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VOLUME 26, ISSUE 4 45 made him a very good high school basketball player in a pretty good basketball city. "In my opinion, with great outside receivers, you want them to be basketball players, because it shows they can go up and get it and play with the ball above their head," Parker said. "They've got good skills to go get their shoulders back and get skinny and beat people. That's all football is as a wideout, when you don't have a ball in your hands. I fell in love with this guy, seeing him go up and get it on a basketball court and I think that equates to being a special player ob- viously being a wideout in college." Those skills made Landers a pretty attractive com- modity for Purdue, but he says he has some refine- ment to do. "I have to make sharper cuts," Landers said. "I've been working on breaking on the ball faster and turn- ing my head so I can see the ball quicker. I have to plant my foot harder and stronger so I can get into my break faster. When corners press, I have to do a better job using my hands to get free." But as is, his height, speed and all the rest made him a very productive prep player. As a senior at Dunbar, he caught 30 balls for 588 yards and seven scores. Purdue likes him as a downfield threat, Landers said, but can use him in a variety of ways. "My senior year, I kind of did everything," he said. "I went across the middle and used my speed outside as a deep threat. My high school coach used me all over the field, lining me up in the slot to try to get a linebacker on me or putting me outside to try for a deep ball. That's how I feel like Purdue is going to use me too." Landers is still seeking a qualifying test score for eligibility at Purdue but has multiple opportunities remaining to get it. BRIAN LANKFORD-JOHNSON Purdue was content to stand pat at running back this recruiting season after signing several last year. That is, until the offensive staff turned over. Then, its collective preferenc- es changed, and Lankford-John- son became a target. One thing led to another and he committed to Purdue sight-un- seen just days before signing. "They said they really only took a running back in this class because they needed some speed back there," said Lankford-Johnson, who was recruited by new running backs coach DeAndre Smith. Smith didn't join the staff until mid-January. But there was a void in Purdue's running backs corps for that element, the speed the St. Paul, Minn., native hopes to provide. The 6-1ish, 185-pounder said he's run the 40-yard dash in the 4.4 range. Rivals DB Navon Mosely was a three-star prospect and was signed for his coverage abilities.