Three-star DT Demeco Kennedy announces commitment to Purdue
Brick Haley and Preston Gordon's defensive line picked up a future member on Monday, as three-star defensive tackle Demeco Kennedy announced his commitment to Purdue via Instagram.
Speaking to Rivals national recruiting analyst Sean Williams, Kennedy opened up about his commitment to the Boilermakers.
"The reason I picked Purdue was because I felt that I can have the best career there. Also the defense and depth chart was in my favor and I loved the staff," Kennedy said.
Kennedy announced his decision following a trio of official visits to Purdue, West Virginia and Illinois this month. It was fight between Big Ten West schools, with the Boilermakers outlasting the Illini in another recruiting battle. The 2024 recruit also had offers from Louisville, Kentucky, Ole Miss and others. He is currently rated as the 7th-best prospect out of Kentucky in the class of 2024.
When he gets to campus next year, Kennedy will reunite with high school teammate and current Purdue true freshman, Jamarrion Harkless. The two formed a lethal duo in the trenches for Frederick Douglass in Lexington, Kentucky over the last two years.
The Lexington native has been a two-way standout in high school, but will be a part of Brick Haley's group once he arrives in 2024, with the potential to play either nose tackle or defensive end. Kennedy projects as more of a run stopper than a pass rushing defensive end, which will be a fit for the interior defensive line in Purdue's new Air Strike defense.
Kennedy becomes the second defensive commitment in the last month, joining three-star defensive end Jaylin Jones, who committed on August 7th. The pair joins Caleb Mitchell Irving and Jamari Payne as Purdue's defensive line/outside linebacker prospects in the 2024 recruiting class.
Purdue's recruiting class has reached 22 following Kennedy's pledge, with 10 of them being on the defensive side of the ball. Kennedy, Jones, Payne and Irving join defensive backs Koy Beasley, LeonTre Bradford, Hudauri Hines, Earl Kulp, Luke Williams, William Nettles, and D'Mon Marable. The Boilermakers move back into the top 25 of the Rivals 2024 team recruiting rankings.