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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 BASKETBALL RECRUITING
Just a quick note we left out last week due to air-headedness: Class of 2025 forward Trent Sisley's unofficial visit to Purdue when very, very well. Like, very well, and the family left town as impressed as ever, particularly with Matt Painter's approach during their visit.
Ultimately, like any recruitment, this will come down to what the player ultimately wants, but the family was extremely Impressed. He came with his father, mother and older brother, Blake, who's been through the recruiting process himself.
Purdue's dug in for the long haul on this one, and will be a major factor for the versatile Heritage Hills forward, who'll be coming along just as the Boilermakers should have a real need at the 4. The whole Southern Indiana thing would have made us skeptical in the past but after Trey Kaufman-Renn and Jack Benter, that might signal times changing somewhat with Purdue's recruiting south of Indianapolis.
Long way to go here still, probably. Sisley has no plan in mind for a college decision. He has years. But he's also taking a bunch of visits right now and will probably continue doing so, so they could be positioned this time a year from now or thereabouts to make a call should they so choose.
What'll be interesting here is what else comes Sisley's way. He is skilled enough to play at a really high level and he is athletic and bouncy enough, but while he's still growing, there may be some 'tweener-type perception of him once the bluebloods take a lot.
Sisley has offers now from Purdue, Indiana and Ohio State. We'd have to think Michigan State and Butler join in at some point, maybe Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, those types, and perhaps a Louisville, places like that. (BN)
PURDUE FOOTBALL
• Offensive analyst Neil Callaway is expected to be on campus on Sunday. He has been watching practice film remotely and communicating with the staff. Callaway was assistant O-line coach last year before retiring and subsequently taking a job coaching the line for the Michigan Panthers in the USFL in the spring. He also was on Purdue’s staff in 2020 as an analyst.
• In case you are wondering, Ron English will be in the press box on game days calling the defense.
• Former special teams coach Tony Levine was on campus recently to visit. His Boilermaker special teams excelled in 2017 before he abruptly stepped away and into private business for personal reasons. Levine has often talked with the staff in recent years, offering this insights.
• Former Boilermaker linebacker Kevin Sumlin (1982-86) was on campus earlier this month. The Indianapolis native was just passing through, as he has free time now that he isn’t coaching in college. Sumlin was head coach of the Houston Gamblers in the USFL in the spring. The 58-year-old most recently coached in college at Arizona (2018-20), while also coaching Houston (2008-11) and Texas A&M (2012-17).
Sumlin looked around the revamped campus and checked out the football facilities.
Sumlin was one of two donors who led the charge on a $3.75 million matching gift for Purdue Athletics in April 2021 in support of the More Than a Game Campaign.
• No walk-ons were put on scholarship this offseason. The one who probably was closest? Running back Dylan Downing. (TD)
PURDUE FOOTBALL
Purdue's plans to publicize renderings of its upcoming renovation of Ross-Ade Stadium have been pushed back a few weeks.
Expect something during Penn State game week, maybe earlier that week. (staff)
PURDUE FOOTBALL RECRUITING
If you're interested in seeing some Purdue commitments this fall, here are some highlights of the in-state schedule.
AUG 19
Cathedral at Lafayette Jeff (Cathedral: Commitment Jaron Tibbs, potential commit Kendrick Gilbert and 2024 QB target Danny O'Neil)
Carmel (commits Will Heldt and Winston Berglund) vs. Louisville Trinity
AUG 26
Cathedral at Brownsburg
Westfield (commit Dillon Thieneman) vs. Lawrence Central
SEPT 2
Carmel vs. Detroit Cass Tech
North Central (commit T.J. McWilliams) vs. Warren Central
Mount Vernon (commit George Burhenn) vs. Greenfield Central
Westfield vs. Zionsville
SEPT 9
Carmel vs. Pike
Mount Vernon vs. New Palestine
SEPT 16
Westfield vs. HSE
SEPT 23
Carmel at North Central
SEPT 30
Cathedral vs. Cincy LaSalle at Arlington
Carmel vs. Ben Davis
Mount Vernon vs. New Castle
Westfield vs Avon
OCT 7
Cathedral vs. Brebeuf
Carmel vs. LC
North Central vs. Pike
Mount Vernon vs. Shelbyville
OCT 14
Westfield vs. Franklin Central
We'll cover one of these games pretty much every weekend this fall. (BN)
