St. Louis quarterback visited Purdue for spring game
Quarterback is normally one of the first dominoes to fall for any recruiting class, and for Purdue, things may be moving on that front, as it's hosted visits this spring from at least three of its established QB targets, most recently St. Louis' Mekhi Hagens.
The 6-foot-3, 200-or-so-pound Rivals.com three-star prospect from Cardinal Ritter Prep visited West Lafayette on Saturday for the Boilermakers' spring game, about a week after Purdue extended him a scholarship offer.
"I like how they call their offense," Hagens said. "It fits me perfectly, and I really could see myself going there. I've had my eye on Purdue for a while now, and they're at the top of my list."
That list would also include verbal offers from Missouri, Indiana and Syracuse, among numerous others. Georgia, LSU, Texas, Tennessee and Iowa are some other programs who've shown early interest.
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Purdue, not one to offer just anyone at quarterback under Jeff Brohm, was among the first to put an offer on the table, doing so after Hagens had been communicating with assistant coach Chris Barclay for "about two months."
"When they offered," Hagens said, "it was kind of special to me."
Jeff Brohm reiterated his interest on Saturday.
"His message to me was just that they think I have a lot of God-gifted talent and they think I might be able to be great," Hagens said.
As a junior at Ritter, Hagens threw for about 4,500 yards and 54 touchdowns, running for five more.
"I'm more of a pocket quarterback," he said. "I can move around and run if I have to, but my main focus is to stay in the pocket and make a play, make the perfect throw.
"(Purdue) said they're looking for a guy like me with height and long arms, who can make every throw and extend the play on the run and be able to call out plays and change them if they need to be changed."
Hagens said he intends to visit Purdue again, whether it be in the spring or summer.
He'll also work toward making a list of some kind to guide him through the next stages of recruiting.
"I'm not really about the logo, the big name," he said. "I'm just looking for a school that fits me and fits my playing style and a situation where I know I can play and be successful."
Purdue also had offered quarterback targets Tyler Van Dyke and Evan Prater in town for unofficial visits during spring practice.
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