Former Notre Dame offensive lineman Joey Tanona commits to Purdue

An intriguing name out of the transfer portal has now announced his commitment to Purdue. Former Notre Dame offensive lineman Joey Tanona entered the portal on Monday morning and quickly found a new home with the Boilermakers.

Tanona was a four-star prospect and the 178th ranked player in the class of 2022 from Zionsville, Indiana, that signed with the Fighting Irish. The highly-touted offensive lineman's college career was thought to have ended before it began after being injured in a car accident. He medically retired from football in August 2022, but now plots his return, with West Lafayette being his official landing spot to do so.

There will still be a buffer period for Tanona to get back into football shape and regain the form that made him a promising prospect, but the 6'5" and once 290-pound offensive lineman could slide in at guard or tackle for the Boilermakers in 2025 if all goes to plan with his rehab and improved strength and conditioning. Tanona will have four years of eligibility remaining with the Boilermakers.

Purdue has his former high school teammate Gus Hartwig back as the anchor of the line at center, along with Marcus Mbow and Mahamane Moussa coming back for another year with the Boilermakers next season. Ryan Walters and company were expected to be busy in pursuing transfer offensive linemen this off-season and Tanona is now the first domino to fall in that regard.