Boilers Nab Texas Kicker

Schools around the Big Ten are now in full summer camp mode and prospects from coast-to-coast are flocking to the Midwest trying to impress college recruiters. Carson Wiggs, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound, kicker, from Grand Prairie (Texas) South Grand Prairie, was one of several top kicking prospects in West Lafayette last week and he kicked his way into a scholarship offer.

“I had been texting with coach (Joel) Thomas for about three weeks before Purdue’s kicking camp.” Carson Wiggs told the Boiler Sports Report.

“At the camp, I went head-to-head with a lot of very good kickers and in the end it was me and another guy. We went head-to-head in kick-off’s and field goals and I won.

“After the camp, my dad and I were in the airport getting ready to go home. I was on the phone with Coach Thomas and he told me that they really liked me and they liked what they say on the football field and they (Purdue) wanted to offer me a scholarship.

“I was really excited about the offer. My dad and I started calling everyone in our family giving them the good news. The very next day, I called Coach Thomas and gave Purdue my verbal commitment.”

Wiggs was brought up to the varsity squad as a sophomore but had to sit behind a senior. Carson handled all the kicking duties as a junior, averaging 47 yards per punt and he had a long field goal on the season of 48 yards.

Former UCLA and NFL kicker Chris Sailer runs one of the top kicking schools in the country. Sailer had this to say about Wiggs.

"Carson has it all.” Sailer said. “Carson has a big time leg, gets great lift off the ground, kicks off at a high level, and is extremely consistent. He is one of the very best in the country."

Before Purdue offered Wiggs a scholarship, he held offers from Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State. We asked Carson if he could talk about why he chose to give Purdue his verbal commitment.

“Everyone around the country knows about Purdue’s School of Engineering and that’s going to be my major in college.” Wiggs said.

“Also the fact that Purdue plays in a great conference, I’m going to get a chance to play against the Michigan’s, the Ohio State’s, the Notre Dame’s and Penn State’s. It doesn’t get any better than that in my opinion.”

Wiggs told the B.S.R. that he doesn’t plan on graduating early and won’t be in West Lafayette in 2008 to compete in spring football. Carson plans on coming back to West Lafayette in three weeks with his parents to check out the camps and meet some engineering professors.

Carson Wiggs was named all-district as a junior. He carries a 3.9 GPA in the classroom and he’s waiting on his test scores.