Entering 2025, TJ McCollum will begin his first season at Tarleton State as Texan Football Defensive Assistant.
McCollum’s duties will include helping develop the defensive game plan for each opponent and working specifically with the secondary.
McCollum spent the last seven seasons on the Purdue staff, serving as a defensive analyst since 2021. He was a graduate assistant for the Boilermakers from 2018-20. He worked with both the Purdue secondary and linebackers over that span.
“I just want to start by thanking God for this incredible opportunity,” McCollum said at the time of his hiring. “Without Him, none of this would be possible. I’m also incredibly grateful to Coach Whitten and Coach [Tyrone] Nix for believing in me and giving me this chance to be part of such a great organization. I’m excited to get to work, contribute to the team, and help us compete at the highest level. Go Texans!”
With McCollum’s assistance, Purdue advanced to the Big Ten Conference Championship Game and the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in 2022, won the Music City Bowl in 2021, and a Music City Bowl appearance in 2018.
McCollum has helped guide several defensive individuals to special success, including the Big Ten Freshman of the Year last year, a 2024 NFL Draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens (Sanoussi Kane), a 2023 NFL Draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers (Cory Trice), a 2020 NFL Draft pick by the Cincinnati Bengals (Markus Bailey), plus two other NFL signees (Cam Allen with the Denver Broncos and Reese Taylor with the Kansas City Chiefs).
McCollum played collegiately as a safety and linebacker at UAB (2013-14), Western Kentucky (2015-16) and Purdue (2017). In his lone season with the Boilermakers, he started all 13 games and helped lead Purdue to a win over Arizona at the 2017 Foster Farms Bowl He was on a pair of Conference USA championship teams (2015-16) with the Hilltoppers and started for the 2015 Miami Beach Bowl and 2016 Boca Raton Bowl championship teams. He was a two-time All-C-USA honoree at WKU. After college, he played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and was in mini camps with the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos.
McCollum, whose first name is Travis, is a Birmingham, Alabama, native. He graduated from WKU with a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis on business in 2016 and from Purdue with a master's degree in technology leadership and innovation in 2018.
