Purdue Review: HS Highlights, Painter's Interview & the Rise of Brock Brownfield
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It was another busy week in West Lafayette as the regular seasons for football and volleyball creep closer. In-state Purdue commits also started their high school football campaigns on Friday and men's basketball coach Matt Painter sat down with an interview with college basketball insider Jon Rothstein.
There is plenty to reflect on as August winds down and we approach September. Here are some of the biggest stories and headlines about Purude from last week.
Izayveon Moore, Ethan Reyna highlights from Week 1
Indiana's high school football season kicked off on Friday, and a few future Boilermakers had some impressive showings. Lawrence North running back Izayveon Moore rushed for 67 yards on 14 carries against Brownsburg, but the highlight of his first performance was a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Izayveon Moore 96-yard kickoff return for TD.
— Kyle Neddenriep (@KyleNeddenriep) August 22, 2026
Brownsburg 42, Lawrence North 25, 36.5 seconds in third pic.twitter.com/oDMfSwYUNH
Moore was previously committed to Miami (Ohio) but flipped to Purdue in June. He has rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his first three high school seasons and is hoping to hit that milestone again.
Andrean linebacker and fullback Ethan Reyna also had an impressive run when he showed off his inner Mike Alstott in Friday night's contest against Merrillville.
Purdue commit Ethan Reyna powers in for the Andrean TD.
— Allen Trieu (@AllenTrieu) August 22, 2026
Heading to college as an LB but he may have been a Big Ten fullback in the 90s.https://t.co/HoKAqyfytl @DubJellison @TomDienhart1 pic.twitter.com/kqD2L7Ru7Z
Matt Painter talks importance of Enzo Shahrvin
As Purdue continues to await a ruling on Enzo Shahrvin's eligibility from the NCAA, Painter talked about how he could be the most important newcomer for the Boilermakers this fall. Speaking with Rothstein on the Inside College Basketball Now podcast, Painter likes the physicality that the French big man brings to the post.
"I think we have good physicality in our backcourt, but I don't think we have enough physicality in the frontcourt," he said. "So, getting him eligible, I think, is really going to help our team, especially from a defensive rebounding standpoint."
Rebounding is the biggest concern for Purdue heading into the 2026-27 season. Shahrvin's eligibility could really benefit the Boilers in that area.
Brock Brownfield stock is soaring
One guy who has turned heads in fall camp is freshman offensive lineman Brock Brownfield. The New Palestine, Ind., product isn't just receiving huge praise from the coaching staff; his teammates have noticed the type of impact he can have in the trenches this season.
"That man is a dog," offensive lineman Nuku Mafi said. "He's surprised me a lot since we started in the spring. He's been technically sound, very coachable, too. It makes my job a lot easier."
Brownfield has received several reps with Purdue's first-team offensive line. There's a good chance he wins a starting job for the Boilermakers this fall.
Ethan Morton gets promotion at Illinois State
It didn't take Ethan Morton long to land his first job in coaching. After working at Illinois State as the director of basketball operations for one season, he earned a promotion with the Redbirds.
Illinois State promoted Morton to an assistant coach ahead of the 2026-27 college basketball season. Just two years into his professional career, he's already making big moves on the coaching front.
Morton will return to Mackey Arena on Nov. 9, when Purdue hosts Illinois State at Mackey Arena. He played for the Boilermakers from 2020-24 and used his final year of eligibility at Colorado State.
Volleyball gets another exhibition sweep
The Purdue volleyball team held its final tune-up match before regular-season play gets underway on Friday, Aug. 28. The Boilermakers hosted Butler, which is coached by Kyle Shondell, the son of Purdue head coach Dave Shondell.
It was another sweep for Purdue, which won the exhibition match 4-0. The Boilers swept both Ball State and Butler in exhibition matches, preparing for that top-15 matchup against No. 13 Creighton in Sioux Falls.
Preseason National Player of the Year candidate Kenna Wollard did not play in Friday's match. Purdue Boilermakers On SI reached out about her absence, but no specifics were provided about the senior outside hitter.
The Boilers enter the 2026 campaign ranked No. 9 in the country.
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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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