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Best we can tell, the headliner among uncommitted 2018 recruits — and keep in mind, 22 commitments are in hand, so the pool of remaining targets is more like a puddle — is blue-chip Louisville offensive athlete Rondale Moore, who's committed to Texas, at least for the time being, but looking. He was at Ohio State last weekend and is expected at Purdue this weekend.
If, or when, he reopens from Texas, Purdue figures to be a major player for a prospect that stars at Jeff Brohm's — and his brothers' — alma mater at Louisville Trinity and has been drawn from the get-go to the coach's offensive reputation, among other things.
Purdue was all set up to get Moore, we think, before all hell broke loose with his recruitment and everyone under the sun offered him. The commitment to Texas came after a visit and may have been made on something of a whim, but even then there were some indications that Moore would still be open to Purdue recruiting him.
Should Moore reopen, it's probably unlikely he'd jump from A to B immediately, but likely Purdue would jump to the top of the list and get an official visit, likely after the season. That's our guess, anyway.
Moore is smallish, but he's an uncommon overall athlete with elite speed and a player Purdue would undoubtedly build a multi-faceted play for within its offense, probably a combination of running back- and wide receiver-type stuff.
Additionally, Hamilton Southeastern defensive end Madison Norris — the top uncommitted player in Indiana and a target for Purdue, Indiana and others — said last night, "I'm seeing if I can open my schedule" to make it to the game Saturday.
And we are told it is possible Ben Davis running back, Mr. Football candidate and tenuous Ball State commitment Johnny Adams may join teammate and Purdue commit Elijah Ball for a visit.
You will recall Adams camped at Purdue in June and the interest seemed very mutual. Then, that night, he abruptly committed to the Cardinals in an apparent reservation situation. Not sure what the urgency then was for him to make a commitment, but he did so knowing Purdue could still be an option for him, or any P5 school, really.
It may yet be, though Purdue's in a scholarship crunch, has two running backs committed and still has a seemingly live offer out to Florida's Andrew Cunningham, who reiterated this week that he has an official visit set for December.
Moore will be surrounded by Purdue commitments on Saturday, as roughly half the class is due to visit.
Among those who have indicated they're coming (and there are some maybes in here, but hell, close enough):
• DB Elijah Ball
• DE Branson Deen
• DB Byron Perkins
• DB Kadin Smith
• TE/DE Jack Cravaack
• DL Jack Sullivan
• OT Will Bramel
• DB Cory Trice
• OT Eric Miller
• OT Jimmy McKenna (maybe)
• DT Lawrence Johnson
• JUCO LB Evander Craft
• LB Jaylan Alexander
(Obviously there are significant barriers geographically for the others.) (BN)
This is a significant opportunity to get next year's targets in front of an outstanding crowd for a big game.
Some of those who've confirmed to us they're coming …
• DL George Karlaftis (for the second time, obviously it's right down the street)
• TE Jahleel Billingsley (for the second home game in a row)
• DE J.J. Weaver
• LB Jared Casey
They all have offers already and each will be making return visits. Weaver and Casey — both from Louisville — came to camp this summer, as did Billingsley.
(Note: Pioneer athlete Jack Kiser can't make it, he said, but made it clear he would have liked to. He has a conflict, he said.)
Not sure if anything is imminent on anyone, but Purdue is engaged enough with the 2019 class at this point, has had enough of its targets on campus, in some cases multiple times, and is 'hot' enough right now where it's not outside the realm of possibility for it to be in the mix for really early junior commitments. If nothing else, this weekend could make a long-term impact for Purdue with next year's class.
There will be a ton of other visits — and we'll do our best to bring you a more thorough picture this weekend — but this is just a small, but meaningful, portion of the picture.
There will be, though, underclassmen on campus.
Indiana Elite 2020 prospects Mabor Majok and Trey Galloway of Hamilton Southeastern and Culver Academy, respectively, will visit for the second time in a matter of weeks. Offer possibilities, maybe.
Also, New Castle's Mason Gillis is a player Purdue watched in the summer and seems to be putting some time into. He's kind of a versatile forward in a football player's body, a well-built 6-7. He has MAC offers early, but Purdue has watched him pretty seriously.
Four-star Pennsylvania point guard Ethan Morton is a top-50 2020 player by Rivals.com who just got a visit from Purdue coaches Wednesday. He's expected to reciprocate this weekend with a visit to campus.
Others may be 2021s from Ohio Jack Pugh and Zach Loveday, both of which visited this summer for a pre-World University Games practice. Loveday was offered.
Class of 2019 target Isaiah Thompson says he's coming this weekend, but he's basically a partial resident at this point, so …
We do think Thompson gets offered at some point, but likely after the 2018 cycle runs its course. (BN)
Should Taylor get the proverbial "sixth year," then that would give him two years following Isaac Haas' departure, giving the Boilermakers an experienced presence — on paper, at least — as young player Matt Haarms keeps developing and newcomers Dowuona and Trevion Williams walk in the door.
Williams looks like a player who can and will play the 4 and 5 much like Caleb Swanigan did, so that flexibility amounts to another option at a position where Purdue looks way more thoroughly covered now in the future than it would have on paper at the beginning of the 2018 recruiting cycle. (BN)
Hunter visits Minnesota next weekend, then one would think a decision could come shortly thereafter.
Ohio State is almost certainly no longer an option after it landed Duane Washington yesterday. The Buckeyes are taking multiple guards in this class, but the similarities between the two in general profile are actually the reason we don't think Purdue offered Washington.
Hunter has liked Minnesota all along, but we do think the proximity issue will be difficult for them to overcome. Purdue has done the best job with Hunter underscoring importance, etc., and in building a strong relationship.
Have to think Purdue's in great shape here, but just has to wait it out.
Conceivable Hunter shows up at Purdue this weekend for another unofficial, but we'd doubt it. There's some sentiment to try to give each school as even a look as possible during this end-game phase.
If Purdue can get Hunter wrapped up, then we don't know where things go. It could be content to let Hunter stand as the point guard in this class, though that wouldn't be his primary position, most likely, in college, but rather one he could play some in a combo capacity.
But Purdue would probably want to add a fourth recruit and additional guard to this class, whether it be early, in-season (as in a transfer) or in the spring. (BN)
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