Ranking the Contenders: Yanni Karlaftis
West Lafayette, Ind., linebacker Yanni Karlaftis saw his brother star for the hometown Purdue Boilermakers last fall as a freshman. Is the four-star prospect ready to follow in his brother’s footsteps, or is he more likely to blaze his own path? Karlaftis has narrowed his focus to four schools, and Purdue is among that final group. It remains to be seen, though, if the Boilermakers hold off threats from within their own conference and from the West Coast. Below is a ranking of the contenders for his commitment.
1. PURDUE
This battle is a lot closer than most people think. I gave strong consideration to putting Wisconsin in the top spot, but the longer I thought about it there were more paths that ultimately lead to Purdue. I certainly see the recruiting shutdown helping the Boilermakers here. The familiarity gap between Purdue and the other top schools here is expansive, and not closing any time soon. We saw his older brother, George Karlaftis, take a national look and ultimately sign with the hometown team. We could see Yanni doing the same.
2. WISCONSIN
One reason why Wisconsin has remained strong in this recruitment while other Big Ten schools have faded away is because the Badgers resonated with Karlaftis on a level those other schools did not. He definitely sees a fit for his style of play and, I believe, his personality in Madison. Among the reasons they have a strong shot of landing the four-star linebacker is because they are not Purdue. Throughout his recruitment I have had a sense that Yanni does have a very distinct desire to blaze his own path. Wisconsin gives him that option.
3. CAL
Cal jumped into this recruitment in January, but immediately charged up the list of contenders in Karlaftis’s recruitment. The style of Pac-12 football – with its wide-open offenses and linebackers who need to be athletes in space and not just downhill warriors – appeals to Karlaftis. He was particularly impressed with Evan Weaver’s senior season at Cal, before Weaver would go on to be a sixth round pick in April’s NFL Draft. The Golden Bears also present a chance for Karlaftis to blaze his own path, and could make things interesting if they are able to get him out to Berkeley for a visit.
4. OREGON
Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal played at the University of Miami during the same time as Karlaftis’ father, who has since passed away. Many of the reasons why Cal interests Karlaftis are why he is interested in Oregon – it is a chance to make a name for himself away from West Lafayette, and the style of Pac-12 football appeals to him. If the West Coast schools are to have a shot here, though, this recruitment needs to stretch into senior year and Karlaftis has to be able to visit those programs.