I’ve been holding off on this series, waiting for the 2021 class to be finalized, but alas, I need something to write about, and a few positions are set in stone.

Jeff Brohm has been the Purdue head coach for 5 (almost) recruiting classes, and I think it’s fair to evaluate his overall recruiting resume at Purdue. The Boilermakers have seen a recruiting surge compared to the Hazel era of Purdue, but that’s not even a low bar to clear, it’s more like a line in the dirt. What’s important is how Purdue stacks up against the rest of the Big10, on a position by position basis.

I hope this gives everyone a clearer idea about where Purdue is in recruiting, both good and bad. I’ll present the facts, and then give my own personal interpretation of the facts. Feel free to provide your own interpretation in the comment section, as I’m far from the final word in all things football recruiting.

A few quick notes:

Yes, I’m counting the 2017. I’ll be counting 2017-2021 for everyone. It’s too hard to parse out which classes do and don’t count for each team.

No, I’m not counting 2022. It’s tempting in this article, because Brady Allen would give the Boilermakers a boost, but I’m already stretching things with an unfinished 2021 class.

I’m not including transfers into program.

I’m using the 247 composite rankings.

I’m going to show my work in the body of the article. That gives you a chance to do your own math if you want (if you want to leave off Purdue’s 2017 recruiting class for example). If you want to see the quick and easy breakdown, scroll to the bottom of the page.

Big 10 Quarterback Recruiting 2017-2021

Purdue

2017

Nick Sipe - 3* - .8569

Griffin Alstott - 3* - .8342

2018

Jack Plummer - 3* - .8743

2019

Paul Piferi - 3* - .8581

2020

Michael Alaimo - 4* - .9071

2021

Sam Jackson - 4* - .8927

Range and Average

Number of Recruits - 6

High - Michael Alaimo - .9071

Low - Griffin Alstott - .8342

Average - .8706

Illinois

2017

Cam Thomas - 3* - .8356

2018

Coran Taylor - 3* -.8580

MJ Rivers II - 3* - .8539

Matt Robinson - 3* - .8004

2019

None

2020

Deuce Spann - 3* - .8566

2021

Samari Collier - 3* - .8389

Range and Average

Number of Recruits - 6

High - Coran Taylor - .8580

Low - Matt Robinson - .8004

Average - .8405

Indiana

2017

Nick Tronti - 3* - .8250

2018

Michael Penix Jr. - 3* - .8749

2019

None

2020

Dexter Williams II - 3* - .8511

2021

Donaven McCulley - 4* - .8939

Range and Average

Number of Recruits: 4

High - Donaven McCulley - .8939

Low - Nick Tronti - .8250

Average - .8612

Iowa

2017

Peyton Mansell - 3* - .8580

2018

Spencer Petras - 3* - .8858

2019

Alex Padilla - 3* - .8485

2020

Deuce Hogan - 3* - .8824

2021

Joey Labas - 3* - .8537

Range and Average

Number of Recruits - 5

High - Spencer Petras - .8858

Low - Alex Padilla - .8485

Average - .8657

Maryland

2017

Kasim Hill - 4* - .9110

2018

Tyler DeSue - 3* - .8676

2019

Lance LeGendre - 4* - .9036

2020

None

2021

None

Range and Average

Number of Recruits - 3

High - Kasim Hill - .9110

Low - Tyler DeSue - .8676

Average - .8941

Michigan State

2017

Rocky Lombardi - 3* - .8641

2018

Theo Day - 3* - .8898

Javez Alexander - 3* - .8378

2019

Payton Thorne - 3* - .8511

2020

Noah Kim - 3* -.8459

2021

Hampton Fay - 3* - .8493

Range and Average

Number of Recruits - 6

High - Theo Day - .8898

Low - Javez Alexander - .8378

Average - .8563

Michigan

2017

Dylan McCaffrey - 4* - .9435

2018

Joe Milton - 4* - .9202

2019

Cade McNamara - 4* - .9052

2020

Dan Villari - 3* - .8464

2021

J.J. McCarthy - 5* - .9893

Range and Average

Number of Recruits - 5

High - J.J. McCarthy - .9893

Low - Dan Villari - .8464

Average - .9209

Minnesota

2017

Tanner Morgan - 3* - .8375

2018

Victor Viramontes - 3* - .8851

2019

Jacob Clark - 3* - .8850

Cole Kramer - 3* .8519

2020

None

2021

Athan Kaliakmanis - 4* - .8988

Range and Average

Number of Recruits - 5

High - Athan Kaliakmanis - .8988

Low - Tanner Morgan - .8375

Average - .8717

Nebraska

2017

Tristan Gebbia - 4* - .9248

2018

Adrian Martinez - 4* - .9423

2019

None

2020

Logan Smothers - 4* - .8975

2021

Heinrich Haarberg - 3* - .8702

Range and Average

Number of Recruits - 4

High - Adrian Martinez - .9423

Low - Heinrich Haarberg - .8702

Average - .9087

Northwestern

2017

Andrew Marty - 3* - .8382

2018

Jason Whittaker - 3* - .8602

2019

None

2020

Carl Richardson - 3* - .8485

2021

Brendan Sullivan - 3* - .8622

Range and Average

Number of Recruits - 4

High - Brendan Sullivan - .8622

Low - Andrew Marty - .8382

Average - .8523

Ohio State

2017

Tate Martell - 4* - .9739

2018

Matthew Baldwin - 4* - .8958

2019

None

2020

CJ Stroud - 4* - .9780

2021

Kyle McCord - 5* - .9882

Range and Average

Number of Recruits - 4

High - Kyle McCord - .9882

Low - Matthew Baldwin - .8958

Average - .9590

Penn State

2017

Sean Clifford - 4* - .9223

2018

Will Levis - 3* - .8689

2019

Ta’Quan Roberson - 4* - .9045

Michael Johnson Jr. - 4* - .8905

2020

Micah Bowens - 3* - .8851

2021

Christian Veilleux - 3* - .8817

Range and Average

Number of Recruits - 6

High - Sean Clifford - .9223

Low - Will Levis - .8689

Average - .8922

Rutgers

2017

Johnathan Lewis - 3* - .8558

2018

Artur Sitkowski - 3* - .8881

Jalen Chatman - 3* - .8410

2019

Cole Snyder - 3* - .8280

2020

Evan Simon - 3* - .8539

2021

None

Range and Average

Number of Recruits - 5

High - Artur Sitkowski - .8881

Low - Cole Snyder - .8280

Average - .8534

Wisconsin

2017

Jack Coan - 3* - .8714

Danny Vanden Boom - 3* - .8106

2018

Chase Wolf - 3* - .8526

2019

Graham Mertz - 4* - .9689

2020

None

2021

Deacon Hill - 3* - .8791

Range and Average

Number of Recruits - 5

High - Graham Mertz - .9689

Low - Danny Vanden Boom - .8106

Average - .8765

Average QB Ranking 2017-2021

Ohio State - .9590

Michigan - .9209

Nebraska - .9087

Maryland - .8941

Penn State - .8922

Wisconsin - .8765

Minnesota - .8717

Purdue - .8706

Iowa - .8657

Indiana - .8612

Michigan State - .8563

Rutgers - .8534

Northwestern - .8523

Illinois - .8405

Highest Rated Recruit QB Recruit 2017 - 2021

Michigan - J.J. McCarthy - .9893

Ohio State - Kyle McCord - .9882

Wisconsin - Graham Mertz - .9689

Nebraska - Adrian Martinez - .9423

Penn State - Sean Clifford - .9223

Maryland - Kasim Hill - .9110

Purdue - Michael Alaimo - .9071

Minnesota - Athan Kaliakmanis - .8988

Indiana - Donaven McCulley - .8939

Michigan State - Theo Day - .8898

Rutgers - Artur Sitkowski - .8881

Iowa - Spencer Petras - .8858

Northwestern - Brendan Sullivan - .8622

Illinois - Coran Taylor - .8580

What I Find Interesting

This shakes out about how you would expect, with a few exceptions.

Higher Than Expected

The Nebraska name still does well in recruiting. They’ve been fairly consistent in their quarterback recruiting even without consistent results. Brand names, even if they’re dusty and tarnished, sill matter in football recruiting.

Maryland is a bit of a surprise. They’ve dealt with a ton of transfers, and have only recruited 3 high school quarterbacks in the last 5 seasons. This skews the results a little, but I still didn’t expect to see them in the top 4.

Lower Than Expected

Iowa is a consistent winner, but they’re not reliant on the quarterback position. It’s still surprising to see them 9th in the Big10 over the last 5 years. An Iowa team with an elite quarterback is one of the big “what if’s” in college football. You would think they could see that.

Wisconsin falls in the same category as Iowa. They’re 6th in the Big10, which is respectable, but over the last 5 years, they’re the second best team in the Big10 behind Ohio State. They did land high 4* Graham Mertz, but he’s yet to beat out the more experienced Jack Coan. It looks like Coan is the favorite to win the job again in 2020.

Transfers

The fact that Ohio State and Michigan are on top of the quarterback recruiting list isn’t surprising. What is somewhat surprising is both schools have leaned on transfer quarterbacks recently, despite their success in recruiting high school talent. Ohio State scooped up Justin Fields despite having an embarrassment of riches at the position already. Michigan went with Shea Patterson even though he never lived up to his 5* billing on the field.

The following teams could potentially start a transfer quarterback this season

Ohio State

Maryland

Purdue

Northwestern

Illinois

Rutgers

That’s quite a few programs looking outside the players they recruited out of high school for an answer at quarterback. I expect this to be the norm in college football with the suction of the transfer portal pulling in more and more players. Teams that don’t go outside the program for a starting quarterback have a solid card to play in recruiting.

Minnesota

The Gophers are the only team in the Big10 starting their lowest rated quarterback. P.J. Fleck found a diamond in the Kentucky Bluegrass and it’s paid off handsomely. The Gophers have shot up the Big10 rankings with one of the lowest rated high school quarterbacks in the league.

What It Means for Purdue

On paper, Purdue has done a solid job in recruiting quarterbacks. It’s a little deceiving though, because this is one position that has taken off in the last 2 cycles. If you throw in 4* Brady Allen in 2022, Purdue will have signed 3 straight 4* quarterbacks. Jeff Brohm’s system, tied with Purdue’s reputation as “The Cradle of Quarterbacks” has made West Lafayette a destination for prep quarterbacks, but it took a while for things to take off.

At the same point, if Austin Burton wins the job in 2020, you’ve got to consider the first three quarterback classes as misses. This is surprising considering Brohm’s reputation as a quarterback guru, but if Burton does win the job, I don’t expect quarterback transfers to be the norm at Purdue unless a 5* guy falls in their lap. They’re ordering towards the top of the quarterback menu, and that means fewer misses overall.

The goal for the Purdue program is to put together a squad that can fight for a division title, and when they win one, pull an upset with their high powered offense in the Big10 Championship game. Their recruiting at the quarterback position under Brohm is sufficient to pull that off, especially in the 2020, 2021, and 2022 classes. Quarterback is the most important position in football, and Purdue looks to be in good shape, compared to the rest of the Big10, moving forward.