Football Recruiting Recap

GoldandBlack.com breaks down all of the happenings in Purdue football recruiting. Visitors from over the weekend, the fallout from Israel Abrams landing at Miami, more spring visits are on tap, and more.

New offers:

Weekend visitors:

A lot of talent was on campus over the weekend to take in Purdue’s scrimmage on Saturday. A list of the invitees:

2027 four-star Brookwood (Ga.) running back Brayden Tyson

2027 four-star Yorktown (Ind.) EDGE Chris Wilson

2027 four-star Corbin (Ky.) defensive lineman Malachi Brown

2027 four-star Franklin Central (Ind.) EDGE Jayce Brewer

2027 three-star Atherton (Ky.) defensive lineman Zai’Vion Meads

2027 Heritage (Ga.) wide receiver Brayden Stoker

2027 three-star C.E. King (Tx.) running back Tristan Willis

2027 three-star Grayson (Ga.) defensive lineman Waylon Wooten

2027 three-star Simeon (Ill.) EDGE Brian DeMoss

2028 three-star North Central (Ind.) quarterback Chase Grove

2028 St. John’s Preparatory (Mass.) wide receiver Riley Selvais

2027 Anderson (Oh.) wide receiver Tysin Weaver

2028 New Palestine (Ind.) defensive lineman Sam Hirschy

Dallas Crescenzo set to be on campus:

Purdue’s lone 2027 commitment, three-star wide receiver Dallas Crescenzo is expected on campus on Thursday for a return trip to what is currently his future home.

Crescenzo committed to Purdue back in the fall, but has since seen several programs enter the mix in hopes of a flip. Oklahoma State and Kentucky have both offered and he has an official visit scheduled with the Cowboys in June. Don’t be surprised to see Kentucky join the plans, as well.

Purdue will get Crescenzo on campus and will have a chance to further solidify the commitment, but the Texas product seems like he is going to continue looking around at other options.

Fallout from Israel Abrams decision:

A big domino fell on Friday, when Israel Abrams, Purdue’s longtime top quarterback target, committed to Miami (FL). The Boilermakers were a legitimate threat to swipe Abrams away from several college football elites, but a winding recruitment ended in Coral Gables for the four-star out of Illinois.

So, now what?

Purdue still has several quarterback targets to pursue in the cycle.

The top two are perceived as Prince Avenue Christian (Ga.) three-star and App State commit Ben Musser and Gaither (Fla.) three-star Joaquin Kavouklis. Both signal callers took unofficial visits with the Boilermakers this spring and are names Purdue is high on.

Musser is still committed to App State, but has seen a flurry of Power 4 schools push for a flip. Purdue is among them, along with Utah and Iowa State.

Kavouklis has cast a wide net since backing off his Arkansas pledge, and Purdue is among the top teams pushing for the Florida native. Kavouklis has visited Georgia Tech, Liberty and Western Kentucky this spring.

Another name to watch is Owensboro Catholic signal caller, Dre’Mail Carothers, who was on campus last week. Carothers does not have an offer from the Boilermakers, but Darin Hinshaw and company have showed interest. Should one materialize, it would be intriguing. Carothers is as productive as any quarterback in the country, throwing for 4,022 yards and 49 touchdowns last fall. Louisville, North Carolina, and Oregon State are among the top suitors for the Kentucky native at the moment.

Glasgow (Ky.) signal caller Landen Holley is another name worth monitoring. Originally from Florida, Holley moved to Kentucky ahead of his senior year. Georgia Tech is a mainstay in his recruitment, but Purdue has offered and intrigues him as well. Kentucky, Louisville, and Mississippi State have expressed interest as well.

Upcoming spring visits:

Expect another big weekend in West Lafayette on the recruiting front, coinciding with Purdue’s spring showcase on Saturday. A number of prospects are expected on campus, and the list will grow between now and then.

2028 Bishop McNamara (MD.) wide receiver Jordin Williams – April 10

2027 three-star Brush (Oh.) EDGE Munir Lewis – April 10

2028 four-star Bolingbrook (Ill.) EDGE Darieon Prescott – April 10

2028 four-star De Smet (Mo.) tight end Ridge Janes – April 10

2028 three-star Carmel (Ind.) safety Drake Coellner – April 11

Official visit tracker: (As of April 6, 2026)

April 10-12:

Four-star New Palestine (Ind.) tight end Mason Oglesby

Four-star Callaway (Miss.) offensive tackle Li’Marcus Jones

Sioux City East (Iowa.) linebacker Kason Clayborne

Four-star Franklin Central (Ind.) EDGE Jayce Brewer

May 29-31:

Ben Davis (Ind.) cornerback Keontay Toomer

Heritage (Ga.) wide receiver Brayden Stoker

La Marque (Tx.) linebacker Anthony James

Goodpasture Christian School (Tenn.) athlete/defensive back Brandon ‘Slim’ Leavell

Mount Miguel (Calif.) cornerback Gianni Porilio

June 5-7:

Three-star Archbishop Moeller (Oh.) offensive lineman Patrick O’Brien

Three-star Bridge City (Tx.) linebacker Bryce Breeden

Four-star C.E King (Tx.) running back Tristan Willis

Buford (Ga.) defensive back Silas Nuckles

Three-star Riverdale (Tenn.) safety Hudson Fuqua (Mississippi State commit)

Three-star Charles W. Flanigan (Fla.) wide receiver Jacob Thomas (Pitt commit)

Lakota West (Oh.) cornerback Roman Combs

Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) safety Taylor Daniels

Three-star Grayson (Ga.) safety London Goggans

Three-star St. Laurence (Ill.) linebacker Sean Rice

Three-star Basha (Ariz.) EDGE TK Cunningham

June 12-14:

Three-star Bastrop (Fla.) wide receiver Dallas Crescenzo (Commit)

Three-star Santaluces Community (Fla.) running back Kelsey Gerald

Four-star Yorktown (Ind.) EDGE Chris Wilson

Four-star Corbin (Ky.) defensive lineman Malachi Brown

Three-star Warren Central (Ind.) running back Keyon Thomas

West (Ut.) offensive lineman Titus Lopati

June 19-21:

Three-star Brownsburg (Ind.) wide receiver Branden Sharpe

Three-star Atherton (Ky.) defensive lineman Zai’Vion Meads

Official visitors by position:

Position	Confirmed visitors
Quarterback	1 – Abrams
Running back	4 – Thomas, Gerald, Willis, Wallace
Wide receiver	4 – Sharpe, Crescenzo, Stoker, Thomas
Tight end	1 – Oglesby
Offensive line	3 – Jones, O’Brien, Lopati
Defensive line	2 – Meads, Brown
EDGE	3 – Wilson, Brewer, Cunningham
Linebacker	4 – Clayborne, James, Breeden, Rice
Cornerback	3 – Nuckles, Toomer, Combs
Safety	3 – Goggans, Daniels, Leavell