Purdue Football – 2026 Countdown to Kickoff Template: #84 – Maximilian Carmicle
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Maximilian Carmicle
*Note: Name links to official Purdue Bio.
Bio
Position: Defensive End
Height: 6’8”
Weight: 255
Hometown: Hazel Crest, Illinois
High School: Hillcrest High School
Recruiting Class: 2026
Eligibility Remaining: 5 seasons to play 4
High School Recruiting Rankings: Rating: 3*(86.8) – National Rank: 916 – Position Rank: 93
High School
- Senior Season Stats: Tackles: 46 – TFLs: 12 – Sacks: 2.5
- Career Stats: Tackles: 86 – TFLs: 20 – Sacks: 8.5
- IHSFCAS 4A All-State as a senior
- All-conference and all-state basketball
High School Highlights
2026 – Season Outlook
Reserve / Potential Redshirt
Thoughts
Carmicle is a bit of a physical anomaly. You don’t find many 6’8”, 255-pound defensive ends in the NFL, much less in college football. The only defensive lineman I can think of with that type of size is veteran NFL star Calais Campbell. He’s 6’8” but tips the scales at 315 and plays defensive tackle. Maybe Carmicle continues to fill out and moves inside, but I’m intrigued by the idea of a 6’8”, 270-ish-pound strong side defensive end holding the edge for the Boilermaker defense. If he can maintain his speed and quickness while putting on some good weight over the next year, defensive coordinator Kevin Kane will have to figure out how to incorporate his unique size into the defensive scheme.
I don’t expect him to exceed 4 games this season because he needs to continue to fill out his frame, but if redshirting goes away and college football moves to 5 seasons of eligibility, I could see him playing a role in the center of the field-goal block unit. Having a 6’8” former all-state basketball player in the center of the line could pay dividends. If nothing else, he might give the kicker something to think about, and making kickers worry about something other than kicking the ball is always a good thing.
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