On3 4-star ATH Jaheim Merriweather commits to Purdue

Over two dozen schools have offered Jaheim Merriweather. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound athlete out of Knoxville (Tenn.) Bearden could play on either side of the ball on the next level, but he is planning to play offense and score touchdowns for the Purdue Boilermakers.

The four-star chose Ryan Walters‘ program in the Big Ten over the likes of Kentucky, Louisville and Ole Miss.

The offer from Purdue came in January, Merriweather took his first visit to Lafayette on March 4 and the Boilermakers have landed his commitment.

“I gave them the news on Thursday,” Merriweather told On3. “I talked to Coach Lamar Conard about my decision first, then I talked to coach Walters about it. We knew about two to three weeks ago that Purdue was the school, so we made it official this week.”

The interest in Purdue went to another level after the visit last month. Before Conard came in with an offer late in January, Merriweather had not even heard of the Boilermakers. That visit changed everything.

“I knew it was the right spot for me as soon as I got on campus,” he said. “The coaches had great energy. The players were cool. All the hype was real and it just felt right. I didn’t even know anything about Purdue until that visit. Coach Conard had told me some things about it, but it was that visit that showed me what the program was all about.”

Jaheim Merriweather believes in the Purdue coaching staff

Conard played a big role, too. Before joining the new staff at Purdue, Conard coached running backs at Miami (Ohio). Merriweather was offered early by the RedHawks and that is where that relationship started.

“Coach Conard recruited me differently,” Merriweather noted. “He met me on a personal level. It has never been just about football with him. He has gotten to know me, he checks up on my momma and that meant a lot to me. He is like a father-figure to me and our relationship is on a different level. That connection was a big factor in my commitment.”

The relationship with Conard, the feeling on campus and the leadership of Coach Walters all stood out to Merriweather. His fit into the scheme has him excited about his future as well.

“They just want to get the ball in my hands. They will line me up at running back, put me in the slot and just find ways to get me the ball. It is exciting to think about what I can do in that offense. I like what they are wanting to do with me.”

Merriweather is the seventh commitment for Purdue this cycle. He is the No. 548 prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking. On3 ranks him as a four-star prospect and the No. 16 athlete in the 2024 class.