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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 28, ISSUE 3 35 PURDUE SIGNEES Jaylan Alexander LB 6-1 240 River Grove, Ill./Hoffman Estates A versatile athlete who drew Purdue's eye at its camp in the summer, then committed immediately after being offered. He was recruited for linebacker, but was recruited by some early on as an H-back/fullback and starred for his high school as a wide receiver. Charles Allen OG/C 6-3 290 Louisville/Doss A big, wide and imposing interior lineman, Allen projects for either guard or center at the next level. Amad Anderson* WR 5-11 175 Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis A priority for Purdue from Day 1, even after he committed elsewhere, Ander- son will be fast-tracked to the field, most likely, this spring after he enrolled in January. Boilermaker coaches liked that he seems like a natural at wide receiver. Evan Anderson RB 6-1 200 Suwanee, Ga./Collins Hill After finding Anderson during the season, Purdue was impressed to the point it prioritized him late and walked away from higher-profile backs to take him, which probably says something. Elijah Ball CB/S 6-1 200 Indianapolis/Ben Davis A cornerback most of his career, Ball moved to safety as a junior for state power Ben Davis and his future at Purdue likely lies at that position due to his 200-plus-pound body and affinity for physicality. Jordan Bonner WR 6-2 195 Carrollton, Ga./Carrollton Purdue was drawn to Bonner's height and physical nature as an outside, downfield-oriented wide receiver. A knee injury that sidelined him much of the season — he returned for the playoffs — didn't scare Purdue away. Will Bramel OT 6-6 280 Danville, Ky./Boyle County A tackle initially at Purdue, Bramel would seem tall and mobile enough to play on the edge in college, but also with the growth and power potential to move inside if need be. He's tall, but wider than the other two tackles signed. Jack Cravaack DL 6-5 225 Cincinnati/Madeira Recruited for tight end, too, Cravaack could go a lot of different directions as his body fills out. He'll start out at D-end, but tight end, defensive tackle, maybe even offensive tackle could be on the table down the line. Branson Deen DL 6-3 255 Indianapolis/Lawrence Central A physically well-developed D-end already north of 250 pounds, Purdue would love to see Deen develop into a pass-rusher, if he doesn't work his way to defensive tackle. Payne Durham TE 6-5 260 Suwanee, Ga./Peachtree Ridge Whether it's now or down the line, Purdue hopes Durham can be the phys- ical, blocking presence that's long been a part of Jeff Brohm's offense, but also a capable receiving target. His football background is limited, suggesting ample improvement potential. Lawrence Johnson DT 6-4 300 Fort Wayne, Ind./Snid- er You don't often find 300-pounders with the sort of quickness Johnson pos- sesses when he's pushing himself. Conditioning will be key for him, but his size and athleticism relative to position are a rare combination. Jeff Marks* DL 6-3 255 Mobile, Ala./Davidson "Country strong" as Brohm called him, Marks enrolled in January and could very well put himself in the mix to play right away for Purdue at defensive end, or defensive tackle should that be in the cards. Jimmy McKenna OT 6-5 275 Avon, Ohio/Avon McKenna may not be the biggest, most powerful tackle in the country, but that's OK with Purdue, which likes his athleticism on the edge. So did a lot of people, as he chose the Boilermakers over numerous P5 offers, Michigan State, Illinois and Pitt included. Eric Miller OT 6-7 270 Mason, Ohio/William Ma- son A bit of a physical outlier, Miller is all of 6-7, with a narrow frame that should jibe with growth. His height and length stand out, as does the way he moves — exactly what Purdue wants in a tackle — but he'll have to gain size and strength. Byron Perkins CB 6-2 185 Chicago/DeLaSalle Perkins is all of 6-2, with a wingspan rarely seen at corner. That sort of size comes with athletic challenges at cornerback, but Purdue evaluated him closely and was comfortable with what it saw. It prioritizes length in the secondary and they don't get much longer than Perkins. Jack Plummer* QB 6-5 220 Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert The quarterback Purdue wanted, Plummer possesses great height, a knack for throwing downfield and athleticism enough to be a running threat. Jordan Rucker CB 6-0 190 Denton, Texas/Ryan Maybe the odds-on favorite for a role next season, Rucker looks the part phys- ically and will step into a cornerback fray that needs help. Texas Tech pushed hard to keep him in-state at the end, but failed to flip him. Kadin Smith CB/S 6-0 195 Taylorsville, Ky./Spencer County Another eye-test guy in the secondary, Smith is well put-together, runs well and is versatile enough to play multiple positions, on either side of the ball. He'll be a corner or safety at Purdue. K.J. Stokes DL 6-3 250 Millbrook, Ala./Stanhope Elmore Like Deen, Stokes is a physically mature D-end with defensive tackle poten- tial. Jack Sullivan DL 6-5 255 Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield East Another big, physical lineman whose body can go a couple different ways, Sullivan looks light on his feet for his size with ball skills enough to have poked a pass out of the air this season, intercept it and nearly score on the return. Kory Taylor WR 6-5 200 Hilliard, Ohio/Bradley Size on the boundary is important to Purdue, and they don't come much bigger and rangier than Taylor, who's modestly listed at 6-5, athletic enough to be a good basketball player and bright enough to have had the Ivy League chasing him, along with several P5 offers. Cory Trice S 6-3 195 Hopkinsville, Ky./Christian County Purdue lists Trice at 6-3, which might be low-balling it some. He's inordi- nately tall and long for his position, with a history of playmaking for his high school. He seemed to intercept passes every week as a senior and scored off pick-sixes or kick returns every weekend before getting hurt late in the year. He'll need some strength and bulk. NOTE: Louisville Trinity wide receiver Rondale Moore was expected as of press time to commit to Purdue Jan. 6 at the U.S. Army All-America Game in San Antonio. * Enrolled in January — Brian Neubert More To Come Look for full breakdowns of each of Purdue's 2018 signees, plus features on key players and position groups, analysis and more in the March/April edition of Gold and Black Illustrated.