The highly touted DB out of Tennessee may need to take this year to learn the ropes.
Player: Tarrion Grant
Position: Defensive Back
Year: Freshman
Height: 6’2
Weight: 197 lbs
2024 Outlook: Backup DB / Possible red-shirt
Ryan Walters just keeps doing it. Possibly the crowning jewel of the class of 2024 (originally 2025), Tarrion Grant is a top-50 recruit out of Tennessee but we may need to wait to see his star power. The Purdue secondary is loaded with talent because it is Ryan Walters’ bread and butter. If you check out Jed’s defensive depth chart predictions, you’ll see a ton of upper-classmen at CB in the 2-deep. What you won’t see in that 2-deep is Tarrion Grant because of the nature of college football. Despite being the top recruit, experience is the name of the game. It may take a season for Grant to climb the mountain, but make no mistake, he has the chops for it.
When at Siegel High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Grant was a two-way starter at WR and DB. Tarrion racked up recognitions including all-district, all-region, and athlete of the year in 6-3A. Just off the field and on the track, Tarrion was ran and jumped in track as well, running a 10.71 100 m dash and jumping 23.05 meters in long jump. Originally a class of 25 commit, Grant reclassified to the class of 2024 and enrolled at Purdue in May. That will allow him to get a jumpstart on workouts and acclimating to the college levels as well as a semester of classes that he will not have to worry about on the back end of his college career.
This season, we may not see Tarrion Grant on the field as his talent warrants. Talent gets your foot in the door and experience blows the door of the hinges. Grant appears to be in a really good spot to get a year of learning under a bunch of older guys, take a redshirt, and shine in subsequent years. The x-factor in that path is injuries. No position group goes unscathed throughout a season and the DB’s will be no different. Should multiple injuries hit the secondary, Grant may be forced into a role and accelerate his timeline. Obviously, that is a what-if, but it happens. Either way, we are hopeful to see great things on the field from Tarrion Grant.