Purdue Football Recruiting: We Like Ike!

Tyler Texas CB/S Ike Warren received his first Division 1 (I know it's not D-1 anymore, but I don't have the time to keep up with what it's called these days) from Purdue on July 28^th, and his commitment to Purdue followed soon afterwards. The 6'1, 190 Warren, formally a Sam Houston St. commit, burst onto the recruiting scene recently with an excellent showing at Texas's "Under The Lights Camp" camp. Warren made such and impression that Arizona St. soon followed the Purdue lead and offered Warren a scholarship. The Arizona St. offer did not dissuade Warren from committing to Boilermakers and Coach Hazell today.

The athletic Warren plays both basketball (PG/SG) and football (CB) for John Tyler High School. Warren is the type of "under the radar" that Purdue should be targeting. He has the physical tools to compete in the Big 10 and just needs some technique work. You can coach technique, but you can't coach size, speed, and athleticism, and Warren has all three.

Strengths:

Size: Wide receivers keep getting bigger, but DB's stay the same size. Nothing is more frustrating than watching a 6'3 receiver out jump a 5'10 CB for a lob in the end zone.  We'll consider Warren an evolution at the CB position. He is quick enough to stay with the receiver and tall enough to make a play on the ball. If teams are going to keep recruiting small forwards to play wide receiver, it's probably a good idea to start finding some shooting guards who can play cornerback.

Athleticism: If you watch his film, you will see Warren make an incredible play on a ball where he appears to beat. He finds the ball, jumps, and knocks it away before the receiver even has a chance to make a play. I'm not sure Purdue has anyone on the roster right now that can make that play. Warren looks the part of a D-1 athlete, and Purdue needs to get as many of those in the fold as they can.

Tackling: Warren makes a few nice plays on the ball in the air, but he also makes solid tackles once an offensive player does catch the ball. He uses his big frame and solid tackling technique to get players on the ground. Warren won't be easily swatted away by bigger receivers or running backs on the edge. He actually tackles people instead of just holding on and hoping the receiver gets tired of carrying him down the field.

Downside: Horns, Aggies, Bears, Red Raiders, Cougars and Horned Frogs oh my! Warren has seen his stock shoot up this summer, and part of that came from his performance at a Texas camp. Now, Texas has a few bigger named DB's on the line right now, but I would not be surprised if Warren is a part of their back up plan.  It will also be interesting to see if any of the in state Texas teams make Warren a part of their main plan. Purdue has Warren's commitment now, but I think they are going to have to fight off a few Texas schools to keep him. All in all, another school thinking your recruit is pretty good isn't the worst thing in the world. If Purdue is going to move up in football world, they are going to have to figure out a way to keep players like Warren in the fold (can we please, please, please get an early signing period in football).

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