INDIANAPOLIS — Hello, me again.
After covering the EYBL at Westfield the past two days, today was football and spending the day at the Rivals Camp at Ben Davis gave me both horrific sunburn, as is my custom with outdoor events this time of year, and a look and chats with a bunch of Purdue targets.
Here's a look at Dillon Thieneman.
Thieneman, whose older brothers both played safety at Purdue, as he's being recruited to, has visited Purdue, Northwestern and Minnesota lately and says he'll make some official visits in June, so the thought that he could commit early to the Boilermakers wouldn't jibe with his stated plan right now.
The Westfield High School DB came in at around 6-foot and was 190 pounds, looking physically like his older players later in their college careers.
Hard to tell in drills, but looks like a pretty well equipped player from a physical standpoint.
The other Purdue targets there most notably were defensive tackle Kendrick Gilbert, corner Cristian Conyer and wide receivers Malik Elzy and Anthony Brown.
I'll have stories on all of them to come but a couple things ...
• Gilbert has national offers but just visited Purdue for the spring game and seems really engaged with them and with Mark Hagen from a recruiting perspective. My guess is Purdue's on his official visit docket when that time comes and they're probably a factor throughout the process. Gilbert is probably going to be a defensive tackle, but what I saw from him today and looking at his body type, I don't think defensive end would be unreasonable.
• Elzy and Brown both visited Purdue this spring, Brown for the spring game and Elzy prior.
Elzy's a national recruit, a grown man at wide receiver and was the receiver MVP today. He is big-time, so we'll see what happens when he cuts his list here pretty soon, whether they make it or not. But he did visit and did mention Garrick McGee and the impression he's made thus far, and with big-time kids this time of year, if they know the names of the coach recruiting them, that's a really positive sign. I know that sounds cynical but there are little ways like that to know whether a kid is really engaged with a school or he's just throwing platitudes out there.
Brown is small, like 5-8, but mentioned Rondale Moore as one of the players he tries to mold himself after. Brown was committed to Minnesota for a while and actually visited Purdue — or was supposed to — while he was committed, then came back for the spring game when he was open again.
He might be one to watch from a Purdue perspective. He's really fast and quick.
Brown's still considering Minnesota and visiting there the next few weeks. They have a new OC so I'm sure he wants to get a sense for his plans and stuff.
Can't remember the rest of his list right now, but will write that story in the next day or two.
• Conyer's top three is a final three. It is Purdue, Tennessee and Kentucky. He's booked official visits to UT and UK and will soon do so with Purdue, he said.
He's another one of these pterodactyl corners. I don't know when DBs all got so tall, but that's a big deal in football right now.
My guess Purdue will be hard-pressed to sign Conyer given the SEC offers (in all their forms) he'll have, but he's definitely given Purdue a strong look, being from Bowling Green, Ky., where Jeff Brohm's staff and Ryan Wallace's family have strong connections.
After covering the EYBL at Westfield the past two days, today was football and spending the day at the Rivals Camp at Ben Davis gave me both horrific sunburn, as is my custom with outdoor events this time of year, and a look and chats with a bunch of Purdue targets.
Here's a look at Dillon Thieneman.
Thieneman, whose older brothers both played safety at Purdue, as he's being recruited to, has visited Purdue, Northwestern and Minnesota lately and says he'll make some official visits in June, so the thought that he could commit early to the Boilermakers wouldn't jibe with his stated plan right now.
The Westfield High School DB came in at around 6-foot and was 190 pounds, looking physically like his older players later in their college careers.
Hard to tell in drills, but looks like a pretty well equipped player from a physical standpoint.
The other Purdue targets there most notably were defensive tackle Kendrick Gilbert, corner Cristian Conyer and wide receivers Malik Elzy and Anthony Brown.
I'll have stories on all of them to come but a couple things ...
• Gilbert has national offers but just visited Purdue for the spring game and seems really engaged with them and with Mark Hagen from a recruiting perspective. My guess is Purdue's on his official visit docket when that time comes and they're probably a factor throughout the process. Gilbert is probably going to be a defensive tackle, but what I saw from him today and looking at his body type, I don't think defensive end would be unreasonable.
• Elzy and Brown both visited Purdue this spring, Brown for the spring game and Elzy prior.
Elzy's a national recruit, a grown man at wide receiver and was the receiver MVP today. He is big-time, so we'll see what happens when he cuts his list here pretty soon, whether they make it or not. But he did visit and did mention Garrick McGee and the impression he's made thus far, and with big-time kids this time of year, if they know the names of the coach recruiting them, that's a really positive sign. I know that sounds cynical but there are little ways like that to know whether a kid is really engaged with a school or he's just throwing platitudes out there.
Brown is small, like 5-8, but mentioned Rondale Moore as one of the players he tries to mold himself after. Brown was committed to Minnesota for a while and actually visited Purdue — or was supposed to — while he was committed, then came back for the spring game when he was open again.
He might be one to watch from a Purdue perspective. He's really fast and quick.
Brown's still considering Minnesota and visiting there the next few weeks. They have a new OC so I'm sure he wants to get a sense for his plans and stuff.
Can't remember the rest of his list right now, but will write that story in the next day or two.
• Conyer's top three is a final three. It is Purdue, Tennessee and Kentucky. He's booked official visits to UT and UK and will soon do so with Purdue, he said.
He's another one of these pterodactyl corners. I don't know when DBs all got so tall, but that's a big deal in football right now.
My guess Purdue will be hard-pressed to sign Conyer given the SEC offers (in all their forms) he'll have, but he's definitely given Purdue a strong look, being from Bowling Green, Ky., where Jeff Brohm's staff and Ryan Wallace's family have strong connections.
