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Purdue lands USC transfer offensive lineman

by: Dub Jellison01/05/26dubjellison

Purdue football is bulking up on the line of scrimmage, netting a commitment from USC transfer offensive lineman Micah Banuelos, he announced on Instagram.

Banuelos was recruited to USC and coached by now Purdue offensive coordinator Josh Henson, before he departed to join Barry Odom’s staff in West Lafayette, as well as offensive line coach Zach Crabtree. The redshirt sophomore was a three-star recruit in the 2023 class, choosing the Trojans over offers from Oregon, Texas A&M, Cal, Nebraska, Washington and others.

After playing sparingly across his first two seasons with the Trojans, Banuelos got his first taste of extended action in 2025. He suited up in seven games, which included five starts. He primarily slotted in at left guard, but also started at right guard against Georgia Southern early in the year. He finished the season with a 59.1 pass blocking grade, allowing just one sack in 221 pass blocking snaps for USC.

Purdue now adds a Big Ten offensive lineman with experience to a unit that is set to replace three starters from this fall, as left guard Jalen St. John and right tackle Bakyne Coly both ran out of eligibility, while right guard Hank Purvis entered the transfer portal.

Banuelos also becomes the third portal commit of the cycle for the Boilermakers, joining Texas running back Jerrick Gibson and North Carolina Central defensive tackle Wisdom Simms.

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