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Center Grove 2026 Defensive Lineman Includes Purdue in Final 3 Schools

Originally posted on Purdue Boilermakers on SI
By Dustin Schutte | Last updated May 23, 2025 11:28 AM ET

Purdue has made the final cut to land one of the top football prospects in the state in the 2026 recruiting class. Center Grove defensive lineman Kobe Cherry has included the Boilermakers in his list of finalists for his commitment.

Cherry, a 6-foot-5, 275-pound defensive lineman, announced his list of finalists via social media on Friday. He's considering Purdue, Indiana and Wisconsin and potential destinations. He had also received offers from Louisville, Washington, and Minnesota.

Final 3… Where is Home?@IndianaFootball @BadgerFootball @BoilerFootball pic.twitter.com/mYsCTI5VjE
— Kobe Cherry (@_Kobe_Cherry) May 23, 2025

Cherry missed the entire 2024 high school football season because of a knee injury he sustained during Center Grove's baseball season. But in 2023, the defensive lineman was one of the team's top tacklers.

As a sophomore, Cherry accounted for 70 total tackles, ranking third on the team. He was also responsible for three sacks. He helped lead the Trojans to an 11-2 record and a trip to the semi-state round of the IHSAA Football Tournament. Center Grove dropped an overtime contest to Ben Davis 37-34.

During the 2023 high school football season, Cherry showed great ability to get off blocks while still pursuing the ball carrier. He often captured the attention of multiple offensive linemen, yet was capable of making tackles at the line of scrimamge or getting into the backfield.

According to 247Sports, Cherry ranks as a top-20 prospect out of Indiana and is listed just outside the top-100 defensive linemen in the 2026 class. He has received a three-star rating.

Purdue currently has six players committed in the 2026 class, ranking 16th in the Big Ten.