With the college football season quickly approaching, excitement at Rutgers is building for what the 2023 campaign will bring. There will be many returning faces for the Scarlet Knights, including Max Melton. Following a career year, expectations are high for the New Jersey native, who will be one of the leaders on defense.
Over the next few months, more eyes will be on Melton than ever before. The talented Junior was named the fifth-best cornerback in the 2024 class by Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema. The honor comes as no surprise, given Melton’s recent success.
In 12 games last year, Melton recorded a career-high 33 tackles and two interceptions. He frustrated opposing quarterbacks with 12 passes defended and two tackles for a loss. The Cedar Creek High School product also led the nation in blocked kicks with three.
Second INT of the night for Rutgers' Max Melton🔥
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 8, 2022
Due to his play, Melton was voted honorable mention All-Big Ten by the coaches and media. The Rutgers cornerback showed that he could handle a more significant workload as, for the first time in his college career, he appeared in 12 games.
BLESSED! pic.twitter.com/UfBk0zkSaV
— Gary Melton Sr. (@garymeltonsr) August 18, 2023
While Melton was a human highlight reel during the 2023 campaign, he was a key piece of Rutgers defense. On a team that struggled to score, Melton did his best to keep the Scarlet Knights in games as long as possible. That should prove beneficial this year as his experience continues to pile up.
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As Melton looks to improve his draft stock, he has been placed in elite company by Trevor Sikkema. The only players ahead of Melton on his list are Kool-Aid McKinstry, Kalen King, Cooper Dejean, and Josh Newton. That talented group should produce plenty of jaw-dropping plays in the next few months and push Melton to take his game to another level.
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