Nashville athlete fields Purdue scholarship offer
Purdue's satellite camp in Nashville last year might have helped the Boilermaker coaching staff identify a recruiting target for this year.
That would be Hillsboro High School's JaVonta Payton, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound wide receiver and running back who fielded an offer from Purdue yesterday.
"That was actually the first camp I ever went to," Payton said of Purdue's joint camp last summer with Tennessee-Martin.
Payton said Purdue started recruiting him around that time, then things came to a head after assistant coach Gerad Parker recently visited his school.
"They came to watch me practice about two weeks ago and recorded it," Payton said. "I did some extra route-running too, and he said he was going to show it to the rest of the coaches and get back to me."
They did, the result being Payton's first major-conference offer.
Purdue's offer joined those from Austin Peay and Jackson State, though he's also drawing interest from several SEC programs, too.
"It's my third offer, but my first big offer," Payton said, "and I'm really grateful for it.
"I know (Purdue's) academics are off the charts. I watched a few of their games on TV last year and I know they have a nice campus and they should be getting better and better every year."
Payton's played running back the majority of his career, but has played some wide receiver and quarterback for Hillsboro, also, he said.
Purdue is recruiting him as a wide receiver.
As a junior, he caught 21 passes for 467 yards and six touchdowns and ran for four additional scores.
"I'd be more of a slot receiver, I think," he said.
Purdue was Payton's first camp destination and should be one of his next.
"I'm trying to get up to one of their camps this summer," Payton said. "We haven't looked at the schedule yet, but I'm for sure going to get up to one of their camps this year."
As for a decision …
"I will probably wait 'til closer to the signing date. I don't want to overthink it or anything but I want to make sure I've picked the right place for me."
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