Purdue lands Arizona State transfer quarterback Bennett Meredith
A new signal caller is headed to West Lafayette as former Arizona State quarterback Bennett Meredith announced his commitment to the Boilermakers following an official visit over the weekend.
Meredith comes to Purdue after spending his true freshman campaign with the Sun Devils in 2022. The 6'3" signal caller did not see action last season, spending the year as a redshirt. Meredith found himself behind Drew Pyne and Trenton Bourguet on the Arizona State depth chart this spring and entered the portal on April 18th.
The transfer quarterback had committed to Charlotte on April 29th but reopened his recruitment when the Boilermakers came calling and will now head to West Lafayette this summer.
Coming out of high school, Rivals rated the Hoover, Alabama native as a three-star recruit in the class of 2022. Over two years as a starter, he had 5,318 passing yards, 48 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 21 career games. Meredith showed the ability to throw the ball in tight windows, hit receivers downfield, and extend plays with his legs.
Meredith was previously headed for the Big Ten West as he committed to Northwestern in October 2021. A few weeks before National Signing Day, he had a change of heart and ended up signing with the Sun Devils. Meredith also held offers from Maryland, Appalachian State, Toledo, Troy, and others.
The addition of Meredith was much needed for the Boilermakers' quarterback room, as Graham Harrell had just two scholarship signal callers on the roster before today's commitment. Texas transfer Hudson Card secured the starting spot after a standout spring practice. True freshman Ryan Browne, along with walk-ons Kyle Adams and Christian Gelov, are the other quarterbacks in Harrell's group.
Purdue lost its top two quarterbacks from last season as Aidan O'Connell went to the NFL Draft and Austin Burton ran out of eligibility. Expected backups Brady Allen and Michael Alaimo then entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, leaving the Boilermakers looking for an experienced reserve at the position.
Despite Meredith entering the fold, Purdue is still inexperienced behind its new starter, as nobody outside of Card has completed a pass during their respective collegiate careers. The only player on the roster with a completion is wide receiver Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen, who had a 26-yard pass on a trick play in the Citrus Bowl against LSU.
Meredith will have the opportunity to compete against Browne, Adams, and Gelov for the top backup spot behind Card when he gets to campus next month.