Another Anthrop in the fold
Jackson Anthrop, the younger brother of former Boilermakers Dru and Danny Anthrop, committed to Purdue Sunday after being offered a scholarship following a weekend visit.
The scholarship will take effect in the fall if space allows; otherwise, Anthrop will join Purdue's program under a grayshirt-style plan, then go on scholarship for the spring semester.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pound athlete from Lafayette Central Catholic was recruited to play wide receiver for Purdue.
"Purdue's in your back yard and two of your brothers went there, your mom went there and your dad played there," Anthrop said about Purdue prior to visiting this weekend.."As you grow up, it's kind of that school you dream about playing for. It's an opportunity not too many people get, to play for their hometown school. It would be great."
Anthrop's offer came Sunday evening, when head coach Darrell Hazell followed up on the brief visit Anthrop made this weekend - due to conflicts, he was only on campus for parts of Saturday and Sunday.
"Talking with everybody over at Purdue through the course of the recruiting process, there were hints of (an offer), but getting the call, it was a good feeling," Anthrop said Sunday night. "I didn't know it was going to happen officially today, but maybe later on."
It was the culmination of a process that began, more or less, in the summer, when Anthrop's baseball schedule made it difficult for him to attend one of Purdue's scheduled camp sessions.
Because of it, the coaching staff arranged a time for him to work out by himself with coaches looking on. That workout for then-offensive coordinator John Shoop and receivers coach Gerad Parker, got the ball rolling for Anthrop with the Boilermaker staff.
As a senior, Anthrop ran for 43 touchdowns and more than 2,200 yards. He caught 27 passes, good for a 21-yard average and another five scores.
At Purdue he will play slot receiver after playing running back his final two years at C.C. He will make largely the same positional shift from high school to college as Danny Anthrop did.
Purdue's coaches saw much of the same in Jackson Anthrop that they came to appreciate in Danny Anthrop after inheriting him from the prior staff.
"Speed and acceleration," said Jackson Anthrop, who's run the 40 in the 4.5 range, "and they said my ball skills were something they really liked, as well."
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