Four-star LB Grant Beerman discusses flip to Illinois

Purdue’s recruiting class just took another massive hit. That’s because four-star Ohio linebacker Grant Beerman announced that he’s flipping from Purdue to Illinois. Beerman was committed to Purdue since July but the commitment became shaky the worse the Purdue season got.

“I was really looking forward to the opportunity to play for Coach Walters and Coach Kane and appreciate all that they did for me as a recruit this last year,” Beerman told Rivals.

“Unfortunately, due to the uncertainty of how things are playing out right now, I felt my best option was to make a change. I want to thank all of the staff, coaches and players at Purdue and wish them the best of luck going forward.”

Illinois and Michigan State made the strongest pushes for Beerman this season. But in the end the Illini won out. The defender is the 18th commitment of the 2025 class for Illinois.

“I really like the family atmosphere that Coach Bielema brings to Illinois,” Beerman said. “The upward trend of the program and the success that the team has had this year has been great to see, and I believe I have a great opportunity to participate on a great defense within the next couple of years!”

Recruiting can be very cutthroat and it doesn’t get more competitive than swiping a recruit from your former defensive coordinator. It’s always great to flip a prospect but it’s so much better to get one from a conference foe. The Illini made it a bit harder for Purdue to get back on track after a very rought season.

This flip also shows that Illinois is continuing its hot streak on the recruiting trail.

The team has slowly climbed the recruiting rankings throughout their strong season. Getting recruiting results to start matching the on field results will help coach Bret Bielema reach new heights in the program. It helps to get a second four-star prospect into the recruiting class.

Beerman is also the first linebacker commit of the 2025 recruiting class for the Illini. It gives the program another nice building block for its future defense.

At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Beerman has the size, quickness and toughness to be a linebacker at the Big Ten level. He reads the field well and has great instincts to make impact plays from his linebacker spot. He should be a versatile linebacker in Illinois’ defense. Beerman has proved to be a versatile defender for Lakota West, also excelling when rushing the passer and in coverage along with his pedigree as a run stopper.

He posted 103 tackles, 15 TFL, 2 Sacks, 3 PBU, 1 Int and 1 FF as a senior. Beerman was also named first-team all-conference and served as a team captain this season.

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