Boilermakers Country

Early Signing Period Blog: Follow Purdue Football's Recruiting Activity in Real Time

A new era of Purdue football is underway under head coach Ryan Walters, and he looks to bring in a solid group of recruits starting on Wednesday during the early signing period. Here is all the breaking news as national letters of intent get signed.

D.J. Fezler

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue football looks to build on its momentum from the last two seasons as the program enters a new era under head coach Ryan Walters. The Boilermakers will welcome players from the 2023 recruiting class beginning on Wednesday, as they sign their national letters of intent during the early signing period. 

Since Jeff Brohm's departure to Louisville, Purdue has seen several prospects decommit from the program. The Boilermakers have the 69th-ranked recruiting class in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. The team has at least 12 players that are expected to sign on during the three-day early signing period. 

Follow along below as Purdue announces its 2023 freshman class: 

11:11 p.m. ET — Three-star cornerback Zion Gunn is the latest recruit to sign their national letter of intent for Purdue. He is a native of Orlando, where the team will play LSU in the upcoming Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Jan. 2. He attended Winter Park High School in Florida. '

10:40 p.m. ET — Purdue gets a commitment from three-star defensive lineman Jamarrion Harkless, who also signed his national letter of intent on Wednesday. The 6-foot-4, 310-pound prospect out of Lexington, Ky., was a former Auburn commit, but he reopened his recruitment on Dec. 4. 

Harkless is the 80th-ranked prospect at his position and the third-overall recruit in the state of Kentucky. 

10:27 p.m. ET — The Boilermakers continue to bolster their defensive line. Three-star defensive end Will Heldt out of Carmel High School signs with Purdue. The 6-foot-6 in-state recruit is ranked as the 96th prospect at his position in the country while also being rated as the 16th player in Indiana. 

10:10 p.m. ET — Purdue inks another pass-catcher for its offense in 2023, as three-star recruit Ryne Shackelford signs his national letter of intent. He is a 6-foot, 175-pound wide receiver from Keystone High School in Lagrange, Ohio. 

9:38 p.m. ET — Purdue is already up to eight signees as three-star defensive lineman Drake Carlson is officially a Boilermaker. A 6-foot-4, 260-pound prospect out of Nashville, Carlson was ranked among the top 30 recruits in the state of Tennessee. 

9:25 p.m. ET — The first quarterback of the 2023 recruiting class is Ryan Browne from Milford Academy in New Berlin, N.Y. The three-star prospect is the 53rd quarterback in the class while also being ranked as the eighth recruit in his home state. 

9:12 p.m. ET — Dillon Thieneman is following in the footsteps of his older brothers, Jacob and Brennan, as a member of the Purdue football program. The 6-foot, 200-pound safety out of Westfield, Ind., signed his national letter of intent. He is a three-star recruit, the 69th-ranked safety in the 2023 recruiting class and is rated as the 12th prospect in Indiana. 

8:48 p.m. ET — Cathedral High School wide receiver Jaron Tibbs is staying home, joining Purdue football in its 2023 freshman class. The three-star recruit out of Indianapolis is ranked as the 17th recruit in the state. He is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound receiver that visited West Lafayette on June 10.  

8:34 a.m. ET — Purdue gets its first offensive player on board for the 2023 recruiting class, as three-star offensive lineman Jimmy Liston signs his national letter of intent. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound interior lineman is from Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Ill. He is the 58th-ranked interior offensive lineman in the nation and is rated as the 28th prospect out of Illinois. 

8:12 a.m. ET — In-state recruit Winston Berglund is the first player from Indiana to sign their national letter of intent with Purdue. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound safety out of Carmel, Ind., is the 11th-ranked player in the state and 68th in the country at his position. 

7:49 a.m. ET — Three-star linebacker Owen Davis has inked his national letter of intent with Purdue football. He is a 6-foot-3, 220-pound athlete that is ranked as the 141st linebacker in the country and the 54th product out of his home state of Ohio. 

Davis attended North Union High School in Richwood and took an official visit with the Boilermakers on June 3 before announcing his commitment just two days later. 

6:33 a.m. ET — The first signing under Walters is three-star safety Ethan Cole. A 6-foot-2, 195-pound product out of Lake Minneola, Fla., Cole is rated as the No. 93 player at his position according to 247Sports and the 157th-ranked prospect in his state. 

He visited Purdue back on June 24 before announcing his commitment on July 2. He missed some time due to injury in his senior season, but still appeared in seven games to help his team earn a 10-2 record. 

Related Stories on Purdue Football

  • Purdue Football 2023 Decommits: Jeff Brohm was reported to be leaving Purdue for the Louisville head coaching job on Dec. 7. Since then, the Boilermakers have had seven players decommit from the program. The Early Signing Period for high school recruits begins Wednesday, Dec. 21. CLICK HERE 
  • Purdue Football Announces Coordinator Hires: Purdue head coach Ryan Walters announced that Graham Harrell and Kevin Kane will join the Boilermakers as coordinators ahead of the 2023 football season. CLICK HERE 

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D.J. Fezler
D.J. FEZLER

D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball. 

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