Where Purdue's 2026 Recruiting Class Ranks After Rivers Knight's Commitment
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Purdue has received a bump in the 2026 recruiting rankings following a commitment from forward Rivers Knight over the weekend. The Boilermakers now have the third-ranked class, according to 247Sports.
Sunday, Purdue received a commitment from three-star power forward Rivers Knight, a North Carolina product who is spending his final season at the prep level at La Lumiere in LaPorte, Ind. He became the third player of the 2026 class to commit to coach Matt Painter and the Boilermakers.
Purdue has also received commitments from 6-foot-1 point guard Luke Ertel and 6-foot-6 shooting guard Jacob Webber.
247Sports had Purdue ranked inside the top 10 of the 2026 recruiting rankings before Knight's commitment on Sunday. After his pledge, the Boilermakers were bumped up to third. They also currently have the top-ranked class in the Big Ten.
Painter and his staff are recruiting heavily for the 2026 class, as the program will lose six players to eligibility following the 2025-26 season. Purdue will have to replace Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer, Oscar Cluff, Liam Murphy, and Sam King.
There are a lot of shoes to fill.
Yes, Purdue could replace some of that talent through the transfer portal, but Painter has always emphasized recruiting through the high school level. So far, the Boilermakers have done an excellent job in that respect.
Purdue fans will also want to keep an eye on 6-foot-7 wing Ralph Scott, another Purdue target in the 2026 class. He is a top-40 prospect and has set a commitment date for Friday, Oct. 3, at 6:30 p.m. ET. He's deciding between Houston, Purdue, Tennessee, and Texas A&M.
Could he be the next player to commit to Purdue and bolster this 2026 class even more?
247Sports' Recruiting Rankings (Top 10)
- Missouri Tigers (3 commits)
- Florida State Seminoles (4 commits)
- Purdue Boilermakers (3 commits)
- Vanderbilt Commodores (3 commits)
- Stanford Cardinal (3 commits)
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3 commits)
- Alabama Crimson Tide (2 commits)
- Minnesota Golden Gophers (3 commits)
- VCU Rams (2 commits)
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2 commits)
Related stories on Purdue basketball
PURDUE LANDS RIVERS KNIGHT: Purdue added to its 2026 recruiting class over the weekend, landing a verbal pledge from 6-foot-8 forward Rivers Knight, who attends La Lumiere Prep. CLICK HERE
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
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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