Recruiting Focus: Defensive End
More: Purdue commitments | Purdue DE offers
One of the glaring targets of Purdue's emphasis as it makes over its roster under its second-year coaching staff is clearly defensive end, one of the program's signature positions in its modern era, but one where signature talent has been lacking of late.
That said, the position was a key emphasis for the 2018 class and will remain one for 2019, with Jeff Brohm and his staff's eyes set on a number of higher-end players, with one already on board.
George Karlaftis, the West Lafayette High School senior-to-be who committed in September, is an elite prospect with every physical tool in place to contribute early in his college career.
Purdue is not done, though.
Here's a look at some of Purdue's foremost early targets at defensive end, where the Boilermakers also hold a deferred-enrollment commitment from 2018 recruit Willie Lane.
This is not a complete list, nor is it ordered in any way that should be construed as priority.
The Louisville Moore is one of Purdue's top targets regardless of position and a player the Boilermakers figure to be a long-term player for. Weaver's visited multiple times already, including a camp appearance last summer, a game-day visit in the fall and a return unofficial during spring ball.
Weaver's offer list includes Georgia and Miami (Fla.) and in-state programs Louisville and Kentucky figure to be players for him, as well.
The Ohioan is booked for an official visit to Purdue at the start of June. Virginia and Pittsburgh are others in his early mix.
More ($): Hunter schedules Purdue visit
The long, athletic edge rusher type visited Purdue for its junior day and seems to have been made to feel like a priority by the Boilermaker staff. Iowa State looks like a player for him, too, among others.
If Purdue gets its way with the 2019 class, the state of Michigan will account for a chunk of its defensive class, because there are some DBs and D-ends it really wants. Orhorhoro falls into the latter category. He's been offered by Michigan State, among others, too, so he'll have great options.
The Michigan commitment is known to be reciprocating interest from Purdue. A product of Jeff Brohm's alma mater, Herron was a teammate of incoming Boilermaker freshman Rondale Moore, who walked away from a commitment to Texas to sign with Purdue.
Another Purdue priority from Michigan, but no less a priority than any other. He holds national offers, including Michigan, Michigan State, Georgia and Nebraska.
Purdue's had an offer on the table for the versatile D-lineman for some time now after offering last year. It will continue to recruit him. The Boilermakers should loom large in his recruitment should they make him an utmost priority.
A slender, but fast and athletic, edge-rusher at either D-end or maybe even linebacker, Knight-Goff is another player Purdue's had an offer out to for some time now.
The Tennesseean holds a Purdue offer and continues to be recruited by its staff. Memphis, Minnesota and Virginia are reportedly some other offers he's mulling over.
The Texan counts a Purdue offer among the handful of Power 5s he's drawn among his dozens of offers overall.
NUMBERS
Purdue has several defensive ends coming in as freshmen — K.J. Stokes, Jack Cravaack, Jack Sullivan and Branson Deen and another already on campus in Jeff Marks.
Thing is, almost all of them are potentially multi-positional prospects, so a big number now might look very different 12 months from now.
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