Cooper Kitchel - Fr.
West Lafayette, IN (West Lafayette HS)
6'2", 187 pounds
Linebacker
2024 Projection: Likely Redshirt
This is a weird one for me to write, mostly because today's player is the son of a player who was a starter when I was at Purdue as a student. As a result, that makes me old.
Cooper Kitchell is a townie walk-on from West Lafayette HS, where he won three conference championships as a two-way player. He had
664 receiving yards with eight touchdowns and made 36 tackles as a senior in. As a junior he had four touchdown receptions on 226 yards with 47 tackles and a pair of sacks in 2022.
As for his dad? It is Kelly Kitchel, a long-time member of the Purdue football radio crew and he was a multi-year starter during the Drew Brees era. Kelly Kitchel started for Purdue in 2001 and 2002 and was a key member of the Rose Bowl team. To go back even further, I remember seeing Kelly play basketball for Lewis Cass HS in the Marion Regional during the final one-class Indiana HS tournament in 1997.
This is definitely a family affair, as his grandfather and uncle both played basketball at Purdue. Even his twin brother brother Carson is currently on the roster as a walk-on quarterback.
Cooper himself is a longshot to see the field this year, but he should be a quality practice player.
West Lafayette, IN (West Lafayette HS)
6'2", 187 pounds
Linebacker
2024 Projection: Likely Redshirt
This is a weird one for me to write, mostly because today's player is the son of a player who was a starter when I was at Purdue as a student. As a result, that makes me old.
Cooper Kitchell is a townie walk-on from West Lafayette HS, where he won three conference championships as a two-way player. He had
664 receiving yards with eight touchdowns and made 36 tackles as a senior in. As a junior he had four touchdown receptions on 226 yards with 47 tackles and a pair of sacks in 2022.
As for his dad? It is Kelly Kitchel, a long-time member of the Purdue football radio crew and he was a multi-year starter during the Drew Brees era. Kelly Kitchel started for Purdue in 2001 and 2002 and was a key member of the Rose Bowl team. To go back even further, I remember seeing Kelly play basketball for Lewis Cass HS in the Marion Regional during the final one-class Indiana HS tournament in 1997.
This is definitely a family affair, as his grandfather and uncle both played basketball at Purdue. Even his twin brother brother Carson is currently on the roster as a walk-on quarterback.
Cooper himself is a longshot to see the field this year, but he should be a quality practice player.
