Ethon Cole is one of four defensive back recruits and joins Zion Gunn as the only other Florida native in Ryan Walters’ recruiting class. Cole played his high school football at Lake Minneola in Minneole, Florida. Rivals rated Cole as a three-star recruit.

Cole chose Purdue over offers from Indiana, Minnesota, Duke, Tulane, UCF and South Florida among others. He had his sights set on the Big Ten as the only three official visits he took were to Purdue, Indiana and Minnesota.