Purdue Adds to 2026 Recruiting Class With Pledge From Alabama Tight End
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A tight end out of Alabama is headed to Big Ten country. On Thursday, three-star prospect Ar'Mari Towns announced his commitment to Purdue, becoming the sixth member of the 2026 recruiting class to verbally pledge to Barry Odom and the Boilermakers.
Towns made his announcement with a social media post.
"God is my foundation, and I'm beyond excited for this opportunity," he wrote. "I'm excited to announce my commitment to Purdue University! The vibrant community, the amazing coaching staff, and the chance to compete in the Big 10 are all dreams coming true for me. ... I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work! Boiler Up, Hammer Down!"
Towns is listed as a 6-foot-6, 220-pound tight end out of Selma, Ala. He's considered the No. 20 tight end in the class and the No. 16 prospect out of Alabama. The rising high school senior picked Purdue over offers from Arizona, Florida State, Memphis, Southern Miss, Western Kentucky and others.
Per MaxPreps.com, Towns caught 10 passes for 118 yards and three touchdowns in eight games during the 2024 high school football season.
With Towns' commitment on Thursday, Purdue now has six verbal commitments in the 2026 class. He is the fifth offensive player of the group, along with Izaiah Wright (running back), Corin Berry (quarterback), Brock Brownfield (offensive lineman) and Rico Schrieber (offensive tackle).
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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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