Lineman commits to Purdue during weekend visit
Purdue landed a commitment this weekend from Florida defensive lineman Dante Johnson.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pounder from Wakiva High School in Apopka, Fla., chose the Boilermakers over offers from Temple and Tulane, among others.
"I just felt welcomed there and like they'd take care of me," Johnson said. "I felt really comfortable with them and I feel like I can really build a relationship with Purdue. I definitely could see myself wearing that black and gold, being a Boilermaker. It's something I really put a lot of thought into and could see happening.
"I just loved everything there, the players, the coaching staff, everything. I loved it there and was comfortable there."
Johnson said Purdue recruited him in part for his versatility, without a clearly defined plan for exactly which position he'd play on the Boilermaker defensive line.
"They talked to me about how they're losing quite a few D-linemen and that to pick me up, they're pretty ecstatic about it," Johnson said. "... They specifically want to utilize me as a versatile defensive lineman who can play inside, play outside, do anything they basically need me to."
On paper, Purdue now has 17 commitments, though there are likely to be some moving parts still with inherited commitments.
Johnson joins Malcolm Robinson and Giovanni Hightower-Revere and the signed Kai Higgins as Purdue's D-line recruits for 2017.
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