Category: Rutgers recruiting

Rutgers football commit Mozell Williams set to visit Florida for big SEC match-up

Rutgers football commit Mozell Williams will visit Florida this weekend.

Florida offensive lineman Mozell Williams, a Rutgers football commit, is set to visit Florida this weekend. The Gators have yet to offer Williams, a massive offensive tackle prospect who is nearby to the Florida campus.

It appears that Williams will be attending Saturday night’s game when No. 20 Kentucky visits No. 19 Florida. The Gators are coming off an impressive win at home this past weekend against Utah.

He is a three-star recruit according to 247Sports. Rutgers is his only Power Five offer; he does not (yet) hold an offer from Florida.

Williams committed to Rutgers in June following an official visit to the Big Ten program. The 6-foot-5, 340-pound offensive lineman is an offensive tackle at South Hawthorne City (Hawthorne, FL).

 

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Several hours after posting about his official visit, Williams offered up a tweet stating he was still committed to Rutgers.

 

Williams is ranked the No. 128 offensive tackle in the nation according to 247Sports. He is one of several Florida commits in the class of 2023 for Rutgers including linebacker Abram Wright.

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Wright was just recently offered by North Carolina State.

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Rutgers football recruiting: Zion Tracy has Scarlet Knights in his top four

Rutgers football and Penn State make the final four for Zion Tracy.

Three-star defensive back Zion Tracy has a top four programs. Two Big Ten programs made the cut for the three-star standout from Connecticut.

Tracy has Buffalo, Penn State, Rutgers and Syracuse in his final four. He is slated to be at Penn State this weekend for a visit (Tracy also visited the Nittany Lions in July). He has a visit to Syracuse scheduled in late October.

He visited Rutgers three times since last November. He earned his offer from Penn State in early September with his performance at one of their camps over the summer prompted the offer.

According to 247Sports, Tracy is a three-star and the sixth-best player in New York. He tweeted his final four on Tuesday afternoon:

 

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A 6-foot-1 cornerback from St. Thomas More (Oakdale, CT), Tracy is strong in coverage. He has good footwork and uses his hands well. He is instinctual in his play as well as his ability to read the game.

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Jake Eldridge, a five-star long snapper, breaks down his Rutgers football commitment

Newest Rutgers football commit Jake Eldridge breaks down his decision.

On Monday night, Rutgers football got a commitment from Jake Eldridge. The highly-regarded long snapper comes to the program from the IMG Academy.

Ranked a five-star and the No. 2 long snapper in the nation by Rubio Long Snapping, Eldridge fills a position of need for head coach Greg Schiano’s rebuilding roster. The news of Eldrige’s commitment comes two days after the Scarlet Knights started the season with a comeback 22-21 win at Boston College.

As for the latest commitment to the class of 2023, Eldridge chose Rutgers over several Power Five offers. He told RutgersWire on Monday following his commitment why he thinks the program is the right fit for him and the process he went through to come to this decision.

“The decision to commit was based on many different aspects, both on the academic and athletic side. Academically, I am wanting to go into business (or) finance and with Rutgers proximity to New York City and Wall Street, I figured there is no better place to do it,” Eldridge said.

“Football-wise, Rutgers has shown me the most love from Day 1, and they value special teams more than anywhere else I have visited which is great to see being a specialist. I think coach Schiano is building something great there, and I want to be a part of it.”

The staff, Eldridge said, was excited when he made the decision and notified them:

“I FaceTime’d coach (Keith) Bruno (Special teams assistant) on Monday afternoon, and he handed the phone to coach Schiano,” Eldridge said.

“After talking for a brief period of time, I told him I would be committing to Rutgers, and the room erupted with pure excited. That moment reassured me that I just made the right decision and that I was truly wanted there.”

Throughout his recruitment, Eldridge had several visits to programs including visiting Notre Dame, Indiana, Virginia, UCLA, University of Miami, Rutgers, and Northwestern among others. He held offers from Air Force, Miami and UCLA as well as Rutgers.

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Over the summer, he was committed to UCLA.

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Commitment alert: Rutgers football lands five-star long snapper Jake Eldridge

Rutgers gets a five-star commit in long snapper Jake Eldridge

Rutgers football landed a commitment on Monday night from long snapper Jake Eldridge. The verbal from Eldridge is significant as he is a five-star prospect.

The IMG Academy product is ranked as one of the top long snappers in the nation. According to the Rubio Long Snapping rankings, he is the second-best long snapper in the nation and ranked a five-star.

Eldridge holds offers from Rutgers, UCLA, and Air Force.

 

Eldridge previously committed to UCLA as a walk on, but has switched his commitment to Rutgers after a good visit back in June. He liked the facilities and the people during his first ever visit to the Garden State.

“First off, everyone in the area seemed really nice and welcoming, which is good to see,” Eldridge said. “I’d never been to New Jersey before so I didn’t know what to expect. I really loved the town and the campus. It was not your usual campus with them having three campuses so I wasn’t sure how I was going to like that, but I loved it when I was there.“

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Fans know that it is not often that offers are made to long snappers, and the Texas native is well aware also. Head coach Greg Schiano’s emphasis on special teams over the years really stood out to the highly touted prospect.

“I picked them because they showed me the most love from Day One. Being a special teams player, I’ve seen that is the school that values special teams the most out of any, which is really important for me. I am very grateful for the opportunity they gave me, and for believing in me. I know there are not a lot of offers like that going out to snappers. For it to be at a school I am really happy with is exciting.“

There are currently two former Scarlet Knights in the NFL who are currently long snappers, although they played multiple positions while in Piscataway. Clark Harris (left in 2007) is snapping for the Cincinatti Bengals, while Andrew DePaola is playing for the Minnesota Vikings and has been in the league since 2014. 

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Watch: Rutgers football commit Abram Wright grabs an interception this weekend

Rutgers football commit Abram Wright gets a nice interception over the weekend.

Abram Wright is showcasing why he was a priority recruit for Rutgers football, showing his athleticism and ability to change the game. The Scarlet Knights commit had a big player over the weekend.

A three-star linebacker at Fleming Island High School (Orange Park, FL), Wright is a bit under-the-radar as a recruit. The class of 2023 recruit has helped lead Fleming Island to 2-0  start to the season following big wins over Clay (49-7) and Rickards (51-20).

Ranked by 247Sports as the the No. 101 player in Florida and the No. 65 linebacker in the nation, Wright only had Power Five offers from Rutgers and Duke. He committed to the Scarlet Knights in mid-June, shortly after taking his official visit to Rutgers.

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Over the weekend, he did a nice job in covrerage making this interception:

 

Wright is perhaps the most intriguing member of the 2023 recruiting class for Rutgers. At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, he has good size already to slot in as a Big Ten linebacker.

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And there is the fact that he has tremendous speed, as shown in running a 4.58 time in the 40 at the Wake Forest camp earlier this summer.

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Former Rutgers recruiting target Marcus Fleming enters transfer portal

Marcus Fleming, a former Rutgers football recruit, enters the transfer portal.

Marcus Fleming officially entered the transfer portal this past weekend, the former Rutgers football recruit deciding to leave Maryland.

Fleming is facing a first-degree assault charge and a second-degree assault charge related to an alleged domestic violence incident back on June 3. He was in court Thursday for the incident, according to the Baltimore Sun. Due to this, it is unlikely that Rutgers would bring him into the fold.

The Miami, FL native is now attempting to transfer for the second time. He initially enrolled to play for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2019 before transferring to play for the Maryland Terrapins in 2020. Just because a player enters the portal does not mean they are required to leave the school. They can withdraw their name at any time. However, schools are under no obligation to keep a player on scholarship once they enter the portal.

In his lone season in Maryland, Fleming caught 18 passes for 197 yards and one touchdown. He was the No. 221 prospect nationally and No. 39 wide receiver from the Class of 2020 according to 247Sports. He caught five passes for 75 yards in one game during his true freshman season in 2020 with Nebraska.

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Fleming was considered one of the best deep threats in the the class of 2020. He saw offers from several power five programs, including Florida, Florida State, Miami, Penn State, and Purdue among others. Don’t be surprised if his current legal issues prevent him from finding a new team for the 2022 season.

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Rutgers football recruiting: Scarlet Knights offer three-star defensive lineman Ted Hammond

Rutgers football offers an impressive offensive lineman in Ted Hammond.

Ted Hammond has been offered by Rutgers, the Ohio defensive lineman getting the Big Ten nod on Tuesday night.

A 6-foot-5, 258-pound defensive lineman, Hammond is a three-star out of St. Xavier (Cincinnati, OH). The class of 2024 prospect has Power Five offers from Duke, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Northwestern, Pittsburgh and Vanderbilt. This week he has offers come in from Wisconsin and then Rutgers.

He is ranked as the No. 24 defensive lineman in the nation and the No. 14 player in Ohio in his recruiting class according to 247Sports. He tweeted about the offer from Rutgers football on Tuesday night:

 

Over the past couple of years, Rutgers has done well in Ohio, specifically with linemen. In the previous recruiting cycle, the Scarlet Knights landed [autotag]Kwabena Asamoah[/autotag], a three-star offensive lineman. In the class of 2023, they currently have a verbal from [autotag]Dom Rivera[/autotag].

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Rivera is a 6-foot-8, 315-pound offensive lineman from Olmsted Falls (Olmsted, OH). The Rutgers commit also held Power Five offers from Boston College, Iowa State and Syracuse at the time that he gave his verbal to the Big Ten program.

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Jaylene Matthews talks new Tennessee offer, relationship with Rutgers, Georgia and Texas A&M

Jaelyne Matthews breaks down his most recent offer from Tennessee.

Over the weekend, Jaelyne Matthews pulled in an offer from Tennessee. It is now the third SEC offer for Matthews, whose recruitment continues an impressive trajectory.

A 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive lineman from Toms River North (Toms River, N.J.), Matthews is a class of 2025 prospect who is already turning into one of the top recruits in New Jersey. He holds numerous Power Five offers highlighted by programs such as Boston College, Georgia, Ohio State, Penn State and Texas A&M.

His first offer came in October from Rutgers.

Check out what [autotag]Jaelyne Matthews[/autotag] had to say about his recent offer from Tennessee as well as where things stand with several other Power Five programs including Georgia, Texas A&M and Rutgers among others!

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Three-star Nnamdi Udeogu drops his top six including Rutgers football

Nnamdi Udeogu, a three-star edge, has announced his top five programs.

Nnamdi Udeogu is down to six programs as one of the top remaining uncommitted players in Maryland winds down his recruitment.

Udeogu is a three-star edge according to 247Sports, who rank him as the No. 15 player in Maryland.

At 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds, he has good length and size. He comes off the line quickly and nicely. He holds Power Five offers from Rutgers, Vanderbilt and Syracuse. The offer from the Orange came late this week.

He also has a trio of Ivy League offers including an offer from Princeton that came in on Saturday afternoon.

In late June, he took an official visit to the Scarlet Knights. Several days prior, he visited Vanderbilt.

“For my family and I, the most important thing is academics. It was something my parents cared about for so long it was instilled in me,” Udeogu told RutgersWire. “To play big-time Division I football is a dream but the chance to pair that with a great degree is hard to pass up.”

He hopes to make his verbal sometime in September. He may potentially visit Syracuse in September.

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Rutgers made the list, Udeogu said, because of several factors including defensive line coach Marquise Watson, who is in his first year with the Scarlet Knights.

“Rutgers believed in me before anyone did. They trusted I had Power Five talent before any other school,” Udeogu said.

“And the bond I’ve built with their coaches is second to none. D-line coach Watson is super young and can relate to his d-line group better than most.”

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Did Rutgers football land in Nnamdi Udeogu’s top six?

Maryland edge Nnamdi Udeogu has a top six.

Nnamdi Udeogu released his top six programs on Saturday afternoon as the three-star from Maryland is closing in on his decision date.

An edge rusher, the 6-foot-5, 228-pound Udeogu remains a raw but very intriguing college prospect. He holds three Power Five offers.

Udeogu’s top six includes Rutgers, Syracuse and Vanderbilt as well as Penn, Princeton and Yale.

Earlier this week, Udeogu was offered by Syracuse; adding to his prior Power Five offers with Rutgers and Vanderbilt. Udeogu is a three-star edge at Georgetown Prep (Rockville, MD) and a class of 2023 recruit.

He also holds offers from several MAC programs in addition to Air Force and Navy. The academically minded Udeogu holds offers from three Ivy League programs as well with the latest coming from Princeton on Saturday afternoon.

 

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In late June, Udeogu took an official visit to Vanderbilt. Several days later, he was on an official visit at Rutgers.

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The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine has Rutgers at 50.5 percent to land Udeogu followed by Vanderbilt at 44.2 percent. Syracuse is at 1.0 percent.