Lockport QB Hayden Timosciek finds a home at Purdue

There was very little orthodox about the recruiting process of Lockport quarterback Hayden Timosciek.

After a fantastic season that culminated in the Porters winning the Class 8A championship last November, Timosciek’s recruitment wasn’t exactly buzzing.

As such, Timosciek graduated early from Lockport after the state title run was complete, enrolled in junior college in Kansas and began the wait.

That wait finally came to an end Friday when Timosciek announced his commitment to Purdue on social media.

“I’d been talking to Purdue for a little while, but I graduated early and didn’t really have any where to go, so I went to a junior college in Independence, Kansas,” Timosciek said. “And when I got back, I remained in contact with [Purdue] coach [Brian] Brohm, went to their camp, and he liked what he saw, I guess.”

Purdue’s interest had been low-key consistent in the 6-foot-8 gunslinger, but the offer didn’t materialize until much later in the recruiting game for the 2022 class. It was a frustrating development for Timosciek, especially with what appears to be the ideal combination of physical measurables and productivity going for him.

“It was a little frustrating,” Timosciek said. “But I felt pretty early on that Purdue was going to be the right fit for me if the offer came. I like what we have going on in the quarterback room there, and I’ve known Aidan O’Connell for a while from Throw It Deep events and stuff like that, and he’s a good guy.”

Aidan O’Connell, a Stevenson graduate who Timosciek is familiar with from events with Throw It Deep Academy, leads a quarterback room that currently has six other players on the roster listed at the position. O’Connell threw for 3,177 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2021. He is a sixth-year senior while all of the other quarterbacks in the program have limited collegiate experience, if any.

That’s fine with Timosciek, who plans to try to soak in as much he possibly can during the process.

“I’m just going in there with the mindset to try to develop mentally and physically, and when my opportunity arises, don’t miss it,” Timosciek said.

Purdue’s interest in Timosciek was heavily weighted in what it projects he could become. There’s no doubt he has pocket presence with his height and he used those advantages successfully at Lockport, rarely putting the offense in bad situations. He was particularly adept at downfield throws as he racked up 2,098 passing yards and 23 touchdowns and only one interception during his senior season.

High school stats rarely are a main indicator of what ultimately gets a player recruited, but the touchdown-to-interception ratio is a great measuring stick for a player who understands the value of ball possession.

“They told me that they liked my size and my arm strength,” Timosciek said. “I’m not necessarily a true pocket passer, but I kind of like to use that to describe myself, and I guess that’s kind of what they saw too.”

Timosciek’s recruitment certainly didn’t take the typical path, but now that the resolution is in hand, he’s grateful it worked out in the way it did.

“Being in limbo for the last month or so, not really knowing if I was going to go here or there, but now knowing that I have a home and I’m going to be a Boilermaker,” Timosciek said. “It’s a huge relief.”