WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue wrestling head coach Tony Ersland announced the signing of Tyson Russell, a projected 285-pounder from Cleveland, Tennessee, on Tuesday.
Russell is the 158th-ranked overall recruit on the MatScouts Class of 2025 Big Board and the 19th-ranked heavyweight in the nation. He became Purdue’s seventh top-250 signee in the class, which breaks a tie with defending national champion Penn State for most in the Big Ten.
“Tyson Russell looks to be a great addition to our class of 2025, which has definitely shaped up well for us,” Ersland said. “He fills a need at heavyweight and elevates our class even higher. We have a lot of great momentum as a program right now, and the fact that so many of the nation’s top wrestlers want to be a part of that bodes well for the future of Purdue wrestling. We have a lot of talent going into next season.”
Russell is a back-to-back Tennessee state champion, where he’s posted multiple dominant seasons as the top-ranked heavyweight. He helped Cleveland High School maintain its status as the top wrestling powerhouse in Tennessee, in which it’s won eight straight team state titles.
Russell figures to join the mix of heavyweights on Purdue’s roster, including returning NCAA qualifier Hayden Filipovich, Dominic Burgett and Keagan Martin.
The Tennessee native is the latest top-250 signee in Purdue’s class, which also includes No. 70 Noah Weaver, No. 142 Adrian Pellot, No. 160 Isaiah Schaefer, No. 178 Vincent Paino, No. 193 Brody Saccoccia and No. 201 Aidan Costello. Ty Henderson from Evansville Mater Dei will join the fold as well after a third-place finish in the Indiana state tournament.
This fall, Purdue will also welcome newcomers Gavin Brown, a transfer from Ohio State, and Blake Boarman, a 2025 NCAA qualifier from Chattanooga. In June, Boarman was ranked as the No. 23 returning 133-pounder in the country by FloWrestling.