Purdue lands three-star defensive back LeonTre Bradford

Purdue had already prioritized the secondary in the 2024 recruiting class, and the group picked up another member. Three-star safety LeonTre Bradford announced his commitment to the Boilermakers on Friday.

West Lafayette was Bradford's lone official visit this month, but he chose Purdue over offers from Illinois, Wisconsin, Louisville, Missouri, and Oregon, among others. The three-star prospect is rated as the 16th-best player in Illinois and the 35th-best safety in his class.

The East St. Louis to West Lafayette pipeline continues for the Boilermakers, with Bradford joining his high school teammate and three-star wide receiver Jesse Watson in college.

The secondary has quickly become a strength of the 2024 recruiting class for Purdue, with Bradford improving the already stellar group. He will join forces with fellow three-star safeties Luke Williams and D'Mon Marable and potentially four-star athlete Koy Beasley for coach Grant O'Brien.

Bradford emerged as one of the top defenders in Illinois over the last two years for East St. Louis, accounting for 193 total tackles, four interceptions, and four fumble recoveries across his sophomore and junior campaigns.

The 6'1", 190-pound defensive back will bring versatility to the Purdue secondary in 2024, where he can play free safety, in the box and the slot. With Williams and Marable already in the fold, Bradford could find a home as a nickel back during his college career.

Purdue's 2024 class receives a big boost with the addition of Bradford and now stands at 21 members and is creeping back towards the top 20 of the Rivals recruiting class rankings.