Purdue Football Recruiting: Recap and What's Next

Last week was a busy one for recruiting as we picked up 4 new commitments for the 2015 class (Matt McCann, Rob Ennis, Andy Chelf, and Ben Makowski).  As exciting as it was to finally get the ball rolling, that still only brings us to 5 commits for the season after next.  The coaching staff is gearing up for a completely full class, which means there are still in excess of 15 spots yet to fill.  I actually put off writing this article because I expected at least two more guys (more on that later) to commit this week.  In case you missed it, here's a brief rundown of what happened last week:

• We stole a guy from IU (kinda)
• We stole a guy from Rutgers (Rutgers?)
• We picked up a solid DB from Texas (TEXAS!!)
• We landed a beastly long snapper

I chose not to update the scholarship grid yet - Purdue's official site hasn't updated their roster yet and there are still rumors floating around about possible academic ineligibility with a freshman or two from this year's class (still just secondhand info at this point).  If things continue to change and take shape this week, I will include the grid with my next update.

With that in mind, it looks like we still have something like 15-18 spots yet to fill, and expect them to be filled by the end of July.  We still have glaring needs at linebacker and defensive line.  At least 8 or 9 of the remaining spots really need to be strong defensive guys, in my opinion.  Don't get me wrong - loading up on talent at any position is fine at this point - but I still see some huge holes to fill down the road that need to be addressed now.

WHAT'S NEXT?

As I stated earlier, I put off posting this article because I was almost certain we'd have two more commits to announce this week, but it hasn't happened yet.  Those two commits are offensive lineman Brandon Knight from Noblesville and running back Markell Jones from Columbus, IN.  Both are in-state solid 3-star athletes that Hazell really needs to land, in my opinion, for this class to really start gaining momentum.  I firmly believe they will both end up in West Lafayette and it's just a matter of time before they commit.  Purdue is considered to be heavy favorites for both guys.

Jones was at Purdue on an unofficial visit last week and Wisconsin this past weekend.  He is continuing to receive offers from other schools, so I hope we hear news of his commitment very, very soon.

Knight just wrapped up his visit with Purdue on Thursday and Friday, and he's in Bloomington today, so expect some more news soon.

Great Visit! #BolierUp pic.twitter.com/yycUYloGTg

— Brandon Knight (@BKNIGHT62) June 20, 2014