Purdue Offers 4-Star Wing in 2028 Recruiting Class

The Purdue coaching staff has extended another offer to a talented prospect in the 2028 recruiting class, this time a four-star wing from Illinois.

Purdue men's basketball coach Matt Painter. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

One of the risers in the 2028 recruiting class has received an offer from Purdue.

Cole Kelly, a 6-foot-7 wing out of Naperville, Ill., announced on social media that he received an offer from Purdue following a conversation with head coach Matt Painter. He is the sixth player in the 2028 recruiting class to earn an offer from the program.

Kelly is a four-star prospect in his cycle, ranking as the No. 42 overall player of 2028, per 247Sports. He had already gained some traction on the recruiting front, receiving offers from other Big Ten programs, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Northwestern.

After a great conversation with Coach Painter, I am excited and grateful to receive a D1 offer from Purdue University!@NVHS_Basketball @BreakawayBball pic.twitter.com/G8I2S0QCdh

— Cole Kelly (@colekelly_14) May 19, 2026

Kelly is coming off a stellar sophomore campaign at Neuqua Valley and earned first-team Naperville Sun All-Area Team. He averaged 19.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game and was named the DuPage Valley Conference Player of the Year.

The sophomore also connected on 51% of his shots from the floor and knocked down more than 70 three-pointers.

Kelly is currently ranked as the No. 2 prospect out of Illinois.

Cole Kelly rising on AAU circuit already

Kelly is a tremendous shooter who can make shots from all over the floor. He has a solid post-up game as a 6-foot-7 player but has expanded his game to the mid-range and behind the three-point line.

The rising high school junior is also capable of taking defenders off the dribble and gets to the glass. He has good vision for a player who isn't a primary point guard and has also established himself as a willing and aggressive rebounder.

On the Adidas 3SSB circuit this year, Kelly has already started to turn heads. He's averaging 17.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. His most impressive performance came in Mishawaka over the weekend, when he recorded a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds for Breakaway Basketball in a game against Midwest Basketball Club.

Kelly would likely fit in at Purdue at the three spot, but could also be utilized as a four. His usage would likely be similar to how Painter and his staff utilized Jack Benter, Mason Gillis and Camden Heide at the four spot, providing excellent floor space on the offensive end.

Kelly will be a player worth monitoring throughout the recruiting process, as he continues to gather attention from high-profile programs.

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