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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 27, ISSUE 4 24 D'J EDWARDS WR • 6-2, 180 • West Palm Beach, Fla. (Palm Beach Lakes) In what served as the first example of the sort of impact Brohm's of- fensive reputation might have in recruiting, Edwards committed to Purdue and signed to enroll mid- year without much background with its new coaches. He'd already visited Purdue un- officially the spring prior, but left uninterested as its old staff limped toward the season that would result in its removal. But once Brohm was hired, things changed. "I've done my research and I know he's like an of- fensive genius," Edwards said of Purdue at the time of his commitment. "I know they put a lot of points on the board and I could definitely see him coming to Purdue and turning it around." This season at Palm Beach Lakes High School, where former Purdue receiver Vinny Sutherland was his posi- tion coach, Edwards caught 35 balls for 600-plus yards and eight touchdowns. The Rivals.com three-star prospect was one of Pur- due's most highly recruited signees, choosing it in the end over Houston and North Carolina. Others that of- fered through the course of the process included Mis- souri, N.C. State, West Virginia, Pitt and Indiana, among others. For more on Edwards, see Pages 28-29. TYLER HAMILTON WR • 5-9, 168 • Hilton Head, S.C. (Hilton Head) One of the more interesting sto- ries of the class, Hamilton commit- ted to Purdue when it was between coaches, in late November, weeks after Darrell Hazell was fired and weeks before Brohm was hired. Hamilton committed to inter- im coach Gerad Parker, who along with former assistant coach Marcus Freeman helped Purdue keep a strong relationship at tal- ent-rich Hilton Head High School in South Carolina. That paid off, as did Purdue's depth chart clearing-out at wide receiver. And Hamilton had to decide around that time because he was due to graduate high school in December. He said he chose Purdue over Tennessee and West Virginia. "I felt like they were going to get a good coach be- cause they were going to pay money for a good coach," Hamilton said. "Obviously, I knew it'd be a good coach, so I trusted the process and here we are now." Here Hamilton is now, already enrolled at Purdue and due to take part in spring practice, with an eye on a role early in his college career. "He's a worker. He's a competitor. He's a playmaker," Brohm said. "He's done a great job in the little time he's been here and I think he'll add value immediately and be a guy that will compete for a spot." The Rivals.com three-star prospect caught 32 passes for 610 yards and five touchdowns at Hilton Head as a senior. Tyler Hamilton committed to Purdue when Gerad Parker was serving as the Boilermakers' interim coach.