Louisville Cardinals head coach Jeff Brohm walks through the Card march Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Jeff Brohm Swipes Purdue Football's Top-Ranked Prospect in 2026 Recruiting Class

Originally posted on Purdue Boilermakers on SI
By Dustin Schutte | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 1:59 PM ET

There was a time when Purdue fans hoped Jeff Brohm would win recruiting battles. But those days are gone, and the former Boilermaker head coach has swiped the top-ranked prospect from his former team's 2026 class.

Josiah Hope, a top-400 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting cycle, flipped his commitment to Louisville this week after previously pledging to Purdue. He was the highest-ranked player committed in Purdue's class at the time of his announcement.

"After reconsidering my commitment to Purdue University, I am decommitting and I commit back to the University of Louisville," Hope wrote in a social media post.

This marks the third time Hope has committed to a school in the last two months. The defensive lineman gave his initial pledge to Louisville in early June. Just a few weeks later, he flipped his commitment to Purdue after taking a visit to West Lafayette. Now, he's back where he started.

Hope is ranked as the No. 390 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class, and the No. 45 defensive lineman, per 247Sports. He's considered a top-five player in Kentucky.

Purdue now has verbal commitments from 19 prospects in the 2026 class, which ranks 50th nationally. Louisville sits at No. 33 in the recruiting rankings.

This article first appeared on Purdue Boilermakers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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