- Shamar Rigby is a 6-3, 187-pound freshman from Clearwater (Florida) Central Catholic.
- Rigby was a 3-star prospect ranked No. 756 overall in the 247 Sports composite, and 103rd among receivers.
WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue football receivers coach Cory Patterson reserved praise for Shamar Rigby’s play until preseason camp flashes become consistent game performances.
Some aspects of the freshman’s start, though, deserve recognition already. Rigby dropped into a receiver room crowded with veterans and made clear he would not be elbowed aside.
“The guy's locked in now — don't let me throw you off,” Patterson said. "He's a little bit different in a manner where he's maybe a little more mature.
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“He's not going to let the older guys come out and get some work. If the guys are gonna be catching the ball late at night, he's gonna have his butt with them. He's smart enough to do those types of things.”
Purdue returned almost no one from last season’s primary receiver rotation. The top four targets departed. Jayden Dixon-Veal, with all of 18 catches, had the most prolific 2023 among returnees.
Coach Ryan Walters and staff largely filled that void via the transfer portal, bringing in a handful of potential contributors from other power conference programs. Yet over the first half of preseason camp, Rigby also stepped into the mix as a potential option on opening day. While not yet consistently working with the No. 1 offense, merely putting himself in contention in such a short period caught his teammates’ attention.
“He's just a playmaker that comes in here with tons of confidence,” senior receiver Andrew Sowinski said. “Especially for a freshman — a lot of moxie and poise. And I mean, he's just been able to make plays.”
No Purdue true freshman receiver has reached double digit receptions since Milton Wright in 2019, with 18. (Running back King Doerue also debuted with 20 receptions that season.)
For the next four years, veterans typically carried the receiving load. That may also be the case this season. From returning targets Dixon-Veal, Sowinski, Jahmal Edrine and Jaron Tibbs to transfers Kam Brown, De’Nylon Morrissette and CJ Smith, the receiver rotation includes plenty of experienced options.
However, three of those players — Dixon-Veal, Brown and Smith — were out of practice Monday with injury. Walters on Monday said Smith will likely miss the season opener, and Brown’s status coming back from offseason surgery also remains uncertain. Those absences further opened the door for someone from the incoming freshman class to prove himself worthy of consideration for a big role.
Rigby has done that, both on and off the field.
“He's 100% locked in in the meetings, walkthroughs, whatever,” Sowinski said. “It's helping to bring along some of the younger guys, too, because they're seeing how he's handling his business and working, so they want to be like that too.”
Rigby chose Purdue over several other power conference offers, including Kentucky, Louisville, West Virginia, Kansas State and Pitt. Plenty of good programs saw upside in the three-star prospect ranked outside the top 100 receivers in the nation in the 247Sports national composite.
Listed at 6-3, 187 pounds, Rigby does not necessarily look like any other freshman receiver even when simply standing in line for drills. That length showed up in a few 1-on-1 scenarios against Purdue’s veteran secondary. Walters, while noting Rigby’s ball skills, speed and ability to get out of breaks, called him a “physical presence” on the outside.
Most impressively, Rigby was not an early enrollee out of Clearwater (Fla.) Central Catholic. When he arrived in the summer, offensive coordinator Graham Harrell took notice of how he looked while running routes on air. He also knew not to put too much stock in that until the freshman had a chance to engage in real practices.
By the second day of preseason camp, though, Harrell's first impression received confirmation. What stood out the most were reps on which Rigby erred on his route at the release point yet still recovered to make plays.
“What's been probably the most impressive thing about him is there's been zero hesitation,” Harrell said. “It doesn't mean he's been perfect, obviously. And I'm sure he's busted a player or two here or there on the first couple of days. But he plays with no fear, no hesitation, and because of that he's made a lot of plays.”
That same day, starting quarterback Hudson Card also dropped Rigby’s name unprompted. Purdue hit the transfer portal hard in part because if had to accumulate weapons worthy of its second-year starting quarterback.
It may also have had an answer on the way all along.
Follow IndyStar Purdue Insider Nathan Baird on X at @nwbaird.
