Purdue Football: Boilermakers add Max Barbee to 2025 Recruiting Class

The Boilermakers swooped in late to land a defensive back out of California with an intriguing skill set.

Purdue added Maxwell Barbee, a 6’2”, 185-pound athlete out of Wilson High School in Long Beach California, to their 2025 recruiting class yesterday.

Barbee, a late addition to the class, played both ways for Wilson High School, hauling in 68 receptions for 1,2120 yards and fourteen touchdowns last season as a wide receiver and recording seven interceptions and seventeen pass break ups as a cornerback in a breakout senior season.

Rated as a two-star prospect by Rivals, he also received a late offer from New Mexico, but the Boilermakers managed to land the late blooming prospect out of California. While listed as an athlete, Barbee will end up on the defensive side of the ball as a cornerback and replaces dismissed corner Antonio Parker in the signing class.

Highlights

There is a lot to like about Barbee’s film. First of all, he’s a legit corner, not a corner/safety highbred. He’s listed at 6’2”, and he looks ever bit of it on film. Corners with his length and ability to track and make plays on the ball tend to be coveted. I’m not sure why Maxwell slipped through the recruiting cracks, but I’m glad he did.

The thing that stands out to me most are his ball skills. You can tell he’s spent time at receiver because he’s looking to pick the ball off, not knock it down. I also think his time at receiver has helped with play recognition. In his film he is able to watch the receiver and anticipate the play. He appears to have a good understanding of the opposing offense, which is a key area most high school defensive backs need to improve in college. Overall, he’s a high upside prospect despite his meager ranking. His physical profile alone makes him worth the gamble.

I anticipate him taking a redshirt in 2025 and spending the season adding a more size to his lanky frame. After a year of focusing all his efforts into playing defensive back, Purdue could have a 6’2”, 190+-pound plus steal of a corner on their hands if he refines his game during his redshirt.

As far as super late signings go, I’ve got to commend Coach Odom for going out and finding a dude who looks like he has solid short- and long-term potential.