Braxton Kyle was offered by Rutgers football two weeks ago, with the standout defensive lineman from Georgia now planning on a spring visit to the Big Ten program.
An interior defensive lineman, the last two seasons for North Gwinnett High School (Suwanee, Georgia) Kyle has 75 total tackles and 13 sacks in 22 games. He is a very solid 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds.
The Rutgers offer was the first from a Power Five school for Kyle, who also holds offers from Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina and Kent State among others.
Last week, Kyle broke down his offer from Rutgers. Admittedly, the defensive lineman from the heart of ACC and SEC country didn’t know a lot about Rutgers at the time.
“I don’t know a lot about them but I know they had a running back in the NFL, Isiah Pacheco, who won his second Super Bowl. That’s really all I knew going into that,” Kyle told Rutgers Wire.
“They first got to know me, they (defensive ends coach Julian Campenni) came to our school, and watched us lift. They started to talk to me, said they liked the way I worked out.”
For Kyle, it was his first Power Five offer, providing a sense of validation for his hard work.
[lawrence-related id=35854,35821]
“It was really unexpected. I wasn’t thinking about getting a Power Five offer so early,” Kyle said
“I really did appreciate it. All the work, I’ve been doing is paying off.”
The relationship with Rutgers is one that extends beyond the football field to culture, the recruit said. Part of the pitch from the coaching staff he said was about what he brings to the table off the field.
[lawrence-related id=35809,35774]
“They said they wanted me because they think I’ll be a good fit for the d-line, they really just said I’d be a good fit for their d-line. And F.A.M.I.L.Y., Trust, CHOP – they told me about that and I said that I could do that for them,” Kyle said. “Then they gave me the offer.”
Kyle’s mother is a teacher and she keeps him locked in academically. The school side of being a student-athlete is important to him and a key part of this process.
[lawrence-related id=35864,35849]
He is hoping to visit North Carolina and Vanderbilt this spring, with Kyle saying a visit to Rutgers is something he is planning with his family as well.
“I just really want to see around the campus, see how it is,” Kyle said.
“See the community, see how the people are.”