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Recruiting News and Notes

On3 imageby: Tom Dienhart11/23/23TomDienhart1
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Our weekly clearing house for recruiting info and “heard it on the street” news. Note: This was written before the Bucket game on Nov. 25.

Please welcome BOILING OVER sponsor T&W Design and Build, an Indianapolis construction management company since 1968 with proud Purdue graduates that specialize in changing the way customers think about construction.

NOTE: With intrepid writer/reporter/columnist Brian Neubert on assignment in Hawaii, there is no basketball info in this week’s Boiling Over.

PURDUE FOOTBALL RECRUITING

Purdue suffered another de-commit in its 2024 class this week with CB William Nettles stepping away. Last week, EDGE Jaylin Jones de-committed. Know this: It’s thought Purdue stepped away from both for different reasons.

Earlier, Purdue saw WR Mason Dossett (Baylor) and TE Eric Karner (Texas A&M) de-commit. Different circumstance surrounded their defections, as family ties pulled Dossett to Waco and Karner’s recruitment blew up.

• Purdue will have about 55 recruits for the IU game along with JC o-lineman Roderick Green, who will be on his official visit. Notable unofficial visitors for Saturday:
2024 commits
S Koy Beasley
WR Tra’Mar Harris
TE Tayvion Galloway
S Luke Williams
CB Hudauri Hines

2025
ATH Teaunn Hunter
RB Nino Hill
WR Eugene Hilton Jr
OL Ethan Kraatz
OLB Landon Brooks
OLB Uchenyo Ojata
DB Mason Alexander
S Max Phenicie
S Micah Rice

2026
QB Anthony Coellner
RB Jayden Terry
ILB Ja’Kobe Clapper

• The only high school target left on Purdue’s 2024 board is EDGE DJ Allen, a one-time UCF commit. He’s set to OV December 8-10.

• Purdue is out on LB Desman Stephens and OL A.J. Dennis.

• Will Purdue look for a kicker in the portal? It already has two kickers on scholarship: Ben Freehill (who has a COVID year) and incoming freshman Spencer Porath. (P Jack Ansell also is on scholarship.) Will Freehill be back? Stay tuned to see how this sorts out. My guess: Purdue will shop for a portal kicker.

• 2024 WR commit Keondre Henry sent out a cryptic tweet this week that seemed to indicate his pledge to Purdue isn’t a solid.

But know this: There doesn’t seem to be a ton of concern in the Kozuch Football Performance Complex. If it happens–and Henry defects–Purdue would just have another scholarship to use on a player in the portal. That’s the beauty of the portal, where you can go get an experienced veteran. The portal opens for 30 days beginning Dec. 4 and runs through Jan. 3.

PURDUE FOOTBALL

• It was not a surprise to see WR T.J. Sheffield hit the portal, but his timing raised eyebrows. He had a shot to step up to be a key target as a fifth-year senior in 2023. And, he didn’t seize it. Plucky walk-on Andrew Sowinski had taken his starting spot as of late. Sheffield could be the first of several Boilers to hit the portal. Next week will be interesting.

• Ryan Walters has been vocal about the need for a robust collective to not just obtain talent from the portal, but also to retain top talent. And two Purdue players figure to be targets of other schools this offseason: OLBs Nic Scourton and Kydran Jenkins.

On3 was told this spring the going rate for an elite EDGE rusher is $200K and easily reach $300K. All those numbers are before an athlete/agent starts pitting schools against each other.

• C Gus Hartwig was non-committal this week on if Saturday will be his final game of college ball. The true senior could command a nice sum if he opts to play one more season and hits the portal.

• It’s not official, but TE Paul Piferi is pretty much retired from football. He may stay and finish grad school on his own. He had some back issues in 2023 and never really loved football to begin with.

• Legendary Purdue QB Mark Herrmann is poised to take over as analyst on Purdue radio broadcasts in 2024. He would replace Pete Quinn, who is stepping down after 32 seasons in the role. Quinn snapped the ball to Herrmann during a glorious run of Boilermaker football from 1978-80.

Herrmann has filled in as analyst and sideline reporter on Purdue radio broadcasts. He played 11 seasons in the NFL and has been inducted into the Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. Following his NFL career, Herrmann served as a radio color commentator for the Colts for 10 years.

Pete Quinn snapping to Mark Herrmann.

• Some difficult news.

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