Less than a month to go before Maxwell Barbee makes his Purdue football debut.
# 28 – Maxwell Barbee
Defensive Back
6’2”, 185
Freshman
Long Beach, California (Wilson High School)
Projection: Redshirt
Maxwell Barbee, a 6’2”, 185-pound 3* (85) defensive back out of California, was considered the 47th best athlete, 104th best player in California, and 1331st best player in the 2025 recruiting class.
As a senior at Wilson High School he notched 55 tackles, 7 interceptions, and knocked down 17 passes on defense, and hauled in 68 receptions for 1,220 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was named first team All-Moore League, Press-Telegram Football Dream First Team Defense.
High School Highlights
Projection
Barbee may be my favorite player in Coach Odom’s 2025 recruiting class. He has prototypical size for a boundary corner. At 6’2” with long arms, he can compete for jump balls down the field and can get his hands into the catch area on short routes. He’s a defensive player at Purdue, but the ball skills you see in the video should translate. If he’s in the correct position, there’s a good chance he’s not going to knock the ball down, but instead, pull the ball down and head the other direction.
Coach Odom bought the 2025 team some time by bringing in a raft of veteran defensive backs. I’m excited to see what the lanky defensive back looks like after a year of work in the weight room. Look for him to redshirt this season but potentially be in the mix as a redshirt freshman in 2026.
Oh….By The Way….
Maxwell Barbee’s dad is legendary pro skateboarder Ray Barbee.
That’s incredibly cool.