A special bond with Rutgers football and the chance to play in the Big Ten: Inside Elijah King’s commitment

Rutgers football landed Elijah King through a clear bond and connection with the program.

Nearly three weeks after his official visit to the Rutgers football program, Elijah King committed to the Scarlet Knights. It was a decision born from his comfort level with the program as he connected with the coaching staff and players during his three days in New Jersey.

King, a long and athletic edge rusher from Gahanna, OH (Lincoln High School), is a strong addition to the 2024 recruiting class for Rutgers.

A consensus three-star according to Rivals and 247Sports, King has a strong Power Five offer list that includes Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kentucky, Minnesota, Purdue and West Virginia among others. He took an official visit to Rutgers on the weekend of June 2.

He said the relationship with head coach Greg Schiano and defensive line coach Marquise Watson played a role in his commitment to Rutgers three weeks after his official visit.

“The players really stuck out to me, talking to them, getting to know them and seeing what their life is like,” King told Rutgers Wire this week.

“They just told me how coach Watson would have my back, coach Schiao is always open. They like it there.”

His player host for the weekend was defensive end D.J. Allen who is from Indiana. The time King spent with Allen was influential in his eventually picking Rutgers.

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King was going to visit either Iowa or Indiana this weekend. He notified both programs that he would not be attending either official visit.

He said that the time on the official visit helped him develop a bond and a connection with the program that stood out from all the other official visits he had. It was a feeling that he couldn’t find anywhere else.

“Just really, the culture and the people – coach Schiano and coach Watson – just the people and just everybody,” King said.

“It was the vibe. When I got there, I felt great. I felt they had it on a different level. I felt like they got me and it was genuine.”

There was also the chance to play in the Big Ten, something that definitely factored into his decision.

Growing up in Ohio, King was a fan of the Big Ten and had dreams of playing in the conference. Now with his commitment to Rutgers, the Ohio defensive end will have the chance to play in the Big Ten.

“It meant everything, I always wanted to play in the Big Ten,” King said. “It is a great opportunity to play in a great conference, and get a great education.”

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