Purdue was the first Division I program to step up and offer Angola safety Ryan Brandt.
That never was far from the senior’s mind.
Brandt announced via Twitter on Tuesday morning that he has committed to Coach Jeff Brohm and the Boilermakers.
“Purdue…was the first team to stick their neck out for me and change my life,” Brandt told Outside the Huddle on Tuesday. “Coach Brohm is same minded as (Angola coach Andy Thomas) and I love that. The family vibe I got every time I visited was like no other and it was just home for me.”
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Brandt is rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com and the No. 31 safety nationally in the Class of 2020. The Boilermakers have told the Angola standout that they see him filling any number of positions at the next level, including both safety spots, nickel corner and outside linebacker.
“As long as I keep my speed I’ll put on as much (weight) and I need to play comfortably,” Brandt said.
Brandt chose the Boilermakers over a half-dozen other FBS offers, including Navy, Air Force and Ball State.
As a junior, Brandt amassed 72 tackles, four blocked punts, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a pair of interceptions. He calls the interception total “embarrassing” but is a product of the fact that teams are forced to game plan away from the stud safety in an attempt to limit his defensive dominance.
This season, Brandt hopes to lead the Hornets to a third-consecutive undefeated regular season. The last regular-season defeat for Angola came at Garrett on Oct. 6, 2016.
“I just want to get better every day, be a great leader for everyone in the program and just win one week at a time,” Brandt said.
Angola opens the season at DeKalb on Aug. 23.
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