Past Classes: 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue football coach Danny Hope today announced the signing of 12 student-athletes to National Letters-of-Intent to play for the Boilermakers. The group joins three early enrollees and a holdover walk-on to make up a 16-member recruiting class, Hope's third at Purdue.
In December, the Boilermakers inked tight end Sterling Carter, linebacker/safety Jalani Phillips and running back Akeem Shavers. Those three are currently enrolled at Purdue and will be available for spring practice. Long snapper Jesse Schmitt, who joined the Boilermakers as a walk-on in time for 2010 season, also received a scholarship prior to the start of the spring semester.
The class of 2011 features a number of athletic prospects that excelled in high school and junior college on both sides of the ball, as well as special teams.
The recruits hail from nine different states: Three from Florida and Pennsylvania, two from Georgia, Indiana and Texas and one from California, Hawaii, Kentucky and Illinois.
Sterling Carter
Tight End
6-5//240
Torrance, Calif.
Los Angeles Harbor College
Mid-year signee, already enrolled at Purdue and will be available for spring practice ... Caught 10 passes for 109 yards in nine games (10.9 average) at Los Angeles Harbor College in 2010 ... Had five catches for 151 yards (30.2 average) and three touchdowns as a senior at Torrance High School in 2009 ... Caught six passes for 121 yards (20.2 average) and four touchdown in 2008 as a junior ... A standout all-around athlete in high school, he was named a first team all-league player in volleyball, basketball and football ... Garnered All-California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) honors in volleyball as a senior ... As a junior, he was named first team all-league in both football and volleyball, and second team in basketball, as well as second team All-CIF in volleyball ... Coach at Los Angeles Harbor College was Brett Peabody ... Also recruited by Southern Mississippi and Tulsa.
Brandon Cottom
Athlete
6-2//240
Newton, Pa.
Council Rock North
Rated the No. 26 player in Pennsylvania by Rivals.com ... Missed considerable time his senior season with an ankle injury, yet still managed to average 5.9 yards per carry and score six rushing touchdowns ... Rushed for 139 yards, including a season-long 55-yarder, on 12 carries against Bensalem. Rushed for three scores and had a receiving touchdown in the game ... Earned all-area accolades as junior, finishing with 1,020 yards and 12 touchdowns on 136 carries ... Added 19 receptions for 291 yards and another touchdown as a receiver ... Returned 17 kickoffs for 616 yards (36.2 average) ... Averaged 7.5 yards per carry, 15.3 yards per reception and 119.2 all-purpose yards per game in 2009 ... In a 35-28 loss to Council Rock South in 2009, had 293 rushing yards on 27 carries, 70 receiving yards and four rushing touchdowns ... Coach was Adam Collachi ... Among the primary schools recruiting him were Duke, Illinois, Maryland, Rutgers and Syracuse.
Doug Gentry
Running Back/Athlete
6-0//190
Mexia, Texas
Mexia
Had over 1,000 yards rushing in three straight seasons and concluded prep career with 3,523 yards on 537 carries ... Averaged 6.6 yards per carry in his high school career ... Rushed for 1,108 yards and 19 touchdowns on 160 carries as a senior ... Averaged 6.9 yards per carry and had multiple scoring rushes in seven of nine games played ... Scored five rushing touchdowns against Connally High School and rushed for a season-high 258 yards and two scores on 30 carries against Liberty Hill ... 2009 second team Class 3A All-State by the Associated Press ... Rushed for 1,835 yards and 20 touchdowns on 206 carries as a junior ... Also caught 40 passes for 484 yards and 10 scores ... Averaged 8.9 yards per carry and 12.1 yards per reception as a junior ... Rushed for 100 or more yards in nine of 12 games, including four games with 200 or more yards ... Rushed for a season-high 246 yards on merely 17 carries (14.5 average) against Robinson High School ... Scored two or more rushing touchdowns in eight of 12 games played ... Ran for 1,580 yards on 171 carries as a sophomore in 2008 ... Averaged 9.2 yards per carry and also had six receptions for 60 yards ... Coach was Paul Weaver ... Among the primary schools recruiting him were Georgia Tech, Miami (Fla.), Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas A&M.
Randy Gregory
Defensive End
6-4//210
Fishers, Ind.
Hamilton Southeastern
Led Hamilton Southeastern High School with 110 tackles, including 78 solo stops, and 6.5 sacks as senior ... Recovered two fumbles and forced one as senior ... Caught three passes, including scoring grabs of 50 and 12 yards ... Honorable mention 2010 Class 5A All-State selection by the Associated Press ... Finished with a team-high 92 total tackles, 68 solos, and 14 sacks as a junior ... Recorded at least one sack in eight of 12 games played as a junior, including 3.0 against both Noblesville and Harrison High Schools ... Finished with double-digit tackles in three games ... Caused two fumbles and recorded one recovery in 2009 ... Recorded a safety on a sack in a 4-0 win over Harrison in the regular season and added another safety against Harrison in the first round of the state playoffs ... Caught an 18-yard touchdown pass against Westfield High School ... 2009 5A All-State Junior by the Indiana Football Coaches Association ... Had 23 total tackles and sack as a sophomore ... Coach was Scott May ... Among the primary schools recruiting him were Illinois, Iowa, Louisville, Minnesota, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin.
Akeem Hunt
Running Back/Athlete
5-10//170
Covington, Ga.
Newton
Averaged 5.7 yards per carry as a senior, gaining 654 yards on 115 rushes with seven touchdowns ... Caught 15 passes for 231 yards (15.4 average) and two scores ... Had 137 yards and four touchdowns on 33 carries (4.2 average) and returned a kickoff for a score in a 35-32 overtime win against Newnan High School ... Finished with a season-high 132 yards on only 10 carries (13.2 average) against King High School ... Rushed for 679 yards and seven touchdowns on 114 carries as a junior ... Averaged 4.7 yards per carry ... Also caught nine passes for 47 yards (5.2 average) ... Had 151 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries (6.3 average) against Union Grove High School as a junior ... Coach was Cortez Allen ... Among the primary schools recruiting him were Auburn, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, South Florida, and Wake Forest.
Kaulana Judd
Linebacker
6-2 // 230
Waemia, Hawaii
Fullerton College
Finished his sophomore season at Fullerton with 41 tackles, including 22 solo stops, 4.5 tackles for losses, an interception and two quarterback hurries ... Fullerton went 10-2 his sophomore year, advancing to the semifinals of the Southern California Community College Championship ... Junior College teammate of current Boilermaker Max Charlot ... Honorable mention All-State by Honolulu Star Bulletin as a senior at Waimea High School ... 2007 All-Kauai Interscholastic Federation by the Honolulu Advertiser ... Ranked by Scout.com as the No. 49 prospect in Hawaii in 2008 ... Graduated from Waimea cum laude ... Freshman defensive player of the year and an all-area selection as a sophomore ... also recruited by Hawaii, San Diego State and New Mexico State.
Robert Kugler
Tight End/Line
6-3//250
Pittsburgh, Pa.
North Allegheny
Scout.com lists him as the No. 9 tight end in the nation and a four-star prospect ... Ranked as the No. 21 tight end nationally by ESPN.com ... Rated as the No. 28 player in Pennsylvania by Rivals.com ... Named the 2010 PIAA Class AAAA Pennsylvania Player of the Year by the Associated Press ... Caught two passes for 15 yards (7.5 average) as a senior at North Allegheny High School ... Also played defensive end, racking up 67 tackles, including 37 solo stops, and 7.0 sacks ... Had an interception, three passes defended and recovered a fumble ... Named to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 team and was a first team PIAA Class AAAA All-State selection ... 2010 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 25 ... 2010 Pennsylvania Football News AAAA All-State at tight end ... Pennsylvania Sports Writers first team All-State selection ... Transferred to North Allegheny from Orchard Park (N.Y.) High School where he helped guide the school to a 31-3 record over three years and the 2008 NYS Class AA state title ... Finished his junior season at Orchard Park with 15 receptions at tight end and 81 tackles, 5.0 sacks and three forced fumbles playing defensive end ... Named to the 2009 All-Western New York Football Team by The Buffalo News ... Father, Sean, is the offensive line coach for the 2011 AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers ... Coach was Art Walker at North Allegheny and Gene Tundo at Orchard Park ... Among the primary schools recruiting him were Boise State, Pittsburgh, Michigan, Stanford, Syracuse and West Virginia.
Shane Mikesky
Wide Receiver
6-3//195
Zionsville, Ind.
Zionsville
Rated as the No. 16 player in Indiana by Rivals.com ... Caught 39 passes for 720 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior ... Honorable mention Class 5A All-State in 2010 ... Also is a talented track athlete, running a 13.94 in the 110m hurdles in 2010, which tied for the 28th-fastest time by a prep runner in the country ... Returns in 2011 as the sixth fastest prep 110m hurdler in the nation ... 2010 Indiana state champion in the 110m high hurdles as a junior ... Won the 2010 IATCCC state title in the 55m hurdles ... Three-time Hoosier Crossroads Conference champion in the both the 110m and 300m hurdles ... Has won multiple sectional and regional titles in the 110m and 300m hurdles ... Has also been a member of multiple conference, sectional and regional 4x400m relay teams ... Selected to run in the Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle, Wash., in February 2011 ... Holds Zionsville records in the 55m hurdles, 110m hurdles, 300m hurdles and was a member of record-breaking 4x200m and 4x400m relay teams ... Football coach was Larry McWhorter ... Was also contacted by Auburn (track and field), Indiana, Michigan and Stanford.
Raheem Mostert
Wide Receiver
5-11//180
New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
New Smyrna Beach
Returned nine kickoffs and one punt for touchdowns as a senior ... Had 39 receptions for 723 yards (18.5 average) and four touchdowns in 2010 ... Also recorded 81 tackles on defense ... Named the 2010 Central Florida All-Star Game MVP after hauling in three passes for nearly 100 yards and returning a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown ... Team advanced to the Class 4A regional semifinals his senior season ... Ranked No. 48 on the Orlando Sentinel's 2010 Central Florida Super60 Team ... Team won the district title and advanced to the third round of the state playoffs his junior year ... Also runs track, winning the 2010 FHSAA 3A Region 2 title in the 300m hurdles ... Coach was Bruce Jenkins ... Among the primary schools recruiting him were Navy, Rutgers, South Florida, Southern Mississippi, UCF and Wake Forest.
Jalani Phillips
Linebacker/Safety
6-4//255
Warner Robbins, Ga.
Houston County
Mid-year signee, already enrolled at Purdue and will be available for spring practice ... High school teammate of current Boilermaker Justin Kitchens ... Three-year letterwinner in football ... Finished with 50 tackles, including 32 solo stops and a sack, an interception and one fumble recovery as a senior ... Honorable mention all-region and area as senior ... Second team all-region and area as a sophomore after finishing the 2008 season with 38 tackles, seven interceptions and two passes broken up ... Also returned punts and kickoffs as a junior and senior ... Had 40 tackles as sophomore with 7.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, four PBUs, two fumbles recovered and one forced ... Coach was Greg Robinson ... Also received interest from Alabama-Birmingham and Middle Tennessee State.
Taylor Richards
Defensive Back
5-10//180
Lake Mary, Fla.
Lake Mary
Had 72 tackles, six interceptions and scored 16 touchdowns as a senior ... Rushed for 288 yards and eight touchdowns and hauled in two scoring passes ... Had two interceptions in senior season opener against West Orange High School ... Orlando Predators High School Player of the week after picking off four passes in a game against Lake Howell High School in the second week of senior season and returning two of them for touchdowns. Also added a third touchdown against Lake Howell on a botched field goal attempt ... Accounted for 20 of Lake Mary's 22 points in a loss to Freedom High School, scoring three rushing touchdowns and adding a two-point conversion ... 2010 All-Central Florida and All-Seminole County by the Orlando Sentinel ... Selected for the North squad in the 2010 Florida Athletic Coaches Association/Reebok North-South All Star Football Classic ... Named to the East Roster for the 2010 Central Florida All-Star Game ... Had 65 tackles, two tackles for loss, four interceptions, nine pass break ups and two fumble recoveries as a junior ... Rushed for 346 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries (10.2 average) in 2009 ... Coach was Scott Perry ... Was also recruited by Duke, Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis, Mississippi and UCF.
Michael Rouse III
Defensive Tackle
6-4//310
Flossmoor, Ill.
Homewood Flossmoor
Listed as the No. 19 defensive tackle prospect in the nation by MaxPreps' Tom Lemming ... Helped Homewood-Flossmoor High School rebound from a 1-8 record in 2009 to a 10-3 record and a spot in the Class 8A state semifinals ... Recorded 51 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks and seven fumbles forced as a senior ... Had eight tackles, a forced fumble and two sacks against Naperville North in the Class 8A state quarterfinal game ... 2010 Chicago Tribune High School All-Star ... 2009 Tom Lemming Underclass All-Area Team ... Coach was Craig Buzea ... Was also contacted by Illinois and Michigan in the recruiting process.
Jesse Schmitt
Long Snapper
6-2//225
Louisville, Ky.
Trinty
Joined the Boilermakers as a walk-on for the 2010 season ... Did not see action ... Rated the No. 2 long snapper nationally by Ray Guy/Pro Kicker.com out of high school ... No. 3-ranked long snapper nationally by Jamie Kohl's Kicking Camp (4.5 out of 5 stars) ... also played offensive line ... team finished as state runner-up his senior season after winning four consecutive championships ... member of Honor Roll.
Akeem Shavers
Running Back
6-0//200
Redwater, Texas
Tyler Junior College
Mid-year signee, already enrolled at Purdue and will be available for spring practice ... Rushed for 450 yards on just 50 carries with three touchdowns in 2010 ... Averaged 9.0 yards per carry in 2010 ... Had 210 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown run, on only 16 carries (13.1 average) in a game against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College ... 2010 second team All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference ... During his prep career, rushed for 331 yards on 17 carries (19.5 average) in a game at Redwater High School ... Tyler Junior College was Danny Palmer ... Also considered Southern Mississippi, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
Armstead Williams
Linebacker
6-3//210
Monroeville, Pa.
Gateway
Listed as the No. 17 outside linebacker prospect in the nation by MaxPreps' Tom Lemming ... Ranked as the No. 24 outside linebacker in the country by ESPN.com ... Recorded 64 tackles, including 31 solo stops, a sack, an interception, six passes broken up and forced a fumble as a senior ... Also caught 29 passes for 357 yards (12.3 average) and five touchdowns as a tight end, but he will be a linebacker at Purdue ... 2010 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 selection and was a first team PIAA Class AAAA All-State selection ... 2010 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 25 ... 2010 Pennsylvania Football News AAAA All-State at linebacker ... Pennsylvania Sports Writers first team All-State selection ... Selected to play for Pennsylvania in the 2011 Big 33 Game against the top prep players from Ohio ... Finished with 58 tackles, one forced fumble, 3.0 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss in 11 games as a junior ... Was also the team's second-leading receiver with 19 catches for 407 yards (21.4 average) and four touchdowns in 2009 ... Coach was Terry Smith ... Among the primary schools recruiting him were Illinois, Iowa, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, N.C. State, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin.
Frankie Williams
Defensive Back/Athlete
Tampa, Fla.
Robinson
Listed as the No. 37 athlete in the nation by Rivals.com ... Set a school record with nine kickoff and punt returns for touchdowns that was previously held by current Kansas City Chief Javier Arenas ... Recorded 67 tackles, including 53 solo stops and one sack, as senior in 2010 ... Had two interceptions, eight passes defended and a fumble recovery as a senior ... Returned 10 punts for 145 yards, averaging 14.5 yards per return ... Had seven kickoff returns for 298 yards, an average of 42.6 yards per return ... Returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown against Jesuit High School and had a 65-yard scoring return against Middleton High School ... Also caught 28 passes for 483 (17.3 average) and seven touchdowns in 2010 ... Had a season-high 134 yards receiving and a touchdown on merely three catches (44.7 average) in the first round of the state playoffs against Immokalee High School ... Had 10 rushes for 46 yards (4.6 average) and three touchdowns as a senior ... Team advanced to the Class 2A semifinals in 2009 and 2010 ... Finished with 32 tackles, 24 solo, and had three interceptions and nine PBUs as a junior ... Had 12 punt returns for 187 yards, averaging 15.6 yards per return ... Also averaged 40.3 yards per kickoff return as a junior, gaining 524 yards on 13 returns ... Returned a punt and an interception for a touchdown against Strawberry Crest High School in 2009 ... Averaged 10.2 yards per carry as a junior, rushing 16 times for 163 yards and one touchdown ... Had 35 receptions for 660 yards (18.9 average) and 10 touchdowns in 2009 ... Finished with 29 tackles and an interception as a sophomore in 2008 ... Averaged 16.3 yards per punt return and 21.6 per kickoff as a sophomore ... Averaged 15.3 yards per carry in 2008, gaining 92 yards on six carries with one touchdown ... Finished with 19 receptions for 279 yards (14.7 average) and one score as a sophomore ... Coach was Mike Depue ... Among the primary schools recruiting him were Auburn, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Mississippi, Nebraska, N.C. State, South Florida, Texas Tech, UCF, Vanderbilt and Washington State.
Video
Boilermaker Fans - Due to the icy weather last night, Purdue was forced to reschedule the video coverage. The JPC Recruiting Round Up has been rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 7. We apologize for any inconvenience.
