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We don't have much in the way of official visitors for Purdue this weekend — other than committed wide receiver Jordan Bonner — but there's lots going on, so here's a bunch of intel from around the landscape.
We don't know if he plans to sign early or not, but he is officially visiting next weekend. USC figures to be a player, too, in part due to a pre-existing relationship with their running backs coach, Deland McCullough, who used to be at IU, but we do think Purdue is going to be a real player and if proximity to home matters at all, well …
But another part of this too is that we have good reason to believe now that Stepp and Louisville wide receiver Rondale Moore may be connected enough one way or another to the point that one could help lead to the other, that the two have actually communicated with each other about Purdue.
There are increasing signs that the long-held speculation about Moore and Purdue will prove legitimate. Not sure when it would happen, though, if it does, but while onlookers may get frustrated and coaches may start to get antsy, there's really no reason the kid has to rush.
That being said, we don't have any reason to believe Moore plans to sign early and no reason to believe he won't. Our guess is he signs — wherever it may be — in February, but now that coaching carousel season has run its course for the most part with only Oregon remaining open, that may remove an obstacle he's been wary about before making a move to Purdue.
It's not done yet, but very much a possibility.
Not sure Texas has even made a home visit with Moore yet, and you might wonder if it may see the writing on the wall and be proactive about things. It's continued to recruit other, in-state wide receivers.
Purdue's made Moore an absolute priority.
Point being here, Purdue has a couple of really high-end offensive players on the line here at the end, with what would appear to be a hell of a chance to get at least one of them, maybe even both.
Don't know when Moore officially visits, this weekend or next, but Stepp is coming next weekend, right before the early signing period. (BN)
We’d assume Purdue gets him in for an official visit either this weekend or next and tries to get him committed and signed early.
Next week, all the intrigue of the new signing period takes hold.
Long committed players will be expected to sign. If they don't, things get complicated. Those on the bubble can also be told that there are no guarantees in January should they put off signing in December. This isn't just a Purdue thing, but an everywhere thing.
But you see Purdue has OVs lined up for players it seems to want — wide receiver Austin Alexander and running back Evan Anderson to name two— that it hasn't technically offered yet.
Could be a couple reasons for that.
1. Coaches might want to make a big deal of making the offers in-person right before the signing period for maximum persuasiveness.
2. They're waiting on other guys before offering, but have to talk about offering to get the visits booked.
3. They're gauging interest and only offering people they know they're getting, like the semantics of "job offers" during coaching search season.
4. They're simply trying to fly under the radar, knowing an offer to a player at this stage could lead to piggy-back offers and more competition.
Whatever the case may be, Purdue's set up for a run of commitments again prior to the early signing date. (BN)
The only previously committed players who will have already visited would be QB Jack Plummer, CB Jordan Rucker, WRs Amad Anderson, Tayvonn Kyle and Bonner, so that leaves 15-plus more guys who've yet to visit officially.
On top of that robust group, Stepp, Austin Alexander, Evan Anderson and defensive ends Devin Bell and A.J. McDuffie are booked for that weekend, and maybe Moore and Kory Taylor if they don't visit this weekend.
Expect Purdue to offer and get Anderson, barring anything dramatic changing on the running back front. (And they'll take multiple backs, so he wouldn't affect Stepp.)
Assuming Purdue turns the screws on him — and Jeff Brohm just visited him, so here's guessing they do — we'd expect them to get Bell away from Western Kentucky.
We'll see about McDuffie, who's had some academic work to do. Might have to wait on him or pass altogether for that reason. But Purdue is bringing him in, so that suggests it may be able to take him if it can get him, and it would seem to be the heavy favorite. (BN)
Purdue is waiting on Louisiana safety Israel Mukuamu as what might be the last piece of their secondary puzzle. The South Carolina end of that seems confident. We'll see. (BN)
Its long-time target, Mike Parker, just committed to Alabama, where he's wanted to be all along. Not sure if that turns out a standard offer or a greyshirt.
Austin Alexander, who's 6-5, 220 or so, has been recruited by some schools as a tight end, but said Purdue's talked only about wide receiver. But he could be a possibility. (BN)
No reason to think otherwise, but health is being watched closely in recruiting these days with the new signing structure, and JUCO linebacker Evander Craft never returned to playing this season after hurting his knee early in the fall. May require some added diligence there. Destin Coates was previously broken up with over some health concerns. (BN)
But it was significant that he showed up for a return visit Sunday for the Northwestern game, because the best way for him to show Purdue it's not wasting its time continuing to recruit him is to show up, and that he did.
It was also significant because Purdue has already used its official visit with him, so it can't bring him back on its dime. So for him to come back for a game was big for Purdue, because game day is often a big recruiting plus for Purdue.
Too early to know who else is going to come after him this time around, but will assume that DePaul has way too much invested here to not hang on for dear life here.
It is way too early to know about other names for that 2018 point guard spot. The high school, prep school and junior college seasons are barely underway and the grad transfer market is obviously a total unknown. And we're not speculating on that one one bit.
Purdue has up to two spots to offer for next season. We would expect it to get Dartmouth grad transfer Evan Boudreaux if we had to guess at this point, and that would be ideal. It would fill a gaping void next season with a proven player, with a short enough runway where it wouldn't mess anything up with any of the high-level 4s Purdue is recruiting in 2019, the class where they need their next guy at that position, which will be the pitch to Keion Brooks, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Drew Timme, maybe Isaiah Stewart as a 4, etc.
We'll have coverage and video and stuff from Purdue signee Eric Hunter and targets Jackson-Davis and Brooks.
The six-game event is held at Southport High School, starting at noon.
It's $10 for the day and here's the rundown of games.
Noon: Castle vs. Southport
1:40 Culver Academy vs. Lawrence North
Purdue is looking at Culver's Trey Galloway
3:20 Hamilton Southeastern vs. Center Grove
Purdue has offered Center Grove's Jackson-Davis and is recruiting HSE's Mabor Majak
5:00 Tindley vs. McCutcheon
Purdue signed Tindley's Eric Hunter
6:40 Pickerington North vs. South Bend Riley
8:30 New Albany vs. Fort Wayne North
Purdue has offered North's Keion Brooks
(BN)
