Purdue Football Beats Multiple Big Ten Teams for 2027 In-State Linebacker

The Boilermakers added to their 2027 recruiting class this week, receiving a commitment from an in-state linebacker who had multiple Big Ten offers.

A Purdue Boilermakers helmet sits on the sidelines. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Purdue has landed its first in-state commitment of the 2027 recruiting class. Ethan Reyna, a three-star linebacker from Merrillville, Ind., verbally committed to play for the Boilermakers on Friday night, making an announcement on social media.

"Blessed to announce my commitment to Purdue University," Reyna wrote. "Thank you to my parents, coaches, trainers, teammates, friends, and everyone who has supported me throughout this journey."

Reyna is a 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker from Andrean High School. He is ranked as the No. 19 prospect out of Indiana and is listed as the No. 104 linebacker in the class, per 247Sports.

Blessed to announce my commitment to Purdue University! Thank you to my parents, coaches, trainers, teammates, friends, and everyone who has supported me throughout this journey.

Boiler Up! 🚂🖤💛@FootballAndrean @BoilerFootball @Coach_Odom @CoachKaneBoiler @Nrenna… pic.twitter.com/t9EJ2StiCG

— Ethan Reyna 3⭐️ (@EthanReyna44) May 22, 2026

Purdue won the recruiting battle against other Big Ten foes Minnesota and Rutgers. Reyna also held offers from Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois, Toledo and Western Michigan.

Reyna played on both sides of the football at Andrean during the 2025 high school season. Defensively, he accounted for 105 tackles, including seven for loss. On the offensive side, Reyna totaled 586 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 87 carries.

Andrean finished the 2025 season with a 13-1 record and won the Class 2A state championship, defeating Brownstown Central 7-0 in the title game at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Purdue finally gets first in-state commitment

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Barry Odom. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Boilermakers had been in the mix to land multiple in-state recruits, but Reyna became the first player from Indiana to commit to Purdue as a member of the 2027 recruiting class. He is the fifth verbal commitment for coach Barry Odom of the cycle.

Recently, Purdue had been in the mix to land three-star Brownsburg wide receiver Branden Sharpe, but he announced his commitment to Indiana. That left the Boilers with four verbal commitments and still searching for their first in-state pledge.

With Reyna's commitment, perhaps it will be the first domino for in-state pledges for the Boilermakers. It's still early in the recruiting process, so there is plenty of time for Odom and his staff to add in-state talent to the roster for the 2027 season and beyond.

Purdue currently has five players committed in its 2027 class. Here's a look at those commitments:

• Amos Bradford — 3-star running back (Hollywood, Fla.)
• Ethan Reyna — 3-star linebacker (Merrillville, Ind.)
• Jackie Ryder — 3-star quarterback (Winnetka, Ill.)
• Gianni Porfilio — 3-star cornerback (Huntington Beach, Calif.)
• Dallas Crescenzo — 3-star wide receiver (Bastrop, Texas)

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