INDIANAPOLIS – Purdue Football laid the foundation for its 2026 recruiting class over the weekend with a major quarterback commitment.
Downey (Calif.) rising junior Oscar Rios committed to the Boilermakers last Friday. The multi-talented 6-3, 175-pound quarterback is the first commitment in the class of 2026. He joins Dallas Parish Episcopal’s Sawyer Anderson in 2025 as a quarterback prospect in Purdue’s future plans.
According to the 247Sports composite for the class of 2026, Rios is currently ranked 291st as a four-star prospect. That would make him the highest-ranked high school quarterback the program has added since Brady Allen (No. 175) in 2022. (Allen later transferred to join former coach Jeff Brohm at Louisville.)
More recruitment: Purdue becomes Louisville’s in-state receiver in class of 2025
More: Purdue completes 2025 schedule with FCS opponent
Only seven defenders who rank above Rios in this class remain uncommitted. His offer list included three other Big Ten programs — Michigan State, Nebraska and Washington — as well as programs like Auburn and Utah.
According to MaxPreps, Rios completed 73.4% of his passes last season for 2,633 yards with 23 touchdowns against five interceptions. He also rushed for another 767 yards and seven touchdowns for an 8-3 team.
Purdue hasn’t been led by a quarterback recruited on scholarship since 2020, when Jack Plummer surpassed Aidan O’Connell. The latter led the next three seasons, and Texas transfer Hudson Card led last season.
Possible options to succeed Card after this season include current freshman Marcos Davila, a former four-star and top-400 prospect. Third-year quarterback Bennett Meredith and sophomores Ryan Browne and Jake Wilson are also in the mix.
Purdue can also remain active in the transfer portal, which features a lot of quarterback movement every winter and spring. Rios’ dual-threat package could eventually evolve into a long-term internal solution.
A large collection
Hamilton Southeastern offensive lineman Cameron Gorin represented a key development for the class of 2025 with his commitment last week.
If his rating holds or improves — and depending on other potential additions — Gorin could become the highest-rated offensive line recruit since Zionsville’s Gus Hartwig (4-star, No. 334) in 2020. Hartwig also marks the last time the state is the best. ranked OL in the composite chose Purdue.
Gorin currently ranks 749th nationally. That’s second only to Warren Central’s Cameron Herron (726) as the top O-line prospect in the state. Herron committed to Iowa on Sunday.
Obviously, this doesn’t fully reflect how teams are built these days. Notre Dame transfer Joey Tanona, also from Zionsville, was a top-150 prospect in the 2022 class.
The huge need for strikers at national level creates intense competition for these players during each transfer portal window. Keeping the state’s best offensive line prospects at home remains critical.
Who is next?
Gorin’s commitment and the turnaround of Hammond Morton receiver Lebron Hill from Louisville gave Purdue’s 2025 class a welcome boost. This group still ranks last among all 18 Big Ten teams in both total points and average star ratings, using only 247Sports’ rankings.
One recent visitor who remains uncommitted is defensive lineman Derry Norris from Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, Florida. The main competition for the top 600 prospects includes neighboring Miami.
Fishers receiver JonAnthony Hall (4-star, No. 307) recently took a rotation of official in-state visits to Purdue, Indiana and Notre Dame. Before that, the three-sport athlete visited Stanford.
Other recent official visitors included offensive lineman Dramodd Odoms from Houston Lamar (4-star, No. 99) and Shawnee (Kansas) Mill Valley ahead of Jayden Woods (4-star, No. 215).
Follow IndyStar Purdue Insider Nathan Baird on X at @nwbaird.
This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star: Purdue football recruiting: 2026 4-star QB Oscar Rios commits
