Welcome to the September 15th, 2023 rendition of the "Weekly Upload". We are proud to be sponsored by Reindeer Shuttle, locally owned and operated by Purdue graduates. Driving to the airport sucks let Reindeer Shuttle do the driving for you! With convenient pickup locations across Lafayette and on campus, Reindeer Shuttle will get you to the Airport safely and on time.
Variety of Football Visitors Tomorrow
As will be the case with every home football game this season, Coach Walters and his staff have invited a large contingency of prospects to visit campus, take a tour of facilities, and be recruited. 2024, 2025, and 2026 prospects will litter campus this weekend for the first night game of the season. Here is who is coming:
2024's
2024 Commits will be on hand as well, Jaden Ball, Luke Williams, Jordan King, Hudauri Hines, and John Randle will all be at the game.
2025's
2026 top Quarterback Commit, Sawyer Anderson will also be on hand.
2026's
Of the above-listed visitors, I would most closely watch safety, Ty Hudkins. He is of the Dillon Thieneman mold and can play a variety of positions. I am not willing to say he will commit this weekend, but Purdue is in a good position with the versatile safety.
MORE: Jace Talks Weekend Visitors
Basketball Hosting Two for Official Visits
Pretty important weekend for Coach Painter and his staff as well. Gicari Harris and Kanon Catchings will both be on hand for their official visits.
Let's start with Catchings. Kanon is now with the Overtime Elite Academy, where he will only get better as a basketball player. This Academy is growing in popularity, size, you name it. Catchings made that decision a few months back and will now be home for the weekend, then also be at his future home with Purdue. It seems like forever since the de-commit frenzy went viral. In the end, he stayed true to Purdue, even with the whispers of thousands of people in his ear.
Catchings, who is a 6-8, wing has NBA potential written all over him and can be great at Purdue. Will he arrive at Purdue and only be here for a year or two? Maybe, but in the end, this is a big fish that Coach Painter is reeling in. He is as talented of a player as Purdue has ever gotten out of high school and when he arrives, Purdue may be more of a perimeter-oriented team after the departure of Zach Edey. Catchings will be playing in a backcourt of Fletcher Loyer, Myles Colvin, Braden Smith, and others. But, he may end up being the focal point of it all... he's that good.
Harris, who the staff has long pursued is taking his official visit this weekend as well. In what will be a great environment for an official visit with any sport, Purdue hopes that Harris leaves thinking about committing to the Boilermakers. To be honest, I thought this pursuit would have been over months ago, but alas, here we are. He has taken two official visits already, with two more scheduled after the Purdue visit this weekend.
I still feel great where Purdue is at with Harris, he and his family are taking the diligent path with recruitment, which honestly is a breath of fresh air these days.
Coach Painter & Co. Casting a Wide Net
From what we have heard Coach Painter and his staff have been all over the place for evaluations on 2025 and later high school prospects. Obviously, they value the in-state kids, but it seems like they are casting a wide net once again in search of their next dominant big man. As the 2024 class is beginning to wind down, expect some more updates on his 2025, and 2026 prospects, and then in the Spring on 2023 kids that had great freshman seasons.
From finding Zach Edey out of Canada and William Berg from Sweden, he has shown his diligence as a recruiter with massive human beings, don't expect that to change now, even with him getting more and more talented each year at the guard and wing spots.
