Category: Rutgers recruiting

Class of 2026 offensive tackle Marlen Bright is offered by Rutgers football

Rutgers football sent out an offer this weekend to Marlen Bright.

Rutgers football officially joined what is an already crowded recruitment for New Jersey offensive lineman Marlen Bright.

A class of 2026 offensive lineman from DePaul Catholic (Wayne, New Jersey), Bright pulled in an official Rutgers offer on Saturday while taking a visit for a spring practice. The 6-foot-6, 260-pound offensive tackle already holds offers from Boston College, Duke, Illinois, Penn State, Syracuse, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin

Saturday’s spring practice saw some of the best recruits in the region in attendance at Rutgers.

Bright is projected to be one of the top offensive tackles in the nation this fall and then moving into his senior season. He is explosive at left tackle, getting out of his stance effortlessly and engaging with power and physicality.

He doesn’t disengage till the whistle, finishing off his blocks.

As he enters his junior season, he certainly has some very strong building blocks to his game.

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On Saturday following his official visit, Bright tweeted about the offer. The social media post tagged Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano as well as his father, Depaul’s account on X and Latish Kinsler.

 

A former college standout at Cincinnati, Kinsler is now an NIL adviser and mentor for some of the top prospects in the region.

 

Rutgers football recruiting: Tariq Hayer announces an official visit in JUne

Following an unofficial visit, Tariq Hayer plans on summer official visit to Rutgers football.

One of the top defensive players in the nation has locked in an official visit to Rutgers football this summer. Tariq Hayer, an elite-level safety, announced on Saturday that he will be taking a June visit to the Big Ten program.

The announcement came just hours after Hayer had completed an unofficial visit to Rutgers.

Hayer is a four-star safety and the No. 157 player in the country according to 247Sports. He plays for St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.) and is the No. 13 safety prospect in the nation.

He holds offers from Auburn, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Louisville, Maryland, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Penn State, South Carolina and Wisconsin among others.

 

Hayer was part of a star-studded group that took unofficial visits to Rutgers over the weekend. Included in the group were two Rutgers commits (four-star linebacker Talibi Kaba and three-star offensive lineman Jayden Elijah).

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In mid-March, Hayer took unofficial visits to Auburn and Alabama. He recently announced an official visit to Cincinnati for late May.

 

What top recruits are visiting Rutgers football on Saturday?

Rutgers football is going to host some top-tier recruits on Saturday.

Rutgers football will be hosting some of the top recruits in the region on Saturday.

The third practice of the spring season sees two Rutgers football commits and several of the top uncommitted players in the region on campus. Scroll down and check out the top recruits who will be on campus on Saturday:

*denotes a Rutgers football commit

  • Eidan Buchannan (class of 2025 offensive tackle and a three-star recruit from Good Counsel in Olney, Maryland)
  • Renick ‘Stretch’ Dorilas (class of 2025 defensive back and a three-star recruit from Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, New Jersey)
  • Jayden Elijah* (class of 2025 offensive lineman and a three-star recruit from Matawan in Matawan, New Jersey)
  • Tariq Hayer (class of 2025 safety and a four-star recruit from St. John’s College in Washington, D.C.)
  • Darren Ikinnagbon (class of 2025 defensive lineman and a four-star recruit from Hillside in Hillside, New Jersey)
  • Qeanu Johnson (class of 2025 wide receiver and a three-star wide receiver from Hamden Hall in Hamden, Connecticut)
  • Talibi Kaba* (class of 2025 linebacker and a four-star recruit from Hillside in Hillside, New Jersey)
  • KJ McClain (class of 2026 wide receiver and a four-star recruit from Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, New Jersey)
  • Larry Moon III (class of 2027 defensive back from Alquippa from Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania)
  • Maxwell Roy (class of 2025 defensive lineman and a four-star recruit from St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
  • Braswell Thomas (class of 2025 athlete and a three-star recruit from Lower Cape May Regional in Cape May, New Jersey)

Also attending will be members of the Newark Eastside team. Also, three 7-on-7 teams will be in attendance: OTG, Philly’s Finest and Team Tampa.

Keveun Mason is set for an official visit to Rutgers football

Keveun Mason announced an official visit to Rutgers for June.

Florida athlete Keveun Mason is locked in for an official visit to Rutgers.

Mason announced an official visit to Rutgers in June, the player publishing the details on Wednesday via his social media. A member of the class of 2025, Mason is a 5-foot-10, 175-pound running back who plays for Lake Placid (Lake Placid, Florida)

He holds offers from FIU, Georgia State, Liberty and South Florida in addition to Rutgers. The offer from the Scarlet Knights came this past May and remains his first Power Five offer.

Last season, he had 1,334 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. In addition, he had eight receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown.

Mason is also a track star, running the 100 meters in 10.5 seconds.

 

The 2025 recruiting class currently stands at three commitments. The first player to verbal to Rutgers was last fall when quarterback Sean Ashenfelder was on a visit to campus.

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Ashenfelder is a three-star quarterback from Florida.

In February, Rutgers received commitments from four-star linebacker Talibi Kaba and three-star offensive lineman Jayden Elijah.

 

Rutgers football recruiting: Brady Bekkenhuis is offered on Tuesday

Rutgers football sent out an offer on Tuesday night, this time to an offensive lineman from New England.

An offer went out from Rutgers football on Tuesday night to Brady Bekkenhuis. The Massachusetts offensive lineman is part of the class of 2026.

Rutgers is now his second reported Power Five offer, joining Boston College.

A 6-foot-6, 295-pound offensive lineman from Arlington (Arlington, Massachusetts), Bekkenhuis is projected to become a national recruit.

Physically, Bekkenhuis already has the look and cut of a Power Five prospect. He has long arms and is aggressive in making contact with defenders.

At the high school level, he can physically overpower most edge rushers. Bekkenhuis plays either offensive tackle position.

He posted the offer on Tuesday and tagged Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano as well as assistant Charlie Noonan.

 

Arlington finished last season 5-6.

Rutgers is increasingly recruiting New England. This week, offensive lineman Hardy Watts told Rutgers Wire that he plans on visiting the school in April.

One of the top offensive linemen in the nation in the 2025 class, Watts is the top-ranked recruit in Massachusetts.

 

Four-star offensive lineman Hardy Watts is planning a spring visit to Rutgers football

Rutgers football will host a spring visit from Hardy Watts in April.

Hardy Watts, one of the top offensive tackles in the nation, is planning a visit to Rutgers football next month.
A class of 2025 recruit, Watts, is the top-ranked player in Massachusetts and a four-star recruit according to Rivals. He is ranked the No. 168 recruit in the nation.
At 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds, Watts has some good physical projections to play offensive tackle at the Power Five level. Offered in the past week by Clemson, Watts is planning an unofficial visit to Rutgers on April 20.
“I think they are a great program with a bright future. The coaching staff are great people,” Watts told RutgersWire this week.
One of the selling points for Rutgers when it comes to offensive line recruits is Pat Flaherty.
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In his second year at Rutgers, Flaherty transformed the line last season. The improved play of the line was significant in keying Rutgers to a 7-6 season and a bowl win over Miami.
Flaherty has over two decades of experience coaching offensive lines in the NFL. During that time, he won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants.
“We have a good relationship. Coach Flaherty and I talk often as well as the recruiting staff,” Watts said.
“He is obviously a seasoned vet (who) knows what he’s doing. That’s very important in terms of developing players.”
Watts has a strong offer list that includes Boston College, Duke, Miami, Michigan and South Carolina among others.
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“No one school sticks out right now, they’re all communicating about the same,” Watts said.
“(I want) A place that’s going to develop me into the best possible person, student and player.”

Film Review: Rutgers football recruit Renick Dorilas brings strong coverage ability to Don Bosco Prep

Film review: Rutgers offered three-star 2025 recruit Renick Dorilas as he prepares to play in his final high school football season.

Last week, Renick Dorilas announced that he will be transferring to Don Bosco Prep for his senior season of high school football. Dorilas is a longtime Rutger football offeree and one of the top players in New Jersey.

Dorilas has been on campus multiple times and attended several Rutgers football games last year. A defensive back in the class of 2025, he announced last week that he is transferring from Union (Union, New Jersey) to Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey)

The 5-foot-11, 150-pound cornerback has Rutgers, Tennessee, Penn State, West Virginia, and Syracuse in his top five schools he is interested in attending in 2025. According to 247Sports, Dorilas is the No. 21 prospect in New Jersey and the No. 70 ranked cornerback nationally in the 2025 recruiting class.

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Film Review

As a junior at Union in 2023, Dorilas had 40 tackles with two tackles for a loss. Also, he logged two interceptions and four pass breakups for Union.

Breaking down Dorilas’s Hudl film, you can see the 2025 prospect shined while playing multiple pass coverages. He can play off-zone and press-man coverage, locking down the opponent’s number-one wide receiver at the cornerback position.

Dorilas has excellent hands and great ball skills, forcing multiple interceptions for his defense. Also, Dorilas offers a ton of speed in the secondary, catching defenders in the open field.

Outside of playing pass coverage, Dorilas is excellent at defending the run. He is a sure tackler who maintains outside leverage, playing gap discipline.

As Dorilas develops to the Power Five level, his physicality would need to improve while playing press coverage, making it difficult for opposing wide receivers. Also, he would need to get stronger and increase his size as he gets set for the collegiate level.

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Rutgers football is doing A-OK with N’Kye Wynn after an offer this week: ‘Couldn’t stop smiling’

N’Kye Wynn talks about his recent Rutgers football offer.

N’Kye Wynn was offered by Rutgers football this week and already, the Big Ten program is doing well with the offensive lineman from Michigan.

Michigan has increasingly become a focal point for Rutgers football recruiting in recent years. In the 2024 cycle, Rutgers landed three-star linebacker [autotag]Montele Johnson[/autotag] and three-star tight end [autotag]Monte Keener[/autotag].

In addition, four-star running back [autotag]Gabriel Winowich[/autotag] transferred from Detroit Country Day School (Beverly Hills, Michigan) to New Jersey for his senior season.

Now, back to Wynn.

His offer from Rutgers came during a video call with head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag].

“I got on a call with coach Schiano. We talked a little bit about my life and what I do on and off the field. But he gave me chills because of how passionate he is about family, character and football,” Wynn told Rutgers Wire this week.

“Then once we got to know each other, he offered me. I was very excited and happy, I was smiling from ear-to-ear and couldn’t stop smiling. I don’t have a visit with those guys set yet but me on the lookout.”

It has been a process for Wynn to get to know Rutgers, but the relationship is one that seems to be developing.

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Per 247Sports, Wynn is a 6-foot-5, 250-pound interior offensive lineman is a three-star as well as the No. 17 player in Michigan. He holds offers from Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky and Pittsburgh among others.

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“I started talking to Rutgers back during the season with coach Ruiz (director of recruiting Ramon Ruiz),” Wynn said

“They wanted to get me there for a gameday visit. I think Rutgers has an amazing program. They are a top 25 school for academics – that’s big for me, very important.

“I’ve been talking with coach Hux (quality control assistant Jordan Huxtable) a lot, that’s my guy. We talk a lot about the family and culture that Rutgers has,

“They go by FTC (Faith, Trust, CHOP) which is very inspirational once you know the meaning but it’s also a way of life.”

 

Rutgers football recruit Renick Dorilas is transferring

Renick Dorilas is moving to Don Bosco Prep this fall.

Renick Dorilas, one of the top players in New Jersey and a Rutgers football recruit, is set to transfer for his final season of high school football.

Traditional powerhouse Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey) is set to be the junior’s home next fall. Dorilas made the announcement on social media on Friday afternoon.

Dorilas spent his first three years of high school at Union (Union, New Jersey). Adding Dorilas is a big boost for a Don Bosco program that is looking to challenge Bergen Catholic this fall.

In 2023 as a junior, Dorilas had 40 tackles (including two tackles for a loss). He has two interceptions and four passes defended for Union.

A consensus three-star and a top-10 player in New Jersey according to Rivals, Dorilas recently announced a top-five that included Rutgers football.

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In addition to Rutgers,the late-January cutdown from Dorilas also included Tennessee, Penn State, Syracuse and West Virginia.

Dorilas was a frequent visitor at Rutgers this fall, attending several home games.

Jaiden Braker announces an official visit to Rutgers football

Jaiden Braker will take an official visit to Rutgers this June.

Georgia athlete Jaiden Braker announced on Friday that he will be taking an official visit to Rutgers.

An edge rusher, Braker has offers that include BYU, Georgia Southern, Liberty, Indiana, SMU and Utah among others. His offer from Rutgers came on Feb. 22.

His announcement did not include a date, only to post on social media that it would be his first official visit.

Also on Friday, Braker said he will be taking an official visit to Utah on the weekend of June 15.

Last year as a junior at South Gwinnett (Snellville, Georgia), Braker had 48 total tackles and four tackles for a loss. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, he has some really intriguing size and production.

 

Rutgers currently has three members in its 2025 recruiting class. Quarterback [autotag]Sean Ashenfelder[/autotag] from Florida was the first commitment last fall.

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In February, Rutgers received commitments from four-star linebacker [autotag]Talibi Kaba [/autotag]and three-star offensive lineman [autotag]Jayden Elija[/autotag]h.