Purdue Lands Commitment from 4-Star California Quarterback

Purdue landed its first pledge of the 2026 recruiting class. The Boilermakers added a verbal commitment from four-star California quarterback Oscar Rios on Friday. He's one of the top-300 overall prospects in the cycle.

A Purdue Boilermakers helmet / Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Purdue's 2026 recruiting class got a major boost on Friday. The Boilermakers landed a verbal commitment from four-star quarterback Oscar Rios, one of the top-300 overall prospects of the cycle.

Rios, a Downey, Calif. product, announced his pledge on social media on Friday. He became the first player in the 2026 recruiting cycle to commit to coach Ryan Walters and the Boilermakers.

During his sophomore season at Downey High School, Rios threw for 2,633 yards and 23 touchdowns with just five interceptions. He completed 73% of his passes, as well.

I’m home!!! @BoilerFootball pic.twitter.com/mzKKq4CAG7

— Oscar Rios (@_OscarriosQB) June 22, 2024

Rios is listed as a 6-foot-3, 175-pound quarterback. He ranks as a top-20 gunslinger in the 2026 class, per 247Sports Composite Rankings. Nationally, he's slotted as the No. 289 player in the cycle.

More than a dozen schools showed interest in Rios. He picked Purdue over offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, Cal, Colorado State, Kansas, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oregon State, Utah, Virginia Tech, Washington and others.

Although it's still a few years away, you can never look too far ahead on the recruiting front. Purdue's 2026 class is off to a really strong start with the pledge from Rios.

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