Purdue's Third Commitment of 2026 Class Comes From La Lumiere Forward
In this story:
There's a new addition to Purdue's 2026 recruiting class. According to reports from On3 and Sam Kayser of League Ready, 6-foot-8 forward and La Lumiere Prep product Rivers Knight has committed to coach Matt Painter and the Boilermakers. The news was announced on Sunday.
Knight is a three-star prospect who held offers from Illinois, LSU, VCU, Mississippi State, and High Point. He becomes the third player in the 2026 recruiting class to commit to Purdue, joining 6-foot-1 point guard Luke Ertel and 6-foot-6 shooting guard Jacob Webber.
247Sports' Composite Rankings list Knight as the No. 239 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class, receiving a three-star rating. He currently attends La Lumiere, located in LaPorte, Ind.
Knight is a solid shooter for a player of his size, but he really makes an impact around the painted area on both ends of the floor. He has a good post game and score on the interior, while also knocking down shots from the perimeter.
Defensively, the forward is an aggressive rebounder and does an excellent job of altering shots around the rim. He can easily generate blocks, especially when smaller guards drive to the basket.
Prior to attending La Lumiere, Knight attended Jordan High School in Durham, N.C. During his junior season, he averaged a double-double of 17.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. He also averaged 4.0 blocks and 2.1 assists per contest.
How does Knight fit in at Purdue?
Knight appears to be a traditional four, a forward who likes to play in the post, though he can step out and shoot from the perimeter or defend outside the painted area.
Purdue is losing that traditional four presence in Trey Kaufman-Renn after the 2025-26 season, a player who averaged 20.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season, leading the team in both categories. The Boilermakers have a major void to fill at that position.
Obviously, Kaufman-Renn will leave behind some big shoes to fill, and whether Knight can do that solely would be a pretty significant task. Still, he provides Painter and the Boilermakers with a 6-foot-8 prospect who can play a traditional power forward role.
Below are some of Knight's highlights:
Related stories on Purdue basketball
RALPH SCOTT SETS COMMITMENT DATE: Ralph Scott, a top-40 prospect in the 2026 recruiting class, has set a commitment date. He's considering Purdue and three other programs. CLICK HERE
BRADEN SMITH VOTED TOP CBB PLAYER: An overwhelming number of college basketball coaches agree that Purdue senior guard Braden Smith will be the best player in the sport this season. CLICK HERE
PURDUE TRAINS WITH NAVY SEALS: What did Matt Painter hope to get out of his Purdue team training with the Navy SEALs? He explained during his media availability. CLICK HERE
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.
Follow SchutteDustin