In-state standout lineman takes PWO for Purdue

Growing up, Elijah Taylor was a huge Purdue fan with a dream of one day suiting up for the Boilermakers.

The Guerin Catholic (IN) standout lineman no longer has to dream. Taylor recently announced his commitment to Purdue, opting to take a PWO from head coach Ryan Walters and staff.

“It feels unreal. It has always been a dream of mine to play at Purdue. I’ve been watching Dillon Thieneman the past year play for Purdue with his family. I want to make it and try my best to make that impact on the program. I am also a fan of Purdue because I am continuing my dream of becoming an engineer,” Taylor told Boiler Wire.

As a senior for Guerin Catholic this past fall, Taylor recorded 59 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, 27 quarterback hurries, three sacks and a forced fumble.

A dream come true for Taylor

In addition to Purdue, Taylor said Indiana, Butler and Eastern Michigan were in the mix of offering him PWO’s. He had also generated interest from several NAIA schools in Michigan and Indiana. Taylor was recruited as a defensive end and outside linebacker.

“With everything that was offered, I still wanted to go to my dream school and wanted to take the chance on waiting a little bit longer until I took anyone’s offer. I am blessed to receive a PWO. Yes, I do wish that I could have been on scholarship. The coach said they just simply ran out of scholarships for 2024,” said Taylor.

Taylor is ready to get to work

Taylor admits he is “extremely excited” about the opportunity to come to West Lafayette and compete for a position.

“I expect there is going to be a lot of competition. I don’t really know the full extent with their depth in these positions. I’m just going to do my best to be extremely coachable and fill any position they want me at or need me to play. When the opportunity presents itself, I am going to take it and make sure I can do everything in my power and work my hardest,” Taylor said.

Taylor said the opportunity to suit up for Purdue creates a massive sense of relief for him and his family. He admits he was worried about being accepted anywhere knowing he still wanted to play football.

“The best feeling was telling my parents they don’t have to worry where I am going to college anymore. As soon as I was offered the opportunity to play for Purdue, I took it right away and haven’t had a second thought to it. It’s just an amazing feeling to see and actually have something to show for my hard work, time, effort and injuries,” Taylor said.

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