When a major program loses a key hire, Rivals.com looks at its impact on the respective school, analyzing it from the local and national levels. To quantify the “pain” of each downsize, we assign a score from one to 10, with a score not being a big deal and a score of 10 being a catastrophic hit.
PLOT
Rickie Collins committed to Purdue in October and over the next several months reinforced his commitment to boil-makers many times over.
The midfield history there is outstanding. The way Purdue’s coaching staff targeted him early on and showed love made his decision easier.
But there’s something looming out there and although Collins likes a lot about the successful team, LSU is right down the street for the prominent Baton Rouge (La.) Woodlawn and especially the Tigers have recently captured their attention.
The four-star, dual-threat quarterback has now dropped his commitment to Purdue, and while he hasn’t fulfilled his commitment to LSU, it looks like he’ll stay home and play on the road.
Times are tough for boil manufacturers. But Purdue knows all about the possibility – that LSU could go after the hometown kid and it’s a risk worth taking even if the possibility of losing him becomes greater once the Tigers get seriously involved.
CLASS 2023: Purdue’s Commitments | Big Ten Recruitment Ranking
*****
LOCAL RESPONSE
“Whenever a school loses its top rated recruit and the face of that class, it’s basically a hit, but when that player is a quarterback and it happens in August. after most of the other decent QB recruits have committed elsewhere, that adds to this class many powerhouses come after Collins.
“In short, it’s a blow to Purdue, but a blow that many might suspect is possible, regardless of whether Collins speaks firmly about his commitment to Purdue or not.
“This really, really, really hurts if Purdue doesn’t sign Brady Allen last year, along with Mike Alaimo from the previous year. Collins probably won’t be playing for the team’s team any time soon and there are good young QBs on the show. In the transfer era, who knows how difficult it can be to keep more than one midfielder a year.
“The point is, the short-term impact should be minimal here. It’s painful, but at least won’t affect Purdue’s results right away. For now, though, class.” Purdue’s don’t have a quarterback, that’s not ideal.” – Brian Neubert, GoldandBlack.com
Sting Coefficient: 6
*****
NATIONAL RESPONSE
“Collins is a really talented quarterback and will probably do very well as a coach Jeff Brohmsystem but Purdue coaches must know that they are making a sizable effort at recruiting someone of his caliber and ultimately keeping him out of LSU or other SEC schools. It’s a gamble worth taking because if Collins ends up in West Lafayette he could be a big addition to this recruiting class.
That didn’t happen, but I credit the Purdue coaches for the effort. When it comes to the 2023 quarterback, the cabinets are pretty much empty unless the boil makers can topple someone. But in the age of the transfer portal, the prudent move might just be to wait a few months, watch for disenfranchised second-string quarterbacks across the country and then attack the money department recruitment. defend that way.
“It can deliver more results – and one person is more game-ready than Collins or doing a high school QB shot under the radar.” – Adam Gyers, National Recruitment Director of Rivals
Sting Coefficient: 6
