Purdue Football: New Faces to Know – WR Xavier Townsend

Aug 30, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Xavier Townsend (4) runs away from South Dakota Coyotes defensive back RJ Stewart (25) at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

#3 – Xavier Townsend

* Note: Click on the above link for his Official Purdue Roster Bio

Bio

Position: Wide Receiver

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 195

Age: 22

Hometown: Tamp, Fl

Recruiting Class: 2022

Former Teams: UCF, Iowa State

Transfer Portal Rankings: 3*(87) – National Rank: 860 – Wide Receiver Rank: 130

Eligibility Remaining: 1 Season – RS Senior

Purdue started off 2026 with a bang when they landed Iowa State transfer wide receiver Xavier Townsend from the portal on January 11th. Purdue will be the 5’10”, 195-pound Tampa, Florida native’s third stop after beginning his career in 2022 at the University of Central Florida. He played two seasons for the Knights before opting out after four games to preserve his redshirt and hitting the portal. He played the 2025 season at Iowa State and went looking for a new home after appearing in 10 games, with one start, for the Cyclones.

Townsend was rated as a high 3*(87) prospect according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, coming out of Berkeley Prep High School in Tampa. He had listed offers from Michigan, Indiana, Vandy, Iowa State, and Louisville, but decided to stay home and play for UCF. After leaving Iowa State and entering the portal, he took visits to Florida State, Missouri, and Notre Dame before signing with Purdue.

High School Career

Townsend was an electric playmaker at Tampa’s Berkeley Prep, totaling 4,959 all-purpose yards and 63 touchdowns over his four-year prep career, including 2,830 rushing yards and 43 touchdowns, and 1,235 receiving yards with 18 touchdowns. He threw in two punt return touchdowns for good measure.

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College Career

2022: UCF – Freshman

Games Played: 14

Starts: 1

Receptions: 23

Yards: 127

Rushing Attempts: 5

Yads: 27

Rushing Touchdowns: 1

Punt Returns: 19

Punt Return Average: 9.3 Yards

Awards: Phil Steele Third Team All-AAC Punt Returner

2023: UCF – Sophomore

Games Played: 11

Starts: 10

Receptions: 33

Yards: 325

Receiving Touchdowns: 3

Rushing Attempts: 15

Yads: 163

Punt Returns: 15

Punt Return Average: 9.5 Yards

2024: UCF – Junior

Games Played: 4

Starts: 3

Receptions: 10

Yards: 69

Receiving Touchdowns: 1

Rushing Attempts: 12

Yads: 96

Punt Returns: 10

Punt Return Average: 12.1 Yards

2025: Iowa State – Redshirt Junior

Games Played: 10

Starts: 1

Receptions: 18

Yards: 243

Rushing Attempts: 5

Yads: 18

Rushing Touchdowns: 1

2026: Purdue Spring Practice Interview

Season Outlook

Starter – Slot Wide Receiver

Thoughts

Townsend is new to Purdue, but not new to quarterback coach Darin Hinshaw, who was his offensive coordinator at UCF in 2023 and 2024. Not only did coach Hinshaw help land the Tampa native, but his presence on the staff soothes any concerns about his aborted 2024 season at UCF. If he were a problem, Coach Hinshaw wouldn’t have brought him to West Lafayette.

On the field, he reminds me of former Clemson wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud, another multi-purpose wide receiver/running back / punt returner out of the Tampa area. He’s not the biggest player on the field, but he’s tough to stop once he gets the ball in his hands. At UCF, Coach Hinshaw threw him the ball, handed him the ball, and had him return punts. I expect he’ll fill a similar role in Purdue’s 2026 offense.

Some folks see him as the potential #1 receiver for the Boilermakers, but color me skeptical. I like his skill set, but he seems more like a jack-of-all-trades as opposed to a pure wide receiver. That’s no knock on his ability. He’ll play an important role in the offense, but I’m not sure if he’s a high-volume target. Purdue will look to get him involved in the quick screen game and use him on jet sweeps and slot reverses. He’s the player the Boilermakers want with the ball in space. I don’t think he’s going to be the guy they look to for contested catches in traffic.

As always, I could be completely wrong. He could be the next Charlie Jones or Tyrone Tracy and blow up as a senior in a new system, but odds are, he’ll be an important part of the passing game, just not the focal point. Look for him to be lined up in the slot initially, but he’s a player that Offensive Coordinator Josh Henson can deploy in multiple ways.

He’s the type of player who makes you move forward in your seat when he gets his hands on the ball.