Purdue Recruiting News and Notes

PURDUE BASKETBALL RECRUITING​

Long-time Purdue target Jamyn Sondrup will announce his well-thought-out decision next week, March 19, we’ve confirmed.

Just to reiterate what we have been reporting for months: Sondrup will be a Class of 2028 commitment, in effect, enrolling after a two-year Mormon mission to parts unknown (to us at least).

He was a Purdue Class of 2026 priority before all this came to light, so even though Sondrup is currently a high school senior, he is NOT a 2026 recruit anymore. Not sure Sondrup has made this information public, so there’s going to be confusion. Hopefully for the sake of clarity, his commitment is communicated as such.

We’d be astonished if the choice wasn’t Purdue. It had been down to them and Washington for a while.

Now, laying this out …

Sondrup would arrive at Purdue (or wherever) two years older than his grade. After two years out of the mix, one would think a redshirt year would make all the sense in the world, and if that plays out as such, you’re now basically looking at a 2029 redshirt freshman who’s already 21 or 22 years old, and it will have happened by total accident.

Sondrup is a 6-foot-9, 230-ish pound 4/5 with a lot of similar attributes to Purdue bigs Trevion Williams and Trey Kaufman-Renn. He can really pass and a capable step-out three-point shooter. He’s a below-the-rim guy, but wide and good enough with angles, and with enough savvy and touch around the basket to be really effective. But it’s hard to project beyond skills because who knows what his body will look like when he enrolls in college? (BN)

PURDUE BASKETBALL​

Center Oscar Cluff went through senior day Saturday in Mackey Arena, but pending outstanding court decisions, the possibility of him returning next season does exist, and even though he has expressed only openness to the idea, it is believed he’d want to return, and Purdue would want to bring him back.

Matt Painter even suggested Friday that Cluff would be proactive in pursuing the extra season, which might mean filing suit if ongoing court machinations don’t result in a blanket waiver.

This scenario was not even considered a possibility when Cluff was recruited last spring, but the landscape of things have changed. Cluff will turn 25 years old next November.

Nothing is impossible anymore. (BN)

PURDUE FOOTBALL RECRUITING​

Purdue has already hosted a number of prospects on campus, during the first week of spring practice in West Lafayette.

Quarterbacks check out West Lafayette:
It has been a busy week on the quarterback recruiting front for the Boilermakers, who hosted two targets at the position and have two more on tap.

2027 Prince Avenue Christian (Ga.) three-star Ben Musser quietly made his was to West Lafayette from Georgia, despite his commitment to App State.

Purdue has not stopped recruiting the currently committed quarterback, who is garnering interest from Utah, Iowa State, and Kansas State, in addition to the Boilermakers. Does not appear anything is imminent at this time, but Musser did pull an unexpected move with his pledge to the Mountaineers last month. This recruitment is far from over and now Purdue has a lot more competition.

Musser is one of three key 2027 signal callers to know. The other two will be on campus in the next week or so. First is four-star Montini Catholic (Ill.) quarterback Israel Abrams, who is expected in town on Saturday. Abrams, who has been well documented, is down to five schools, with Kentucky, Auburn, Miami and Florida State accompanying the Boilermakers in the mix to land one of the top uncommitted quarterbacks in the class.

The other will follow suit a week from tomorrow, in three-star Gaither (Fla.) quarterback Joaquin Kavouklis. The former Arkansas commit is close with Darin Hinshaw and is seriously considering the Boilermakers. Kavouklis is also expected to visit Ole Miss, Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Georgia Tech this spring.

2028 Center Grove three-star Oscar Sloan was also among the contingent on day one of spring practice. He is one of the top targets in the current sophomore class, as Barry Odom and company look to keep one of the Indiana’s best from leaving the state. I see Purdue as the frontrunner at the moment for Sloan.

Four-star 2027 targets in town:
A pair of priority four-star targets in the 2027 recruiting class were in town this week, as well. Yorktown (Ind.) EDGE Chris Wilson was first on Tuesday, who is extremely high on the Boilermakers. Purdue is among the favorites to land the in-state four-star, who is also considering Kentucky, Cincinnati and Missouri. Not ready to say the Boilermakers are leading the pack, but they are right there.

Kalamazoo Central (Mich.) offensive tackle Dewey Young also took a two-day unofficial visit across Wednesday and Thursday. Young is an interesting case. He holds offers from Ohio State, Indiana, and Michigan State, who are among the top contenders, alongside the Boilermakers. He has made back-to-back trips during the fall, in the winter and now a two-day visit. He’s definitely someone to keep an eye on as a potential official visitor here in the next couple of months.

A new offensive line target:
2027 Westfield offensive lineman Nicholas Schurman picked up an offer from Purdue following his visit to campus on Tuesday, and it was a big one for the in-state offensive lineman. Schurman grew up a Purdue fan and went to countless games in West Lafayette.

Purdue was his first Power 4 offer and it has already swayed his recruitment. The Boilermakers have become the team to beat in a matter of a day.

Future national recruit on campus:
You might already consider 2028 Arrowhead (Wisc.) tight end Tre Oiler a national recruit, but he is only getting started. Oiler has already picked up offers from Oregon, Florida, Wisconsin, Kansas, SMU, Virginia Tech, Northwestern, Minnesota, Iowa State, and Michigan State early in his recruitment.

The rising 2028 talent was on campus Thursday for an unofficial visit and could be a name to watch down the road for the Boilermakers.

Visitors set for this weekend:
More prospects are set to hit campus this weekend, as well, when the Boilermakers hold their third practice of the spring.

Four-star Montini Catholic (Ill.) quarterback Israel Abrams

We discussed Abrams above, and not much has changed with the Illinois signal caller in the last week or so. Still expect Abrams to be on campus this weekend and highly consider the Boilermakers, while Auburn remains the frontrunner. Miami could make things interesting, depending on how his trip to Coral Gables goes at the end of the month. Kentucky and Florida State are also vying for his commitment.

Abrams’ decision, whenever it should come, will create a ripple effect for a lot of programs, including Purdue. Either the Boilermakers will get a quarterback who could push for playing time immediately as a freshman, or they will be tasked with pursuing the likes of Ben Musser, Joaquin Kavouklis, and others, even harder.

Four-star Rocky River (Ohio) safety Tristin Hughes
Hughes is booming on the recruiting trail right now. He just netted a Miami offer, which joins a high-profile group consisting of Michigan, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse and Arizona State, among others.

The Boilermakers in the mix for Hughes, leaning on Charles Clark’s recruiting efforts here, which have done them well. Ohio State is another program to watch here, as the Buckeyes could extend him an offer. That would complicate matters for Purdue, but Clark and company are in good standing as of this moment.

Ben Davis cornerback Keontay Toomer
Purdue is potentially the team to beat for in-state cornerback Keontay Toomer, who flew under the radar for a while, but Charles Clark and the Boilermakers were on him very early. Toomer is set to officially visit Purdue at the end of May, and has others visits set to Louisville and Missouri, with additional offers from Pitt, Kansas, Iowa State, and UConn.

The Boilermakers remain as the top program out of the bunch for Toomer, however.

2027 four-star Warren Central safety Kaleb Elkins
Elkins released a top six this week, including Ohio State, Missouri, Tennessee, Oregon, Vanderbilt and Indiana, but will still make the trip up to West Lafayette from Indianapolis on Saturday. This one is hard to read considering the other contenders and his recently trimmed list, but Purdue has stayed consistent in its pursuit of the Warren Central star.

2027 four-star Noblesville offensive lineman Caleb Johnson
One of two Noblesville offensive linemen that are highly-touted in the class. Johnson already has official visits to Indiana, Michigan State, Iowa, Auburn, and Cincinnati, on the books, while UCLA, Colorado, Kentucky, Oklahoma State, Illinois and others have also offered.

Purdue will look to crack that top group with a successful visit over the weekend.

2027 three-star Riverdale (Tenn.) safety Hudson Fuqua (Mississippi State commit)
This is one to watch. Mississippi State pledge Hudson Fuqua isn’t making the trip to West Lafayette for no reason. Despite his commitment to the Bulldogs, Fuqua is listening to what Purdue has to say and is on flip watch moving forward. The Tennessee native is also teammates with 2027 cornerback target Dre Otey and holds offers from Arkansas, Kentucky, Memphis, Maryland, and others.

2028 Christian Brothers (N.Y.) EDGE Arthur Jones
Jones is beginning to pick up steam, netting offers from Notre Dame, Penn State, Boston College and Syracuse, with the Boilermakers potentially to follow by the end of the weekend. The 2028 recruit is flying under the radar, but that won’t be for long.

2027 Valley View (Ark.) running back Carter Wallace
Rising 2027 tailback Carter Wallace picked up an offer from Purdue in January and the Boilermakers are getting him on campus for Saturday’s spring practice. Wallace has been a popular name since the end of the season, with Minnesota, Duke, Kentucky, Missouri, Syracuse, and Wake Forest joining the race.

Purdue already has four running backs set for official visits this summer, but could add another if all goes well with Wallace this weekend.

Official visit tracker:
A couple of changes to the official visit list for Purdue this spring that occurred this week. First, four-star defensive lineman David Folorunsho axed the Boilermakers from his visit plans. That came after the Chicago native picked up offers from Ohio State, Alabama, and Michigan. He has official visits set to Miami, Penn State, Notre Dame, Missouri and Indiana.

Lakota West (Ohio) cornerback Roman Combs was added to the group this week. Combs has emerged as a Power 4 prospect in the last couple of months, adding offers from Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, Iowa State, Pitt, UConn and several MAC programs, as well. The 6-5 cornerback began his career on the hardwood, but has a future on the gridiron with his length and athleticism.

April 3-5:
Four-star Montini Catholic (Ill.) quarterback Israel Abrams

April 10-12:
Four-star New Palestine tight end Mason Oglesby
Four-star Callaway (Miss.) offensive tackle Li’Marcus Jones
Three-star Sioux City East (Iowa) linebacker Kason Clayborne

May 29-31:
Four-star St. Patrick (Ill.) defensive lineman David Folorunsho
Ben Davis cornerback Keontay Toomer
Heritage (Ga.) wide receiver Brayden Stoker
Three-star East St. Louis (Ill.) safety Jabarri Lofton
La Marque (Texas) linebacker Anthony James

June 5-7:
Riverdale (Tenn.) cornerback Dre Otey
Three-star Archbishop Moeller (Oh.) offensive lineman Patrick O’Brien
Three-star Bridge City (Texas) linebacker Bryce Breeden
Four-star C.E King (Texas) running back Tristan Willis
Buford (Ga.) defensive back Silas Nuckles
Three-star Charles W. Flanigan (Fla.) wide receiver Jacob Thomas(Pitt commit)
Lakota West (Ohio) cornerback/athlete Roman Combs

June 12-14:
Three-star Bastrop (Fla.) wide receiver Dallas Crescenzo(Commit)
Santaluces Community (Fla.) running back Kelsey Gerald
Four-star Yorktown EDGE Chris Wilson
Four-star Rocky River (Ohio) safety Tristin Hughes
Four-star Corbin (Ky.) defensive lineman Malachi Brown
Warren Central running back Keyon Thomas

June 19-21:
Atherton (Ky.) defensive lineman Zai’Vion Meads
Sheridan (Ark.) running back Isaiah Stephens

Official visitors by position:​

Position	Confirmed visitors
Quarterback	1 – Abrams
Running back	4 – Thomas, Gerald, Willis, Stephens
Wide receiver	3 – Thomas, Crescenzo, Stoker
Tight end	1 – Oglesby
Offensive line	2 – Jones, O’Brien
Defensive line	2 – Meads, Brown
EDGE	1 – Wilson
Linebacker	2 – Clayborne, Breeden
Cornerback	4 – Otey, Nuckles, Toomer, Combs
Safety	2 – Hughes, Lofton

PURDUE FOOTBALL​

• Barry Odom will attend the funeral for Rondale Moore on Friday. Odom coached vs. Purdue and Moore in 2018 in Ross-Ade Stadium, a 40-37 Mizzou victory in which Moore made a game-high 11 receptions for 137 yards and a TD.

• Asked an NFL scout who was at Purdue’s Pro Day for an early assessment of QB Ryan Browne:

“The tape was up and down,” said the scout. “He’s got some athleticism and arm talent. That’s why he played.

“The biggest thing under the previous staff was that if things went south, you needed to know what you had in the backup. He can throw it. He’s got arm strength and mobility. But Purdue wasn’t in a lot of close games last year where you saw him in real pressure situations.

“Recruiting quarterbacks right now is tough, too. Some backups at other schools are making $1.5 million. Do you really want to pay that for a guy who hasn’t played?

“At least Purdue knows what it has with him and can try to build around him.”

• Purdue DE CJ Nunnally went through the machinations of Pro Day on Wednesday. But there’s still a chance he could be back with the Boilermakers in 2026 after he led the team with 10.5 sacks and 5.0 TFLs in his only season in West Lafayette after a transfer from Akron.

“I went JUCO throughout my college career, so I was trying to see if there was a way I could get an extra year back. Still don’t know if that’s possible. Still kind of in the works on that. So, hopefully I can. If not, I’m still blessed to even be a part of Purdue football last year.

“I would love to play for Purdue again.”

When does Nunnally expect a decision?

“That’s up to the court,” he said. “Right now, my focus has been to train for Pro Day. So now that that is over today, maybe I can get a little bit more insight on that. If not, then like I said, I’m just blessed for the opportunity.”

• There were 29 pro scouts at Pro Day, including seven from the CFL: Calgary, Toronto, Winnipeg, British Columbia, Hamilton, Edmonton and Ottawa. Only Montreal and Saskatchewan.

The big CFL turnout was to see Purdue C Gio Vaccaro, who figures to be selected. He led all Purdue Pro Day participants with 28 bench-press reps at 225 pounds.

The following NFL teams were represented: 49ers, Chiefs, Falcons, Colts, Bills, Raiders, Patriots, Packers, Bengals, Giants, Jets, Browns, Panthers, Vikings, Commanders, Broncos, Jaguars, Titans, Dolphins, Bears, Lions.

• Devin Mockobee ran an unofficial 40 time of 4.78. Not ideal. He also didn’t do well in the vertical jump or broad jump, as he is coming off ankle surgery. He was most pleased with his 3-cone drill effort.

“I definitely think my 3-cone drill was definitely a good time on there,” he said. “I think just in terms of for me and my ankle, being able to prove myself and show that number that like, ‘Hey, this isn’t an issue for me at this point.’ So, I definitely think my 3-cone was definitely probably my best of the day.”

What type of NFL offense would best suit Mockobee’s skill-set? Teams that are outside zone/wide zone teams that put their RBs in space.

• DB Chad Brown was one of the 20 Purdue players who took part in Pro Day—even though he did not play a snap last year. Brown transferred to Purdue from Nevada prior to the 2025 season but was ineligible after it was discovered he had no eligibility. Purdue appealed, to no avail.

• OL Bakyne Coly was on hand for Pro Day but did not take part. He is in the midst of a lawsuit seeking additional eligibility. (TD)