Purdue lands Franklin College (D-III) transfer EDGE Jireh Ojata

Add another to the list of transfer portal commitments for the Boilermakers. Franklin College (D-III school in Indiana) defensive end Jireh Ojata announced his commitment to Purdue on Thursday, shortly after Indiana offensive lineman Joshua Sales Jr. did the same.

Ojata is an under-the-radar prospect, coming from the division three level after having much success with Franklin College. The 6'4", 260-pound edge rusher racked up 160 tackles, 48.5 tackles for loss, 32 sacks and seven force fumbles during his four years with the Grizzlies. Ojata was also named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 after having 17 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks as a senior. Prior to his successful college career thus far, Ojata played for Indiana high school football powerhouse Carmel.

Purdue will have a trio of new edge rushers enter the fold for outside linebackers coach Joe Dineen in 2024, including Ojata, Boston College transfer Shitta Sillah and Georgia transfer CJ Madden. The latest addition comes after the news of Big Ten sack leader Nic Scourton entering the NCAA Transfer Portal earlier this week.

The Boilermakers are also slated to return Kydran Jenkins and Will Heldt to what was arguably the most productive position group on the team last season. Ojata could be a sleeper for Purdue next fall and will likely serve in a depth role at the very least for Dineen and company.