2026 class dual-threat QB Oscar Rios commits to Ryan Walters' Purdue after recent visit: Reports

By Maliha

Modified Jun 22, 2024 13:12 GMT

Downey High School quarterback Oscar Rios has announced his commitment to the Purdue Boilermakers. As one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the 2026 class, Rios' pledge is a huge win for head coach Ryan Walters and his staff, who have secured their first commitment of the 2026 recruiting cycle.

On Friday, the signal-caller shared an image on X donning Purdue's black and gold uniform with the caption:

"I'm home!!!"

This announcement follows Oscar Rios' official visit to Purdue earlier in the week, where he spent Tuesday and Wednesday on campus. This was his first and only official visit this spring/summer, and it made him realize that the Boilermakers had made him their priority, as he told On3.

"They were the first to jump on me and one of the first to offer me and it felt right when I was up there for three days.”

Rios ranks as the No. 15 quarterback, No. 25 player in California, and No. 234 overall prospect, according to On3's 2026 Industry Rankings. 247 Sports lists him as the No. 21 quarterback and No. 43 prospect in California. Last season, the quarterback led Downey to an 8-3 mark, recording 2,633 passing yards, a 73% completion rate, 23 touchdowns, and only five interceptions.

What factors worked behind Oscar Rios' pledge to Purdue?

Oscar Rios chose the Boilermakers over Arizona State, Virginia Tech, California, Oregon State, Utah, Michigan State, Nebraska, Washington, and Kansas, among others.

One of the primary factors behind Rios' decision was the environment of West Lafayette itself. Coming from Downey, California, Rios sought a smaller city, and his goals were also set, as he revealed to On3.

“The city fit what I was looking for. Before all this recruiting stuff I told my parents I wanted to find a city small so I can focus on my school and my sport. I feel like West Lafayette was the place."

Oscar Rios also lauded the approach of coach Graham Harrell, Purdue's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

"On top of that what Coach Harrell has been doing with quarterbacks, especially with young quarterbacks is great. We’ve been building that relationship and the relationship feels like more than player to coach."

The commitment from Oscar Rios is a significant boost for the Boilermakers, especially as they are set to deal with an increasingly competitive Big Ten Conference next season. Despite a challenging 2023 season where the program finished with a 4-8 record, the dual-threat quarterback's pledge definitely signals a positive outlook and potential turnaround for the program.