinner with Purdue Volleyball and a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
