It’s a big day for Purdue as moments ago they landed another commitment to their 2021 recruiting class, as Iona Prep (NY) defensive lineman Khordae Sydnor gave his pledge to Jeff Brohm and the Boilermakers.
Sydnor announced his decision over social media with a video that his dad made, choosing Purdue over offers from Boston College, Arizona State, Rice, and others.
While the announcement came today, the actual pledge to the staff came last week. After delivering the news to the coaches, Sydnor sat down with Rivals.com to discuss his decision to head to West Lafayette to play college football.
“I was on a Zoom call with Coach (Terrance) Jamison, the defensive line coach, and Coach Eron Hodges, the director of player personnel,” Sydnor said. “I put on the hat and told them I committed and they were pretty excited. Then later, Coach (Bob) Diaco joined the call and I was wearing the hat still. He said, ‘I guess I’m late to the party’. I told him I committed and we had a good chat after that. They were happy.
“It feels great. I’ve always wanted to play big-time football at the highest level at a place with great academics. Purdue has a balance of those two. I feel great. A lot of people don’t get the opportunity I have. I’m not taking anything for granted. I’m just blessed to be in this situation.”
The opportunity to play in the Big Ten and get a strong education were certainly important in Sydnor’s decision, but it was the “family feel” that the coaching staff gave him that was the ultimate X-factor for the New York City native.
“They’re very family-oriented,” Sydnor said. “I can tell by the way they talk to me. They’ve been recruiting me since last December, maybe November. I got a feeling about them a long time ago. Additionally, I have some friends from New York City going there. Guys like Sanoussi Kane and Tirek Murphy, also Amad Anderson, that I’m comfortable around. I’ve talked to them and they also echoed that it’s very family-oriented. Finally, I spoke to a couple other recruits who are committed there and they told me they just had a feeling it was the right place. I had that feeling too, my parents agreed with me and supported me, so I decided to make the decision.”
Sydnor has never visited Purdue. He was supposed to go to the spring game this month, but the spread of COVID-19 squashed those plans. Instead, he took a “virtual tour” of campus and the facilities, thanks to Hodges, and will make sure he gets to West Lafayette as soon as it’s safe to do so.
“I was on a Zoom call with Coach Hodges and he was on campus,” Sydnor told Rivals. “He took me on a tour and showed me the beautiful campus and the facilities. He also took a video of the dorms a couple of months ago and sent that to my parents and me so we could see what they look like. The facilities are amazing. I’ve looked up videos on YouTube and all of that. My parents loved it too. I’m going to get there as soon as we can. My parents and I definitely want to get out there and see everything in person. I’ve seen everything over the phone, but there’s nothing like taking in the atmosphere in person. When this thing flips I’m getting out there as soon as possible.”
Now that he’s committed, it’s time to look to Sydnor’s future in Black and Gold, a future that the coaching staff thinks is very bright.
“They said I have a lot of potential,” he said of what the staff has told him. “They’re going to develop me not only as a football player, but also as a man outside of football. Coach Jamison said he likes my versatility. He said he can move me around, put me at nose guard on third downs, use me in a three- or four-down defense, just use me all over. He thinks I have a lot of potential and that he’s excited to grow me as a player. Coach Diaco just told me he thinks I fit perfectly in their scheme and he can’t wait to get me there.”
And what does Sydnor bring to Purdue, both on and off the field, in his own words?
“On the field I feel I am a hard worker,” he said. “I want to be a guy that my teammates and coaches can trust and rely on to make plays. I’m going to attack the ball aggressively. I’ll get to the quarterback on third down. I’ll find a way to get to the ball. I’m a hustler on the field, period.
“Off the field, I’m a good locker room guy. I’m a teammate and am always jubilant. There aren’t many times where I’m mad or down about anything. I’m always looking to get better, grow with my teammates, and grow personally. “
Finally, the 6-foot-5, 245-pounder shared his goals for his time with the program.
“For the team, I would love to win a national championship,” he said, emphatically. “That should be every player's dream, to win a national championship and Big Ten championship.
“For me individually, I don’t like to get into awards or anything like that. I care more about the team and for me that’s most important. I would of course love to help out as a freshman and become a great contributor to the team, but I’m a team player and I think all of the personal accolades will come if you just focus on doing everything you can to contribute to the team’s success.”
Purdue also holds commitments from wide receiver Preston Terrell, offensive lineman Jaelin Alstott-VandeVanter, linebacker Tristan Cox, athlete Bryon Threats and cornerback Brandon Calloway.
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