Recruiting News and Notes

Here is some of the latest on Purdue football and men’s basketball recuiting

PURDUE BASKETBALL RECRUITING

Center Luigi Suigo: There’s always some unknown when internationals visit because coaches haven’t been around them much, but the 7-foot-3 Italian does seem like a really legitimate priority. He just officially visited Purdue and is at Indiana this week. This one sounds like it may drag out quite some time, as the big man works through his pro-team options for this coming season and apparently gets situated with a new agent overseas. It’ll give Purdue time, too, to work through a lot of options at center in 2026, assuming Suogo does come over as part of that class. That’s always the most important question with internationals

• This weekend’s scholastic evaluation period — all coaches are required to bring No. 2 pencils — will look like this …

Purdue should have multiple coaches at the Charlie Hughes event in Carmel/Westfield to watch Luke Ertel, Isaiah Hill, Smith and others, plus several younger guys.

We’d expect Matt Painter to be in Tennessee to see/be seen by Trey Thompson.

Purdue should also have someone at the prep school event in Boston to see Quinn Costello and probably other guys. There are also events in Arizona (Cameron Williams) and Chicagoland (2027 Jaxson Davis) to cover. (BN)

PURDUE BASKETBALL

• No real hard answers yet on ETAs for Oscar Cluff and Omer Mayer at the moment. Cluff has his visa renewal approved, but is just waiting for the papers to arrive by mail, the delivery rout being used here since he’s pretty isolated from embassies around Australia.

For Mayer, his situation is a bit more complicated. If Team Israel does play in the 19U games, he may not, which would free him to come to the U.S., but only after he gets a visa, which he’ll have to do somewhere off U.S. soil, so that’ll be another layer of process here. Our understanding is his military obligations to his native Israel are met already, but we still have no idea if he be called into active should the conflict with Iran requires it.

Long story short: Mayer wants to be here ASAP and Purdue wants him here ASAP. Same for Cluff, but his situation isn’t as out there.

• Again, Purdue is absolutely trying out Jack Benter as a 4 man while it’s frontcourt is kinda vacant right now. Cluff isn’t around yet. Raleigh Burgess is in street clothes. Daniel Jacobsen is in Colorado Springs. Liam Murphy and Sam King are both limited participants in practice.

So it’s TKR and Benter now.

It’s been four practices with a skeleton-crew team, but there certainly seems to be some intent to try to get Benter a window of opportunity to earn minutes somewhere.

• Couple thoughts on the only newcomer actually practicing right now: Antione West is sturdier physically than he looked in high school, at least to us, and does show some ability to create space as a creator and an ability to make step-in threes. Purdue recruited him for his ability to get shots, and that is showing up some from what we’ve seen. (BN)

PURDUE FOOTBALL RECRUITING

• The final weekend of official visits is here, and Purdue is slated to host four prospects on campus, including three key targets and one commit.

-Three-star Southside (Ala.) tight end commit ArMari Towns

-East St. Louis (Ill.) offensive lineman Terrell Berryhill

-Three-star Miami Central (Fla.) wide receiver Brandon Kinsey

-Three-star Downers Grove North (Ill.) defensive lineman Aiden Solecki

Three-star tight end Tyler Ruxer was originally set to be a part of this weekend’s contingent in West Lafayette, after rescheduling his early June visit. Ruxer will now no longer be on campus, as his visit has been cancelled. He was formerly one of the top targets of the Boilermakers at tight end in the 2026 class. Ruxer is a teammate at Heritage Hills in Lincoln City, Ind., of Purdue target Jett Goldsberry.

Three-star tight end and Purdue commit ArMari Towns committed to the Boilermakers back in April to give Josh Henson his first offensive weapon in the passing game for the class. Towns will be back in West Lafayette this weekend, but Purdue could still have some battling to do to keep him on board until National Signing Day. Towns was offered by Florida State last week on a trip to Tallahassee, and is planning on taking an official visit with the Seminoles during the season. (DJ)

• 2026 three-star defensive lineman Kobe Cherry was one of several prospects with a Purdue offer on campus for Wednesday’s team camp, along with his Center Grove teammates. Coaches Jake Trump and Kelvin Green put Cherry through individual drills off to the side during camp, watching intently. The 6-5, 285-pound lineman put Purdue in his top three last month, along with Wisconsin and Indiana. Cherry is again a name to watch for the Boilermakers as they look to build their 2026 recruiting class.

2028 Center Grove (Ind.) quarterback Oscar Sloan headlined the prospects in West Lafayette this week for Purdue team camps. Perhaps the top target of the Boilermakers at the position for 2028, Barry Odom, Darin Hinshaw and company have already cemented themselves atop the race for the in-state signal-caller. 

“It’s my number one school, for sure. I love the coaches,” Sloan told GoldandBlack.com after his Wednesday visit.

Sloan’s recruitment is only just beginning, but the work Purdue is doing now could potentially pay dividends in a couple of years when it comes time for the Center Grove standout to make a decision.

A pair of 2027 in-state prospects earned offers from Wednesday’s team camp: Warren Central edge/linebacker Sean Fox and Ben Davis defensive back Keontay Toomer. Fox was with Kobe Cherry being worked out by Jake Trump and Kelvin Green off to the side of camp and has the build of an intriguing pass rusher at 6-5 and 210 pounds while backing up the potential with production at Lawrence Central last year from his linebacker spot, tallying 105 total tackles, and 14 tackles for loss. (DJ)

• What is Purdue getting in recent DE commit Max Carmicle? A scouting report:

Elite length and frame. Good athlete that plays hard and physical. Raw as a football player. Needs to learn technique and nuances of the DL position. Developmental football player with a high level of talent and huge upside. (TD)

• Purdue added a 2025 walk-on DB this week: Donivan Taylor of Rock Bridge High in Columbia, Mo.

Taylor was coming to Purdue in the fall as a regular student. He worked out at Purdue’s camp last week, did a good job. There was an open roster spot, so Taylor was added.

Barry Odom was the head coach at Rock Bridge, turning around the program from 2001-02 before joining Gary Pinkel’s Mizzou staff as a GA. (TD)

• Purdue has added walkon Wabash DL transfer Jordan Cree. The 6-2, 253-pound Cree went to Rensselaer Central and will have two years of eligibility. He figures to help mostly as a practice player.

• Purdue 2026 DL target Josiah Hope de-committed from Louisville earlier this week after taking an OV to West Lafayette. Hope is a 4-star On3 recruit worth keeping on your radar. (TD)