Three enroll early

Purdue welcomed the first three members of its 2009 recruiting class to campus this weekend, as running back Al-Terek McBurse and linebackers Antwon Higgs and Dwayne Beckford enrolled mid-year and began classes Monday.

McBurse, the highest-rated member of Purdue's class to date, is rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com. The 6-foot, 190-pounder ran for 2,238 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior at Winter Springs High School, near Orlando.

He chose Purdue over offers from Nebraska, Georgia Tech, Miami and a host of others.

The 6-3, 248-pound Higgs is a three-star linebacker from Pompano Beach, Fla., who chose Purdue over South Carolina, N.C. State, Louisville, Wisconsin and many others.

Beckford is a holdover from the 2007 class who showed up in August only to have his enrollment delayed by an academic discrepancy that's since been cleared up.