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Old National Presents: The 3-2-1--Recruiting juice is real

On3 imageby:Tom Dienhart•07/10/25•

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Three things learned. Two questions. One bold statement. It’s the 3-2-1: A Look at Purdue Football as Training Camp Approaches.

Three things learned

1 – 2026 Class at 20

Purdue hits mid-July with 20 commitments in its 2026 class. On3 ranks the current haul 53rd in the nation and 15th in the Big Ten. I guess it’s about what I would expect, given what the staff is trying to dig out of.

The bottom line is this: There may be a few ticks up or a few ticks down, but Purdue is always gonna recruit about the same type of player and rank in about the same area each year regardless of who is the coach or what the record is.

I’ve been watching the program for over 40 years, so I feel pretty good about typing that.

Now, what can staff extract from the talent?

2 – The gem

The most highly touted of the 2026 commitments? It’s DL Josiah Hope, a four-star who flipped from Louisville to Purdue. But there are rumblings Hope could flip back to U of L. So, hold on to your hat.

In fact, the three most highly rated commits are all d-linemen: Hope, Jamarcus Whyce and Katrell Webb, the most recent commitment.

The hidden gem? It may be OL Brock Brownfield, who recently got a fourth star from Rivals.

BTW: The 2023 Purdue class was 14th (last) in the Big Ten; 2024 was No. 9; 2025 was 18th (last).

3 – Phil Steele piles on

The yearbook guru recently ranked the 136 FBS schools and tweeted it out. And Purdue was slotted No. 106.

Call is another cold bucket of water dumped on Barry Odom’s maiden team. I guess it’s difficult to give prognosticators much reason to think otherwise about Purdue, which will be the consensus selection to finish last in the Big Ten in 2025.

The program is coming off arguably its worst season ever. And the roster was torn asunder amid a coaching change. On top of that: The schedule is daunting.

Me thinks a 3-9 record and non-last place finish would be a cause célèbre in West Lafayette.

Two questions

1 – Remaining needs in 2026 recruiting class?

Safety. Purdue needs at least one, maybe two. As Dub Jellison reported earlier this week, a new safety target has emerged with an offer last weekend going to three-star Miami True North Classical Academy’s Camaul King.

Purdue lost out on three-star S Vincent Smith, who recently tabbed West Virginia over Purdue and Iowa.

The Purdue staff also would take Maryville (Tenn.) OT Brody Smith and/or Hammond (Ind.) Morton OT Cameron Miller.

That’s about it, as far as high school recruiting.

Of course, the staff has to hold onto the commits it has landed. It’s a long way to Signing Day on December 4th.

2 – Has it really been 25 years since Rose Bowl?

Crazy how time flies.

Alan Karpick has started a series that will look back on that magical 2000 season with reminisces from players and staff. It kicked off with Vinny Sutherland.

The season resonates for many reasons. Who can forget the “Travis Dorsch” Michigan game? The “Holy Toledo” Ohio State tilt? Ashante Woodyard’s overtime blocked field goal return for a TD at Wisconsin? Throttling IU in the finale by running Montrell Lowe over and over?

After five games, Purdue was 3-2, rocked by tough losses at ND and Penn State. But the Boilermakers closed 5-1 to clinch the Pasadena trip–the first since the 1966 season.

One bold statement: NIL clearing house will be feckless

Per The Athletic, the new enforcement terms under the House settlement instructs college athletes to declare any third-party NIL deals worth at least $600 into a clearinghouse database.

The idea is that the clearinghouse–NIL Go and managed by the accounting firm Deloitte–will serve as a monitor on NIL collectives and pay-for-play, flagging deals that do not reflect a valid business purpose or fall within a reasonable range of compensation. 

Will it work? (I frankly don’t know how much NIL value most college athletes have, aside from a handful at each school. But that’s a discussion for another day.)

I just don’t know how anyone can tell anyone else how they can spend their money.

If someone wants to play an athlete $200,000 to attend a birthday party, he can. It’s his money. No one can determine the “going rate” for such a thing or what is “reasonable.”

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