Purdue lands four-star hooper over Tennessee and others

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter. Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Purdue lands four-star hooper Jacob Webber over Tennessee and others

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 12:50 PM ET

The Purdue Boilermakers are looking to get over the hump and finally win a national championship, so the more talent head coach Matt Painter can bring into the program, the better.

This is a program just two seasons removed from a Final Four appearance, mind you. Painter is one of the more consistent head coaches in college basketball, and he's done a good job of building the Boilermakers into a consistent contender in the Big Ten as a result.

Purdue's latest recruiting win will help keep the train moving down that track. On Tuesday, four-star shooting guard/small forward Jacob Webber from Kearney, Neb., (he is playing his senior season at La Porte (Indiana) La Lumiere High School) committed to Purdue.

Matt Painter truly can’t miss.

Purdue lands a huge commitment from 6’6 Flamethrower, Jacob Webber, the class of 2026’s best shooter (ranked 31st overall by Rivals, 8th best SG).

Webber is going to thrive in Purdue’s offense. He is elite shooting off the dribble or while being… pic.twitter.com/enU1bRcrsh
— Boiler Burner (@BoilerBurner1) September 2, 2025

Webber is a 6-foot-6 rising senior with incredible range from deep. He's long, lanky and incredibly smooth when it comes to getting up his shot.

At Purdue, he saw the vision, both from a personal standpoint and on the court.

"I felt like Purdue is the best fit with coaching and play style, and I feel like I can thrive through their offense," Webber told Joe Tipton of Rivals. "I feel like Coach Painter and all the other coaches care for their players and overall want what’s best for them as a person and a player.”

According to the 247Sports Composite, Webber is a small forward recruit, and he's ranked as the No. 37 small forward in the 2026 class. Rivals views Webber as a shooting guard and ranks him as the No. 31 overall player in the 2026 class.

Either way, he feels ready to help the Boilermakers take that next step.

"Purdue got another shooter that wants to win and is going to hit big shots in big moments," Webber said.

Tennessee, Cincinnati, Nebraska, Creighton, Washington and Arizona State were among some of the other programs with interest in Webber.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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