One minor offseason storyline was brought to a conclusion today when Coach Painter announced that Raleigh Burgess will redshirt during the 2025-’26 season. This news wasn’t shocking considering Purdue’s front-court depth with the addition of Oscar Cluff and the return of Daniel Jacobson from injury, paired with Burgess’s offseason leg surgery for a stress fracture.
Having a year to build up his body and fully recover from a series of leg injuries that have plagued him since suffering a traumatic lower
leg injury as a junior in high school. He sat out practice and non-conference games as a senior at Sycamore High School to try to limit the wear on his leg. He struggled through a stress fracture in his leg as a freshman that limited his mobility and athletic ability. He dropped out of the playing rotation by the end of the season.
I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Raleigh Burgess yet at Purdue, and I hope this move gives us that opportunity. The Boilermakers utilize the redshirt more than most programs I’m aware of (I don’t have the stats in front of me), with Jack Benter and Daniel Jacobson (medical) coming off redshirts last season. Both Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufmann-Renn have a redshirt on their resume as well.
I look forward to watching a fully healthy Burgess compete for a role next season. Here are some AAU clips before his high school injury. I hope he’s this bouncy and athletic next season.
