Recruiting News and Notes

Welcome to “Recruiting News and Notes,” GoldandBlack.com’s weekly information clearinghouse, a spot for assorted bits of Purdue news, analysis and so on and so forth, intended for GoldandBlack.com members and GoldandBlack.com members only. We do respectfully ask that you please do your best to keep proprietary info shared here within the confines of this site.

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PURDUE BASKETBALL RECRUITING

Purdue Class of 2026 target Luke Ertel visits unofficially Monday and we’ll remind you here that the Mount Vernon guard hasn’t been shy about saying that he’s not averse to making an early college decision. It would be a safe assumption to believe Purdue to be a very strong possibility here, maybe soon.

Butler and Wake Forest also offered the junior very early, suggesting more high-major offers could come in time, but again, Ertel doesn’t seem like he needs to play anything out, provided these visits go well enough. Not sure if he has made a recruiting-specific visit to Butler or not or whether he’d need to considering he’s been around them a lot in his life.

Should Ertel commit to Purdue, we would expect them to take multiple guards, including another point guard. Ertel’s value may lie most as a combo, as a multi-positional ball-handler and defender who can play on and off the ball and be a spark-type with his defense and competitiveness. There’s always going to be a place for guys like that at Purdue. But this is the post-Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer class so the backcourt is going to need an infusion, even if CJ Cox has been a revelation and Gicarri Harris pretty close to being a sure thing to at least be a rock-solid player.

And the 2025 class, it will bring backcourt help, too, most likely, as Antione West of Toledo is a priority, his list narrowed to Purdue, Nebraska, Dayton and Ohio State. Where Xavier went in all of this, we don’t know, as they were all over him for the longest time. Michigan offered, too.

We expect West to officially visit Purdue the second weekend in September. He does have an official visit on the books to Ohio State, but they’re chasing Darryn Peterson and Jerry Easter, too, so the timing of that visit is probably purposeful on their end.

West has already visited Dayton.

Looking pretty good for Purdue here in our view. He did say that Purdue has been his “favorite basketball school” in response to a question about whether he is drawn to the Big Ten in particular, because of Carsen Edwards and Jaden Ivey. Purdue has more juice with guards now than ever before.

Trent Sisley comes next weekend for his OV, and Tre Singleton the weekend after that, same weekend as West. (BN)

PURDUE FOOTBALL

• Purdue is at 85 scholarships. The final player added: sophomore ILB Hudson Miller, a rough-and-tough product of Cathedral who is a valuable special-teamer. (TD)

• Speaking of special teams, the biggest camp surprise has been Andrew Adkison, a 6-0, 190-pound walk-on WR from Mountain View, Calif. You’ll see him on ST. No. 83 is fast and physical. (TD)

• The true freshmen most likely to play:
K Spencer Porath
CB Tarrion Grant
S Smiley Bradford
WR Shamar Rigby
RB Jaheim Merriweather
DL Demeco Kennedy

• As mentioned on the board earlier this week, ILB Yanni Karlaftis must sit out the opener vs. Indiana State after being ejected in the second half of the finale vs. Indiana last season for targeting. He is often on the field in tandem with Kydran Jenkins. Without Karlaftis, Winston Berglund could see more time. He’s battling fellow redshirt freshman Owen Davis for No. 3 ILB. (TD)

• No only will Ryan Walters speak at a formal press conference on Mondays in 2024, but OC Graham Harrell and DC Kevin Kane will, too. This was the format Illinois used when Walters worked in Champaign, and he liked it. Last year, only Walters spoke on Monday. Harrell (Tuesday) and Kane (Wednesday) spoke after practices. (TD)

PURDUE BASKETBALL

Just a few quick notes/observations …

• Trey Kaufman-Renn looks like a star right now. He’s shooting really well, moving really well, being physical and, per usual, scoring around the basket like a guy who’s gonna put up big numbers this season.

As much as anything, and mind you it’s only practice, he is passing and playmaking really well. For the engagement-farmers out there who might be reading this, playmaking doesn’t mean “playing point guard.” It means passing out of the post, weaponizing help, using the dribble to establish passing angles, etc. This is going to be one of the more important elements to Purdue’s offensive mix this season, because the way it plays inside-out makes its post guy one of the most important decision-makers on the floor.

• Purdue seems to believe Gicarri Harris can be not just a good defender, but an elite one in time. Expecting that right away might be a big ask, but his ground floor might still be a huge plus.

• CJ Cox just belongs. That’s what jumps out. He’s very confident, very comfortable and aggressive and a really good player. He can really make shots, but also create shots and sure seems like a guy who’ll be the aggressor on defense.

• Daniel Jacobsen‘s body has a long way to go, and you do see moments where it’s evident he’s playing against older guys now unlike that USA team, but he is so sudden for his size. He’s quick as a shot-blocker – quick and 7-foot-4 are a good combination — and nimble in pick-and-roll and the diving mechanisms in motion. We’d probably expect some ups and downs this season, but the need is there in the short term and the big picture in all this might make any struggles now well worth it later.

• If Purdue needed him to, Jack Benter could probably help them offensively right now.

• Myles Colvin is in a very different place now than he was a year ago. There are some really exciting potential outcomes for him this season, but he has to guard and rebound, and seems to be.

• Caleb Furst flashed a few times at Monday’s practice, but not sure that’s anything new. Ability has never been an issue there.

• Braden Smith is still really good. No need to mention that every week still.

Requisite reminder that just because some was not mentioned here, that doesn’t mean they’ve been swallowed up by a hole in the earth. (BN)

PURDUE FOOTBALL RECRUITING

• Staffers are waiting for the start of high school football season, which kicks off on Friday. Coaches will be busy watching games once that starts up. And Purdue is still talking to 2025 recruits that committed elsewhere like DL Kyler Garcia (Indiana), RE Jayden Woods (Penn State) and RE Mariyon Dye (Tennessee), always selling, always trying to flip. (TD)

• Four-star 2026 S Marcello Vitti of Divine Child in Detroit will visit for the opener vs. Indiana State. He’s one of Purdue’s top safety targets in the 2026 class. Kaden Gebhardt of Lewis Center, Ohio (Olentangy High) is the other.

What’s Vitti looking forward to?

“The game experience, for sure,” he told GoldandBlack.com via a text message. “It will be my first time watching a home game at Purdue. I also look forward to seeing the DBs and Dillon Thieneman in action after spending time with (safeties) Coach OB (Grant O’Brien) to understand the way the safeties play.” (TD)

• 2026 RB Jayzon Thompson of Bearden High in Knoxville, Tenn., also confirmed that he will visit for the ISU game. At 5-10, 170, he’s a waterbug of sorts. (TD)

• What is Purdue getting in 2025 ILB Sam Steward? He brings elite speed and explosiveness to the ILB position. A great motor and a tough mentality. Average size for the position; will need to physically develop, get bigger and stronger and grow into the position over the next year or two. (TD)

• What is Purdue getting in 2026 CB Zyntreacs Otey? Good size, length and position versatility to play any number of DB positions on the back end. Good young athlete that’s still raw and needs to develop. (TD)