Purdue's plan for Joe Strickland was right there in front of him the whole weekend during the four-star defensive lineman's official visit to West Lafayette: George Karlaftis.

A few years back, it was Karlaftis who took a leap of faith on the Boilermakers despite a coast-to-coast list of high-end offers to choose from. Since, Purdue's pitch to him has largely materialized, as he started at defensive end from Day 1 and will enter his junior season as one of the best defensive players in the country and a prominent NFL prospect.

Purdue's pitched that same model to Strickland, who like Karlaftis, has family connections to the Boilermakers — his mother, Amy, is an alumnus — as well as the sort of physical gifts that have made him an elite-level recruit, too.