Purdue Football Recruiting: Monday Update

What’s up everyone, I’m back after my own personal “summer dead period”. While I was gone, things heated up for the Boilermakers. Here’s what went down.

Purdue Lands Stud Defensive End Greg Hudgins

Hudgins is a guy that kept his recruiting quiet. Purdue hosted him for an official visit in April, but I wasn’t sure where Purdue stood with the 6’4, 230 pound high 3*/low 4* (depending on your preferred recruiting site) out of Washington D.C. We all found out together on July 18th.

While the final size of this class is still a mystery. I only see one spot for a defensive end and Hudgins made his move to claim it. This was the absolute best case scenario for Purdue who lands a strong side defensive end with a ready built Big 10 body. The only question with Hudgins is his final position at Purdue. He’s a big dude right now and could potentially get bigger and slide inside.

I like my defensive ends on the big side, so I hope he sticks at end. I watched Clelin Ferrell kill at defensive end for Clemson at 6’4, 265. I think that’s a good target, in terms of size, for Hudgins.

Purdue Steals Marcellus Moore From Illinois

This is a luxury pick up for the Boilermakers. They didn’t absolutely need a player like Moore in this class, but when you have a chance to sign the fastest high school football player in the nation, you take it 10/10 times.

Moore has legit track speed. He ran a 4.35 40 (laser timed) at the Opening and has won the Illinois State Championship in both the 100M and 200M as a Sophomore and a Junior. Needless to say, he’s the odds on favorite to 3 peat in those events as a Senior.

The initial reaction is to compare Marcellus Moore to Rondale Moore, but that’s a little unfair. While they have blazing speed, Rondale is significantly bigger in the lower body. Marcellus isn’t a guy that’s going to break a bunch of tackles and take it to the house. The good news, however, is that the other team has to catch him before they can tackle him.

What’s Left?

Purdue is at 15 commits right now. For all of you scholarship grid watchers, fear not, there is still room in this class for a few more players. I’ll put the max at 5 with 3 being the more realistic possibility.

That Leaves:

1-2 - Defensive Tackle(s)

1 - Cornerback

1 - Wide Receiver

I could see Purdue taking 2 defensive tackles and holding off at the CB position if they don’t have anyone they like.

If I had to guess:

DT - Bryce Austin

CB - No clue

WR - Maliq Carr

The other big name defensive tackle on the board is Ocatavious Oxendine out of Kentucky. Purdue will recruit him to the end and will have a spot for him if he wants to be a Boilermaker. I still think Purdue loses out to Kentucky, but things can change quickly in recruiting and it could be a down year for the Wildcats on the field. It needs to be an up year for the Boilermakers if they want a shot at Oxendine.

Shout Out To Anthony Poindexter

Coach Poindexter has been a key factor in 2 of Purdue’s top 3 recruits this class. One underrated aspect of the Brohm era at Purdue has been his ability to mix good young coaches like Poindexter and Barclay with veteran coaches like Dale Williams and actually keep them together for going on 3 seasons.

In the past, Purdue was a revolving door for assistant coaches. Any time an assistant coach showed promise, he was snatched out from under Purdue by another team. This killed recruiting, continuity, and the overall culture of the program. The powers that be seem intent on paying their young talented coaches now, and the young, talented coaches are sticking around.