Purdue Football Recruiting: Jah’von Grigsby Commits!

Jah’von Grigsby, a 5’10, 185 pound defensive back out of Scotlandville High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana verbally committed to Purdue on Saturday.

Grigsby is rated as a mid/high 3* (87) player according the the 247 composite. He is considered the 55th best safety and 707th best overall player in the 2021 class and the 20th best prospect in Louisiana. He was previously committed to Michigan State, but backed off that commit early in the fall. At one point this was a battle between Vanderbilt and Purdue, but you’ve got to think Vandy firing Derek Mason gave Purdue the late edge.

He is the second highest rated player in Purdue’s 2021 class and the highest rated defender. This was a big get for lead recruiter Marty Biagi, who was brought in to help the special teams and recruit Louisiana and Texas for the Boilermakers.

That He Bring to the Table

Jah’Von has the ability to play multiple positions in the secondary for the Boilermakers. In addition to his work on the gridiron, he also excels on the track where he specializes in the 200 meters and long jump.

As I mentioned above, versatility is what makes Grigsby an interesting recruit for the Boilermakers. He mainly plays safety for his high school, but has the speed to play any of the 3 corner positions (field, boundary, slot). This makes him valuable in Bob Diaco’s scheme that values players that can adapt on the fly to changes in offensive personnel.

I’ve watched a good bit of Gribsby’s available film, and he is one of the more violent hitters you’ll find in high school. He’s not particularly big, but he’s not afraid to put every ounce of his body into hit. He’ll need to balance his desire to knock an offensive player on his rear end with some restraint to avoid targeting penalties in college, but you would rather chill a player out than have to fire him up. Jah’Von plays with an infectious energy, and that’s something Purdue needs more than anything. When he delivered a big hit in high school, you could see his teammates draw energy from his play.

What Next

At this point, it’s hard to tell. Yanni Karlaftis is still available and would obviously be a big get, but his recruitment has been all over the map. It’s assumed that Purdue is still the favorite, but I still think he wants a chance to check out a few west coast schools.

Outside of Yanni, I’m not sure if there is much left at the high school level. Purdue needs a talent infusion right now, and I don’t see anyone left that can bring that early in their career. Instead, I look for Purdue to use whatever scholarships (who knows at this point how many are left) they have remaining on instant impact transfers.

Brohm hasn’t hesitated to bring transfers into the program, and the 2021 team, assuming Watts and Neal leave, are in desperate need of a ready to play nose tackle. If one becomes available, look for Purdue to make a move. I also wouldn’t rule out the JuCo route for both lines. Purdue needs more big dudes, and they need more big dudes that are ready to roll right now.

Player Comp

This one is easy. Ricardo Allen was a versatile defensive back capable of playing both corner and safety. Grigbsy is more of a natural safety, and Allen, at least at Purdue, was a corner, but their skill sets are similar.