Purdue Rolling In Recruiting In Year One Of Walters’ Era
Ryan Walters hasn’t even coached his first game at Purdue, but what he’s doing on the recruiting trail is turning a lot of heads.
In the last week alone, Walters and his coaching staff have lured four four-star recruits to West Lafayette, and no doubt more are on their way.
As a result, Purdue’s current recruiting class is soaring according to the recruiting pundits.
After four-star Ohio safety Koy Beasley committed to the Boilermakers on last night, Purdue’s 2024 recruiting class catapulted 10 spots to No. 19 nationally in 247Sports Recruiting Rankings. Rivals.com has Purdue’s current class as the 23rd-best in the country and on3.com has it 24th.
The Boilermakers are on the verge of signing one of their best recruiting classes ever, and potential THE BEST.
Not bad for Year One of the Walters Era.
Of the 16 verbal commitments, four are rated four stars, including wide receiver Keonde Henry out of Texas, quarterback Marcos Davila also out of the Lone Star State and athlete Luke Williams from Illinois.
Four of the recruits are instate products – Nappanee cornerback Jo’Ziah Edmond, Indianapolis cornerback Hudauri Hines, Fort Wayne offensive tackle Jordan King and Brownsburg kicker Spencer Porath.
Purdue have won some impressive recruiting battles, too, in landing its most heralded players.
They beat out Georgia, USC, Wisconsin, Arkansas and Pitt among others for Beasley.
Texas A&M, Miami (Fla.), Colorado, TCU and Mississippi State were some of the suitors for Davila.
Williams was courted by Big Ten schools like Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Northwestern and several others.
So why are Purdue’s recruiting fortunes changing?
Well, the Boilermakers are coming off their first Big Ten West Championship ever, which included a program-first appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game in December in Indianapolis.
No doubt last year’s eight-win season and a Jan. 2 bowl appearance helped in recruiting.
However, more than ever, Purdue’s recruiting is surging because of one man … its first-year head coach.
Walters is one of college football’s youngest head coaches. He’s super energetic, personable and is one of four Black head coaches in the Big Ten and just the second Black head football coach in Purdue history. All those traits translate very well on the recruiting trail.
Walters can certainly talk the talk and walk the walk.
He played safety at the University of Colorado and quickly ascended in the coaching ranks, emerging as one of the nation’s top defensive coordinator gurus when he guided Illinois to being regarded as one of the top units in the country. As a result, Walters was a finalist for the Broyles Award, celebrating the nation’s top coordinator.
Without questions, Walters and his impressive coaching staff are putting together a first recruiting class most coaches can only dream of.
Although recruiting never stops, soon a lot of Walters’ focus will shift to the 2023 season.
Purdue will face a grueling schedule and if the young Walters can lead the Boilermakers to their fifth bowl appearance in the last seven seasons, his program will really be rolling.
Walters already has really good momentum going for him with things looking pretty bright in West Lafayette. Imagine what a winning 2023 season could do for Purdue’s recruiting fortunes?
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