After a redshirt year in 2010, Ryan Russell started eleven games in 2011, posting 44 tackles (4.5 for loss), a sack, three forced fumbles and three recovered fumbles. The following season, he started all thirteen of the Boilermakers' games, finishing with 37 stops (including a career-best 8.5 TFLs) and four sacks. In 2013, as a junior, he started eleven games and recorded 35 tackles (5.5 for loss) and two more sacks. Last season, Russell started all twelve of Purdue's games, recording 44 tackles (6.5 TFLs) with three sacks and a forced fumble.
Russell has a lot of the raw physical traits that teams covet in 4-3 defensive ends: length, a good first step, strong hands.