Purdue Wide Receiver, Defensive Lineman Become Latest to Hit Transfer Portal
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A pair of Indiana natives have become the latest to say "farewell" to the Purdue football program. On Wednesday — the first day of the spring window for the NCAA transfer portal — wide receiver Donovan Hamilton and defensive lineman Joe Strickland both announced their decisions to enter.
Hamilton is a redshirt freshman wide receiver out of Fishers, Ind. He arrived in West Lafayette ahead of the 2024 season but did not appear in any games for the Boilermakers. He will have all four years of eligibility to use at his next destination.
As a high school senior at Hamilton Southeastern, the 6-foot-4 Hamilton hauled in 50 receptions for 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was a three-star recruit and one of the top-20 players out of Indiana for his class.
After much thought and consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal with 4 years of eligibility remaining. pic.twitter.com/nUATiksTJl
— donovan hamilton (@donovannnnn2) April 16, 2025
Strickland is a former four-star recruit from Brebeuf Jesuit and an Indianapolis native. He was a top-300 overall prospect for the 2022 class.
Across three seasons in West Lafayette, Strickland appeared in just two games: Purdue's bowl game against LSU following the 2022 regular season and in the 2024 season opener against Indiana State.
Thank you, Purdue. pic.twitter.com/Gpcrf2onkc
— Joe Strickland. (@J3stripe) April 16, 2025
Strickland is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, earning those honors in 2023 and 2024. He will still have two years of eligibility to use at his next destination.
Since the conclusion of spring football in West Lafayette, Purdue has seen 11 players enter the NCAA transfer portal.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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