Purdue adds Western Kentucky offensive line grad transfer Tyler Witt
The first shoe has dropped for Purdue's search for immediately eligible veteran help for 2021, and it comes from a familiar place: Western Kentucky.
Hilltopper offensive lineman Tyler Witt committed to the Boilermakers Sunday, one day after his Western Kentucky career ended in a bowl game.
He'll come to Purdue with one season of eligibility — the NCAA's extra "pandemic year" — for a chance to bring his college career full circle.
Witt was recruited out of high school by Jeff Brohm and his staff.
"He took a chance on me then," Witt said, "and they're taking a chance on me now."
Virginia Tech also offered a scholarship and Texas, Texas Tech and Northwestern were some others interested.
Familiarity with Purdue was a big deal, especially this year, when transfers won't be able to visit the schools they're considering.
"I know pretty much the whole staff on the offensive side of the ball, or at least a lot of the staff," said Witt, who redshirted in 2016, Brohm's final season at WKU. "It's a lot closer to home for me. I'm from Joliet, Ill., right up the road, really.
"Obviously it's Big Ten football and I grew up watching Big Ten football. Coming out of high school it didn't work out for me, but I now I get the opportunity. It was too good to pass up."
The 6-foot-2, 305-pound Witt will play guard at Purdue.
"I consider myself a blue-collar, old-school kind of offensive lineman," Witt said. "I love to run the ball and be a smash-mouth-football kind of guy. I love trapping and pulling and I'm very physical, I think. I just try to pride myself on working hard, and even if I get beat on a play, I'm going to work hard on finishing it the best that I can."
Witt was a starter each of the last three seasons at left guard for the Hilltoppers and made 43 career starts.
"They want me to come in and compete, compete for a job," Witt said. "There are no guarantees in football, but they want me to come In and do my thing. I have a lot of experience, and from what I understand it's a pretty young offensive line room, so they want me to come in and try to be a positive force, a positive leader and help push things in the right direction."
Since arriving at Purdue in 2017, Brohm often has tapped into the grad transfer market for immediate help. And the results have been largely successful. The offensive line has been the position hit most often by Brohm for grad transfer help. Witt will be the fifth O-lineman, joining Dave Steinmetz, Shane Evans, Greg Long and Dennis Edwards.
Witt is the fourth transfer Brohm has added from Western Kentucky during his Purdue tenure, joining Edwards and linebackers T.J. McCollum and Ben Holt.
Witt will join a Boilermaker offensive line that figures to be a strength in 2021. The unit is losing left tackle Grant Hermanns. Right tackle Greg Long also is a senior, but he hasn't announced his intentions for next season. Long was a grad transfer from UTEP who could return under an NCAA waiver that made the 2020 season a free year of eligibility. Long was honorable-mention All-Big Ten by the media.
Redshirt freshman Cam Craig began 2020 as Purdue's starting left guard before suffering a season-ending injury in the opener. Redshirt freshman Spencer Holstege started the final five games at left guard. Holstege was consensus honorable mention All-Big Ten.
True freshman Gus Hartwig, sophomore DJ Washington and redshirt freshman Kyle Jornigan all made starts at right guard last season for Purdue. Hartwig was consensus honorable mention All-Big Ten.
Purdue most likely will continue to be active in the transfer market this offseason.
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