At one point, I treated National Signing Day as a personal holiday. I’d set up in front of the TV with a 45-pound MacBook and a selection of snacks. My wife would leave for work and come home and find me in the same place she left me. It was a truly glorious day.
It’s 2025 now, and things are a little different. Ledman messaged me today about putting out a signing day article, and I must confess, I totally forgot that was a thing. In the new world of college football, recruiting high school players almost feels antiquated. By the time most of these guys are ready to contribute, they’ll be on a different roster. Sorry to sound cynical, but that’s the reality of the situation. Needless to say, signing day has lost some of its shine.
As of 4:30 EST on 12/3/25, college football players eventually have to move on to other careers. You may end up with professional college football players at some point in the next decade, but we’ll blow up that bridge if we ever come to it. As long as players continue to age out of college athletics, a fresh batch of high school players will be required every season. Purdue signed 21 such players today. We have all offseason to break down what these guys bring to the table, but for today, a basic overview will suffice.
Offense
| Name | Position | Height | Weight | Hometown | High School | * Rating | State | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corin Berry | QB | 6’3″ | 198 | Covina, CA | Charter Oak | 3* (86.43) | 79 | 59 |
| Izaiah Wright | RB | 5’10” | 205 | Inkster, MI | Oscar Carlson | 3* (87.43 | 15 | 42 |
| JoJo Johnson | WR | 6’3″ | 180 | Goochland, VA | Benedictine College Prep | 3* (84.87) | 38 | 244 |
| Brandon Kinsey | WR | 6’1″ | 190 | Miami, FL | Miami Central | 3* (84.17) | 223 | 277 |
| Ar’Mari Towns | TE | 6’6″ | 225 | Selma, AL. | Southside | 3* (87.13) | ||
| Cooper McCutchan | TE | 6’4″ | 245 | Cincinatti, OH | Archbishop Moeller | 3* (86.10) | ||
| Terrell Berryhill Jr. | OL | 6’5″ | 270 | St. Louis, MO | East St. Louis | 3* (85.8) | 35 | 97 |
| Brock Brownfield | OL | 6’4″ | 270 | New Palistine, IN | New Palestine | 3* (87.17) | 12 | 74 |
| Rico Schrieber | OL | 6’7″ | 345 | Chicago, IL | Marist | 3* (84.77) | 47 | 126 |
| James Williams Jr. | OL | 6’2″ | 290 | Fort Wayne, IN | Lawrence Central | 3* (86.47) | 18 | 96 |
Superlatives
Top Rated Recruit: Izaiah Wright
Best Flip: JoJo Johnson (Coastal Carolina)
Best Name: Terrell Berryhill Jr. (big fan of the double consonant)
Name that will give me the most trouble: Izaiah Wright (the z will get me at least once)
Defense
| Name | Position | Height | Weight | Hometown | High School | * Rating | State | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximilian Carmicle | DE | 6’8″ | 255 | Hazel Crest, IL | Hazel Crest | 3* (87) | 23 | 91 |
| Katrell Webb | DE | 6’2″ | 230 | Lithonia, GA | Collins Hill | 3* (87) | 80 | 79 |
| Josiah Hope | DL | 6’5″ | 315 | Radcliff, KY | North Hardin | 3* (89) | 1 | 47 |
| Kobe Cherry | DT | 6’5″ | 295 | Greenwood, IN | Center Grove | 3* (84) | 33 | 175 |
| Aiden Solecki | DT | 6’5″ | 260 | Downers Grove, IL | Downers Grove | 3* (85) | 41 | 147 |
| Brayden Sweeney | LB | 6’2″ | 220 | Grand Rapids, MI | Catholic Central | 3* (84) | 32 | 175 |
| Raderrion Daniels | DB | 6’1″ | 180 | Memphis, TN | Lake Cormorant | 3* (87) | 27 | 84 |
| Jett Goldsberry | DB | 6’0″ | 200 | Lincoln City, IN | Heritage Hills | 3* (88) | 8 | 43 |
| Dana Greenhow | DB | 6’0″ | 175 | Riverdale, GA | Sandy Creek | 3* (85) | 41 | 147 |
| Dax Noles | DB | 6’0″ | 200 | Norman, OK | Iowa Western C.C. | 3* (84) | ||
| Emoni Smith | DB | 6’1″ | 180 | Hilltop, OH | Westland | 3* (86) | 59 | 120 |
Superlatives
Top Rated Recruit: Josiah Hope
Best Signing Day Flip: Josiah Hope (Louisville)
Best Purdue Legacy: Jett Goldsberry
Best Name: Dax Noles
Name that will give me the most trouble: Raderrion Daniels (that second r is going to get me every time)
Overall
Let’s be real. If someone tells you they know how any of these guys will work out at Purdue, they’re lying. The Boilermakers signed a bunch of mid- and high-3* players. Some of them are going to work out, and some of them you will never hear from again after today. Your guess is as good as mine. In terms of quality, this is a consistent B- or C+ class.
It’s tough to pick out any instant impact players. Inevitably, a couple of freshmen end up cracking the depth chart every season, but it was slim pickings for the Boilermakers in 2025. The only freshman to make an impact on offense was receiver Jalil Hall. The highest-rated player in the Boilermakers’ 2025 class caught one pass for seven yards before exiting the season with a “lower leg injury”. Coach Odom is cagey with injury reports, and I hate it, but it sounds like he either broke his ankle or a bone in his lower leg. On the defensive side of the ball, defensive back Vi’Naz Cobb played in 4 games (maintaining his redshirt) and recorded nine tackles.
This class is a bump up in terms of the average player quality. Josiah Hope was a huge flip from Louisville. Purdue ripping the top player in Kentucky away from Jeff Brohm makes me feel a little warm and fuzzy inside. Also, shout out to Lanedawg for abandoning Ole Miss right before their playoff run. It’s not good for the sport of college football as a whole, but it was good for Purdue because Jett Goldberry is heading to West Lafayette next season instead of Oxford. If you’re looking for an instant impact contributor on defense, Jett has a shot to do something at safety. I don’t imagine he’ll start, but he could find a way into the defensive back rotation, especially as the season progresses.
The staff picked up four new offensive linemen, and that should be the way of things moving forward. I wouldn’t be sad if they added five new linemen every class. The dirty little secret about the transfer portal is that the more offensive linemen you have to pull out of it, the worse your offensive line overall. On top of that, all the high-level, ready-made offensive line talent is snapped up immediately at a premium. In the long run, it’s better to build your offensive line from within and occasionally supplement it with someone out of the portal if there is an area of need. The Boilermakers went with a couple of tall, skinny (in football terms) guys that project as tackles and a couple of bulky interior guys. I have no idea if Rico Schrieber is any good, but he’s massive at 6’7”, 345. Maybe he can do something early in his career?
On the defensive side of the ball, defensive backs were the primary focus. It’s a little like the offensive line. Purdue’s going to bring in five defensive backs in hopes that a couple eventually hit. I already mentioned Goldsberry, and junior college transfer Dax Noles should get on the field sooner rather than later; otherwise, why bring in a JuCo player? I’m going to assume they have a plan for Dax right out of the box.
Other than that, it’s a mash-up of good, not great players, with plenty of potential. We’ll take a closer look at individual players this summer, but that’s all I’ve got until these guys hit campus and start practicing.
Now back to basketball.
