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Purdue

Commits Whyce/Cherry Shine

by: Dub Jellison09/20/25dubjellison
Screenshot 2025-06-22 at 4.14.56 PM
DL Jamarcus Whyce

TROTWOOD, OHIO. – Friday night in Ohio played host to a battle between future Purdue Boilermakers, as 2026 three-star defensive linemen Jamarcus Whyce and Kobe Cherry. Cherry and Center Grove (Ind.) traveled east to take on Trotwood-Madison (Oh.) in a clash of two of the top teams in their respective states.

It was the first such head-to-head matchup of Purdue commitments in the 2026 recruiting class this season, with Center Grove coming out on top with a 31-21 victory over Trotwood. That Trojan win handed Trotwood-Madison its first loss of the season.

Whyce clashed with an offensive line featuring Indiana commit and 2026 three-star guard C.J. Scifres on about half of his snaps. Facing the formidable front of the Trojans, Whyce tallied eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a 0.5 sack, unofficially.

It was my first time seeing Whyce in person and he lived up to the hype. The three-star defender is not particularly long, with his 6-foot-1 frame, but he uses his hands well to create leverage and push in the run game. His violent play style and impressive motor make up for any lack of size he may have. Despite being listed at 300 pounds on the game program, Whyce has quick feet, especially when defending the run.

Whyce’s skillset can be described in one play. In the second quarter, he overpowered his defender and smashed the ball carrier behind the line or scrimmage. The hit jarred the ball loose and Trotwood-Madison jumped on it. The explosion with which he plays is evident up close. 

For Whyce moving forward, gaining weight and strength will be critical in determining how quickly he can get onto the field for the Boilermakers. He is quick, but not quick enough to play on the edge in college, but still has room to fill out his frame to be physically ready to be an interior defensive lineman in the Big Ten. His traits make for one of the most intriguing players in Purdue’s 2026 class, however.

Cherry, on the other hand, I had seen during Center Grove’s season opener against Warren Central a month ago. That was his first live action in over a year since suffering a knee injury that wiped out his entire junior season.

Any lingering effects from that ailment and subsequent absence from the lineup weren’t present for the Center Grove standout on Friday night.

While remaining the anchor for the interior of the Trojans’ defensive line, Cherry looked more comfortable and in shape on the field. Trotwood-Madison made Cherry the focus of its scouting report offensively, throwing double teams at him all night. Despite that, Cherry was constantly around the football.

Cherry was making plays all over the place, en route to tallying seven tackles, a pass deflection and a forced fumble for Center Grove on Friday, bringing his season totals up to 42 tackles, while having five tackles for loss and two sacks. He is also fresh off a career-high 12 tackles in the Trojans’ win over Ben Davis last week.

Whyce and Cherry could become mainstays in Kelvin Green’s rotation after they get to West Lafayette next season, making up what could be the top position unit of the class, along with three-star EDGEs Katrell Webb and Max Carmicle, as well as defensive lineman Aiden Solecki. On the interior, Purdue has a pair of impact players coming and if Friday is any indication, they could emerge as starters fairly early in their Boilermaker careers.

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