Missouri long snapper transfer Daniel Hawthorne commits to Purdue

A few hours after landing Florida Atlantic transfer Jahmal Edrine, the Boilermakers picked up another commitment from the transfer portal. Former Missouri long snapper Daniel Hawthorne announced his commitment to the Boilermakers Monday night, following a weekend visit to West Lafayette.

He was the Tigers' primary long snapper after joining the team as a walk-on prior to the 2020 season. Over those three years, Hawthorne played in 27 games before entering the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Hawthorne provides some competition in Chris Petrilli's special teams room heading into 2023. Former Purdue long snapper Nick Zecchino exhausted his eligibility and is trying to carve out a pro career.

Returning long snapper Nick Taylor, a redshirt junior, was slated to take over for Zecchino. Now, Hawthorne is being brought in to compete for the job. Either Taylor or Hawthorne will be snapping for kicker Ben Freehill, who has emerged as the likely starting kicker in the fall, and incumbent starting punter Jack Ansell.

Ryan Walters has been outspoken about adding depth and competition around the roster and that continued with the addition of Hawthorne.