Old National Presents: Football's latest happenings
Purdue head coach Ryan Walters‘ staff is again out and about this week during a “contact” period, looking for talent nationwide. A look at the itinerary for the week of May 13:
• Offensive line coach Marcus Johnson is in Florida Monday-Wednesday to see 2025 OL TJ Hedrick, among others. Johnson will be in Mississippi on Thursday to see 2025 OLs Harrison Cluff and Jackson Jones.
• Defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Kevin Kane is in Texas on Monday and Tuesday looking at LBs. He will be in Atlanta on Wednesday and in Cincinnati on Thursday to see 2025 LBs Grant Beerman and Seaonta Stewart, among others.
• Safeties coach Grant O’Brien will be in Detroit on Tuesday to check in on 2026 S Marcello Vitti. O’Brien then will be in Cincinnati on Thursday at combines with Kane and to see Beerman and Stewart.
• Rush ends coach Joe Dineen was in Florida on Monday and tomorrow. He’ll be in Atlanta on Wednesday looking at rush ends. Dineen will be in Kansas on Thursday.
• Running backs coach Lamar Conard is in Ohio today to see 2025 RB commit Ziaire Stevens. Conard will be in Detroit Tuesday-Thursday at combines.
• Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Graham Harrell is in Florida today and tomorrow seeing 2026 QBs, and Hedrick with Johnson. Harrell will be in California on Wednesday and Thursday looking at 2026 quarterbacks.
• Tight ends coach Justin Sinz is in Illinois today checking in on 2026 TE’s J.C. Anderson and Mack Sutter. Sinz will be in Cleveland and Akron at combines on Tuesday and Thursday; Toledo on Wednesday.
• Defensive line coach Brick Haley and receivers coach Cory Patterson are in Alabama today (Monday, May 13) checking on 2025 WR Clarence Taylor. Haley will be in Cincinnati on Thursday to check in on 2025 DL Drayden Pavey.
Five-Star CB Grant Reclassifies
Purdue’s 2024 roster will get an unexpected boost with the immediate addition of Tarrion Grant.
The five-star cornerback was set to be part of Purdue’s 2025 recruiting class, but the product of Siegel High in Murfreesboro, Tenn., has re-classified and is enrolled now for Maymester at Purdue. Grant made the announcement on X on Monday afternoon.
Purdue coach Ryan Walters teased the news with a Tweet on Monday morning.
The 6-4, 175-pound Grant will join a cornerback room that was bolstered by two transfers in the offseason: Georgia’s Nyland Green and Colorado’s Kyndrich Breedlove. Markevious Brown, Botros Alisandro, Salim Turner-Muhammad and Derrick Rogers also help anchor the promising unit.
Purdue also is welcoming two other high school cornerbacks in the Class of 2024: Hudauri Hines and Earl Kulp.
Grant had offers from the likes of Miami (Fla.), Louisville, Auburn, LSU, Nebraska, Arkansas and Michigan, among others. He pledged to the Boilermakers in January after being a silent commitment for a few months.
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In addition to his five-star On3.com status, Grant also checks in as No. 29 recruit overall in the Class of 2025.
“I am that shutdown corner that every coach wants,” Grant told GoldandBlack.com in April. He admires NFL corners Sauce Gardner and Jalen Ramsey.
What’s he need to work on? Footwork and ball skills.
“I can’t wait to get to Purdue and get to work,” Grant said.
At Purdue, Grant will work with cornerbacks coach Sam Carter, an assistant he has known for several years. That’s what led to Grant pledging early to the Boilermakers.
“I have known him since he was at Ole Miss,” said Grant. “I’ve always wanted to be coached by him. We go way back.
“I like the coaching staff. Everyone in the building shows me genuine love when I walk in. They make good connections. (Coach Ryan Walters is) a down-to-earth guy who has worked with DBs. That can help me out a lot.”
