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Welcome to this week's “BOILING OVER,” GoldandBlack.com’s weekly information-clearinghouse and analysis column meant for our site members and site members only. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in helping us keep what is sometimes delicate or proprietary information confined to this message board. This feature allows us to be more flexible in our reporting, to our readers' benefit, and we lose that ability if we can't keep this feature secure and the value of our site's membership at its peak. Additionally, we address recruiting and hiring processes in-depth and often without filter in this feature and we do it behind a subscription-protected barrier for a reason, in hopes of avoiding situations where our reporting can impact the recruiting process, which can happen occasionally.
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PURDUE FOOTBALL RECRUITING
So, the big news today from a recruiting perspective was the commitment of Texas wide receiver Zion Steptoe, which pre-empted the news that we had to lead this off here this week.
The other day, Steptoe told us that Purdue was back in the picture following his decommitment from Utah — which we believe to be style-of-play-related — and that he and his family would be visiting for the Wisconsin game in a few weeks.
That was a pretty good indication of his intentions.
It was surprising back In June when Steptoe committed to Utah, as things seemed pretty well lined up for Purdue. The Boilermaker coaching staff brought him In for an official visit before any other receivers and did so on the same weekend QB recruit Brady Allen made an official visit. The two had been communicating off-line prior. Often, Purdue has held Its previously committed players' visits off until right before the signing date, but them bringing in Allen for that first big recruiting weekend in June seemed strategic, Steptoe being part of that strategy.
Anyway, we're rambling here.
Steptoe seemed like the wide receiver Purdue wanted back In the summer, and now has him and Curtis Deville committed at the position, assuming both stick. Always have to put out that qualifier nowadays. We think Steptoe is a mid-year grad as well.
It is a total coincidence that he committed the same that Marcellus Moore played red-light, green-light with the transfer portal and wound up on green. That's a much bigger loss for the track program at Purdue than the football program, and the guess here now is that Moore already has a spot lined up in the SEC for track, with football paying the bills.
Anyway, back to Steptoe.
With his commitment, we are aware of only one other possibility for the pre-transfer wire portion of this 2022 class.
That's West Lafayette defensive tackle Mo Omonode, who's still deliberating between Purdue and Arkansas State, best we can tell. Whether Purdue would go the distance waiting on that one, we don't know, but he remains a target.
Purdue will go hard and heavy at the transfer portal again this spring, and every spring.
Have the first five games revealed the most urgent needs?
Hard to know at this point, without knowing whether any seniors would be come back or who might be leaving ahead of schedule, but a pass-rusher would seem important. Running back, for sure. Corner, again. Offensive line, always. A defensive tackle, perhaps, though they brought in a lot of bodies there last year who can still return next season.
And what about quarterback? (BN)
PURDUE BASKETBALL
This summer, Paul Lusk — now the coordinator of Purdue's defense — said that he thought Jaden Ivey could be "one of the best two-way guys in the country if he commits to it."
Ivey says he has.
"If feel like I'm better. This summer, I really tried to focus on being a better defender," he said. "... I've been trying to dig in on the defensive end, do the little things, jump to the ball, closing out with my hands high. With the confidence I have In myself, I feel like I can do it. It's just a matter of executing."
This summer, Ivey — who has access to NBA circles — found himself In the company of some pros, and named Daveon Mitchell (Sacramento Kings), Isaiah Stewart (Detroit Pistons) and Isaiah Jackson (Pacers) as some of those he trained with, exposing him to some high-level defenders. Mitchell in particular was one of the most impactful defensive guards In college basketball last season for national champ Baylor.
PURDUE BASKETBALL
Friday Is Purdue's turn at Big Ten media day, with Matt Painter and players Trevion Williams, Sasha Stefanovic and Eric Hunter representing the Boilermakers in Indianapolis.
Stay tuned throughout the day for coverage from Purdue's portions of the events and we'll have stories and such to follow next week as well. (BN)
Editorial note: There most likely will not a BO next week, as I will be out of town on a long-planned family trip. Our coverage of next weekend Purdue fan day scrimmage will be non-traditional as well.
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