Purdue Football Lands Two Highly Ranked Prospects in Four Days

Published: 31^st Jul 12 10:58 pm

Drew Wooden
Drew Wooden

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Reid Compton-US PRESSWIRE

Since the last recruitment update (LINK), Danny Hope landed two top targets that will bolster his recruiting class into one that may raise some eyebrows around the Big Ten.

In addition to four star quarterback Danny Etling and the other early commits, Purdue secured the commitment of former UCLA verbal Keyante Green and top 25 safety Austin Logan. Here is a breakdown of each new Boilermaker:

Keyante Green announced on July 28th that after a visit to Purdue, he switched his pledge from UCLA to the Boilermakers. The powerful 5-9, 190 lb tailback is ranked a 4 star by ESPN and 25th at his position nationally. The McDonough, Georgia native reported offers from Florida State, Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee, UCLA, Virginia Tech, and others. Using 247Sport’s new composite feature, he is ranked as the 44th best running back nationally when averaging rankings from ESPN, Rivals, Scout, and 247Sports. As a junior, he has 970 rushing yards last year and 16 rushing touchdowns. (Note: he missed five games last season, so those stats are gaudy considering he only played part of the season). He also played defense for his Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy team and racked up over 100 tackles, plus six sacks. Highlights: Green’s highlights show a sturdy runner with extremely good balance. He’s built low to the ground at 5-9, which might remind you of Ray Rice, or maybe of former Michigan running back Mike Hart. His north-south speed is good (4.53 40 time per Rivals), but what is more impressive is his lateral footwork. In his compact and powerful frame, he can take a hit and stay on his feet. His highlights show his ability at linebacker, but there is no doubt that he is a running back through and through (one that can certainly hit, if you watch his highlights on defense). Projection: Green could be an instant impact player for Purdue, especially with the running back numbers as they are.

Austin Logan made the call on July 31st to pick Purdue over Northwestern, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Utah, South Florida, and others (including MAC schools like Indiana). ESPN ranks him as a 3 star and the 24th best safety in the nation, while 247Sports’ composite has him at 92nd best safety nationally. He has a good frame at 6-1 and 185, although he might require a redshirt year to pack on the necessary muscle to be a Big Ten safety. Speed is recorded as a 4.59 40 by 247Sports, which is more than adequate so long as he has good closing speed and most importantly, good instincts. Highlights: You’ll notice that Logan is a cornerback at Florida High, but he projects as a safety or nickelback (not the crappy band) in college. His cover skills are good, especially in a zone setting where he can sit back, anticipate, and make a play on the ball. What jumps out to me are his solid tackling abilities and run support. His highlights show exactly why he garnered so many offers as a safety — just when there’s an opening for the offensive player to break past the line, you see Logan stop the ball carrier in his tracks. Once he adds the necessary strength for the next level, this skill will serve him well against run-heavy teams like Wisconsin. Projection: Logan may redshirt, but he will contribute early on special teams or as a nickelback, and then be in the two deeps shortly after if he proves himself.

With the latest additions to the 2013 class, Purdue fans have even more reason to be optimistic for the future. Bonus reading: For even more scoops on Purdue targets, check out Steve Wiltfong’s free article on 247Sports (LINK).

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