You’ve got to feel like Darrell Hazell’s seat is beginning to get uncomfortably hot in East Lafayette, as the coach enters his 4th season as Purdue’s coach with a dismal record of 6 wins and 30 losses. Darrell Hazell has found two good freshmen to build around in quarterback David Blough and running back Markell Jones, but he still has plenty of work to do to get Purdue to a competitive level. Hazell has done a solid job on the recruiting trail this season, as the Boilermakers have secured 14 commits with just over a month left till signing day. Here is Purdue’s 2015 recruiting review.
Signed and Delivered
Of the 14 commitments in the Boilermakers class, four of them are already enrolled and will be eligible to participate in spring football. These early enrollees are:
Kamal Hardy: Cornerback, Monroe C.C., chose Purdue over offers from Iowa State and Indiana. Hardy will have two years of eligibility for the Boilermakers.
Austin Larkin: Defensive End, City College of San Francisco, chose Purdue over offers from Fresno State and Colorado State. Larkin will have two years of eligibility remaining for the Boilermakers.
Jalen Neal: Offensive Tackle, Scottsdale C.C., chose Purdue over the San Diego State Aztecs. Neal will have two years of eligibility for the Boilermakers.
Jack Wegher: Running back, IMG Academy, chose Purdue over offers from Colorado State, UConn, and Bowling Green. Wegher was one of the surprise performers at the 2015 Under Armour combine circuit.
Star of the Class
Luke Campbell: Offensive Tackle, Lewis Center, Ohio, chose Purdue over offers from llinois, Cincinnati, and Navy. 6’4″ 275 pounds
One of the most noticeable issues with the Boilermakers the past three seasons is that they have been completely overmatched on the offensive line. Luke Campbell is an important recruit that helps Purdue solve that problem. Campbell is a very fundamentally sound tackle that makes up for his lack of size with good footwork and hand placement. Campbell likely won’t see the field as a freshman, but he will be a quality collegiate lineman by the time he is done playing at Purdue.
Diamond in the Rough
Anthony Watts: Defensive Tackle, Houston, Texas, chose Purdue over offers from California, Colorado State, and Nevada. Watts may still be eligible to enroll early and participate in spring ball.
Not too long ago Purdue was one of the premier schools in terms of defensive line talent. Stud linemen such as Kawann Short and Ryan Kerrigan had NFL scouts flocking to East Lafayette every year. Watts has a chance to join those names, as the Houston, Texas native has tremendous size at 6’5″ and 285 pounds. Watts has tremendous natural size and strength but is extremely raw at this point in his development. Watts will need a couple years to hone his technique, but the young man’s ceiling is extremely high.
Ones That Got Away
Ben Skowronek: Wide Receiver. Fort Wayne, Indiana
Purdue went hard after Ben Skowronek, a well built possession receiver from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Skowronek ultimately decided to join the Northwestern Wildcats.
Ben Knutson: Offensive Tackle. Mishawaka, Indiana
Purdue offered Knutson midway through his junior season and stayed on him throughout the summer. Despite their best efforts, Knutson decided to join the Virginia Cavaliers. The firing of Mike London may open the door for Purdue to sneak back in the race, but the chances are slim.
Who is Left on Their Board?
Sean Foster: Offensive Tackle, Carmel Catholic HS, Visited Purdue in December, will also visit Iowa State in January. 6’8″ 285 pounds
Purdue is still desperately trying to improve in the trenches. Offensive tackle Sean Foster would be a huge addition, both figuratively and literally for the Boilermakers. At 6’8″ and 285 pounds, Foster has a college ready body and has been well coached, since he’s coming from traditional power Carmel Catholic. It appears that the main competition for Foster’s signature will be Iowa State, who turned up the heat on Foster when Matt Campbell took over as head coach.
Terrance Landers: Wide Receiver, Dayton, Ohio. Top three is Bowling Green, Pittsburgh, and Purdue. Has scheduled a visit to Purdue for January 15th.
Purdue has a solid running back in Markell Jones and a pretty good quarterback in David Blough, now all they need is a stud receiver to throw the ball to. Dayton, Ohio native Terrance Landers looks to be that guy for the Purdue Boilermakers. Landers has tremendous length at 6’4″ but he is a bit on the skinny side at just 175 pounds. Purdue has been going after Landers hard this entire recruiting cycle, and that has helped them stay at the top of his list even as other schools have entered the fray.
Darrell Hazell is a solid football coach, and he proved that by turning Kent State from a laughingstock to a MAC contender in just three years. He hasn’t been able to pull that turnaround off at Purdue yet, and a big reason has been his inability to recruit top talent to East Lafayette. Hazell and his staff have been putting in some good work on the recruiting trail this year, as this class is the best Hazell has recruited in his 3+ years at Purdue.
Main Photo:
