One of the top 2026 cornerbacks in the South is already off the board.

Four-star Zyntreacs Otey made the call for Purdue on Monday ahead of his junior season at Franklin (Tenn.) Battle Ground Academy. The Boilermakers have been trending up with the No. 11-ranked CB in the country for the bulk of the off-season.

"I felt like the time is right. There's no need to wait," Otey told Rivals of his early pledge. "I was leaning toward them and I wanted to pull the trigger."

"It was an easy decision," he continued. "Mine and Coach Carter's bond is unbreakable. I knew where I wanted to call home."

Otey has made a string of visits up to West Lafayette this spring and again this summer, including a return trip at the back end of July, which affirmed his gut feeling on Purdue.

"It’s always great going down there. I love seeing how the team bonds like a family and the trust they have in each other," he said. "Every time I go down there it feels like I’m a part of the team."

Cornerbacks coach Sam Carter played point in Otey's recruitment.

Carter was the distinguishing factor for the Boilermakers and others contenders such as Indiana, Louisville, Tennessee, Cincinnati, and others.

"Coach Carter texts me every day. He talks to me about how they are going to set me up for life after football, and I trust that they are going to take care of me and make me a better man," Otey detailed.

"The culture at Purdue is great, ... it’s built off trust and love," he added. "I think I fit great in the scheme they run and it’s going to help my game go to another level."