Since April 8 — three weeks — Purdue has added four 2021 verbal commitments, and three immediately eligible graduate transfers for this coming season, whatever form that season may take.
The dead-period activity peaked this past weekend, as two 2021 commitments and a graduate transfer joined the fray.
A quick recap.
GRADUATE TRANSFER COMMITS
Purdue hopes UTEP's Greg Long gives it the immediately available offensive line help it had been looking for. In El Paso, Long's career was sidetracked repeatedly by injury, but he was very good as a redshirt freshman a few years ago and played eight games at right tackle for the Miners this season. He'll have one year to play at Purdue, but would seem like a textbook case for a sixth-year waiver should he pursue one.
Long officially visited Purdue this winter, and fills a need the Boilermaker staff thought it had filled a while back when Colorado State offensive tackle T.J. Storment committed, only to flip to TCU shortly thereafter.
Should Long establish himself as a contributor for Purdue right away, it could give Purdue at the very least depth at offensive tackle, where senior Grant Hermanns and sophomores Will Bramel and Eric Miller return, most notably, and perhaps even flexibility to move some pieces around on its offensive line.
Long joins safety Tyler Coyle (Connecticut) and quarterback Austin Burton (UCLA) as Purdue's graduate transfer additions.
IN-STATE LINEMAN COMMITS
Purdue took another bite out of the state of Indiana's strong 2021 class as Mooresville offensive lineman Zach Richards committed Friday, ending a process in which the Boilermakers led from the outset.
Richards chose Purdue over Indiana, Cincinnati and Illinois and joins fellow Mooresville offensive lineman Jaelin Alstott-VandeVanter on the Boilermaker commitment list.
After Purdue signed several Interior-type linemen in the 2020 class, 2021 may be tackle-heavy, but Richards was a Purdue priority at guard from the outset of this cycle.
His commitment could help the Boilermakers' cause with Brownsburg offensive tackle Josh Sales, with whom Richards communicates often. Sales just named a top five of Purdue, Indiana, Michigan State, Nebraska and Kansas. The Boilermakers seem to have made a strong early case.
PURDUE STRIKES OUT EAST AGAIN
Purdue's found a bit of a niche recruiting the New York City area and it paid off again Saturday with defensive lineman Khordae Sydnor's commitment.
The Iona Prep lineman projects as a defensive end, but as It looks for added versatility in Its defensive front under new coordinator Bob Diaco, Sydnor was pegged as an early priority.
Here's our full story on Sydnor's commitment.
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