Rivals250 OT target impressed with first trip to Purdue
More: Purdue 2020 targets
Christian Academy of Louisville (Ky.) offensive tackle John Young is already in the Rivals250 and ranked the No. 2 prospect in the state of Kentucky in the 2020 class, likely to be a prime Boilermaker target in next year's class.
This past weekend, he got his first Purdue experience as it hosted Missouri.
"It was really cool," Young said. "I was impressed with the facilities when we got up there because I've never been to Purdue before. I've been looking to get up there ever since they offered me back in February, so I was excited to get up there.
"I was really impressed with the facilities and was surprised by how big the campus was, a lot of students, and it was really cool to see all the new stuff they have up there."
The game-day atmosphere at Ross-Ade Stadium was also something the Louisville native wasn't expecting.
"It was one of the coolest atmospheres I've been in for a game," he said. "The student section was crazy, all the fans were nice, it was a packed house, and it was crazy."
In watching the Boilermakers' close loss to Missouri, Young liked the similarities he sees in the way Purdue utilizes its offensive linemen compared to his high school team.
"They run a similar offense to the one run at my high school right now," he said. "We run kind of a spread and throw the ball a lot. Of course, I like that from Purdue.
"I also like that they can run the ball, but they are primarily going to beat you through the air. I like how they are a high-powered offense that puts a lot of points on the board and that's what I like to see."
Throughout his recruiting process, the four-star prospect has been communicating mostly with assistant coach Brian Brohm, who relates well with Young, having grown up and starred in high school in the city of Louisville.
"He's a Louisville native, so he's from my hometown which is cool," Young said. "We are able to talk about high school football in Louisville and he knows all the teams I'm playing every week.
"He played at Trinity, so he knows all the teams I've played against and he knows my coach pretty well so it's cool that he can relate to a lot of the stuff I'm going through right now."
At 6-foot-6, 295 pounds, the Purdue coaching staff sees Young being an ideal fit for their offensive scheme.
"They like that I'm an athletic tackle," he said. "I can get out and get to the second level pretty quick. I can go out on screen passes and can run block and pass protect pretty well.
"I think I kind of fit in with their offense. They run screens a lot and they get linemen to the second level quickly, so I think I can fit in well there."
Young said Kentucky, Louisville and Ohio State are other visits he plans to take this fall. Clemson and Tennessee are other possible game-day destinations for the rising junior as well.
"Clemson and Ohio State are the two schools that haven't offered that I've had a lot of contact with since Sept. 1."
Young says he also plans to visit Purdue again for a more in-depth visit.
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