Category: Rutgers recruiting

Jayson Jenkins on his Rutgers visit: ‘I can see that the program is headed in the right direction’

Rutgers football got a visit on Saturday from coveted edge rusher Jayson Jenkins.

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Jayson Jenkins visited Rutgers football for Saturday’s game against Wisconsin. The New Jersey defensive end left with definite impressions of the program and its direction.

A 6-foot-6, 250-pound defensive end out of Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, N.J. is planning his official visits for the rest of the year and Rutgers, despite not yet offering, is standing out. As for an offer, Jenkins is optimistic that one will be coming following a solid senior season so far.

“I hope so, the coaching staff seems to be very interested in me,” Jenkins told ‘Rutgers Wire.’

The visit went along well, even though Rutgers lost the game. The Scarlet Knights are 4-5 (1-5 Big Ten) this season. He said he “got a good feel for the Rutgers football program.”

“It’d be great to be given an opportunity by Rutgers,” Jenkins said. “After visiting, I can see that the program is headed in the right direction.”

He will be visiting Boston College, Pittsburgh, Temple and Indiana in December and January. He lists no favorites. All four programs have offered the late riser.

As of now, Jenkins will not be making a decision before the Early Signing Period in December.

He is a 3-star recruit according to 247Sports. 

 

What are Rutgers football recruits saying about the team’s rebuild under Greg Schiano?

Rutgers football recruits offer their thoughts on the team’s rebuilding process.

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This has been a difficult season at times for Rutgers football (4-5, 1-5 Big Ten), not surprising given the level of the rebuild needed to get this team to a simply competitive level in the Big Ten.

And with the ups and downs of this season, Scarlet Knights fans are obviously disappointed and perhaps even frustrated at some of the losses, such as this past Saturday at home to Wisconsin. But for those who follow this most closely, the season certainly isn’t all doom and gloom.

And those who matter the most are the recruits who comprise the 2022 and 2023 class. They are watching things closely and not just the wins and the losses but the direction of the team and the attitude of the coaching staff.

Over the past month, ‘Rutgers Wire’ has reached out to a number of top recruits and commits for their impressions on the Scarlet Knights rebuilding effort in the second season under head coach Greg Schiano. Their answers are below and offer a far more reflective reaction than some of the hot takes on social media.

Watch: Rutgers football RB commit Samuel Brown throws a 25-yard touchdown pass in Saturday win

Rutgers football commit Samuel Brown with a strong touchdown pass on Saturday on a trick play

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Rutgers football commit Samuel Brown showcased his ability to be an explosive and powerful option in the Big Ten program’s offense this past weekend, keying La Salle’s 45-0 win over Roman Catholic this weekend. Brown ran for two touchdowns but also threw for one.

It was an all-around impressive display from Brown, who also had two rushing touchdowns. La Salle improved to 9-1 on the season while Roman Catholic is now 3-7.

Brown is one of the most pivotal recruits in this class for Rutgers. A four-star running back according to Rivals, at the time of his commitment in March he held offers from two dozen programs including Arizona State, Baylor, Maryland, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and Texas A&M among others.

Rivals has him as the No. 23 running back in Pennsylvania and the No. 12 player in Pennsylvania.

The running back also had a really nice touchdown pass, faking a sweep to hit to throw a 25-yard touchdown pass into tight coverage. His pass starts at the :51 second mark of the highlights from this past weekend:

Watch: Rutgers football lands 3-star defensive lineman Q’yaeir Price…what are they getting?

Rutgers football is landing a very solid defensive lineman in its newest commit, Q’yaeir Price.

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Rutgers football got a flip of sorts, getting the commitment of defensive lineman Q’yaeir Price just days after the three-star recruit re-opened his college search. Price had been a Syracuse verbal who de-committed from the ACC program early this week.

A defensive lineman at DePaul Catholic (Wayne, N.J.), Price announced his pledge to Rutgers on Saturday morning. Price was on a visit to Rutgers ahead of Saturday afternoon’s game against Wisconsin.

This is a powerful and explosive athlete as his recently released midseason highlights show.

The decision didn’t come as a great surprise and was even anticipated. But it is still big news for the Scarlet Knights, who are adding a solid defensive lineman who has come along and developed nicely this season.

In addition to Rutgers and Syracuse, Price also held offers from Boston College, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Purdue and Temple among others.

 

His senior season, Price has shown some good attributes including more speed, better pursuit and the ability to track down runners in the open field.

There is explosiveness and sheer strength in his midseason highlights. Price will likely need a redshirt season to add the needed strength for the Big Ten, in particular if he is going to play in the interior of the line.

This past week, Price told ‘Rutgers Wire’ that he was also hearing from Penn State, Oregon and Coastal Carolina since leaving Syracuse’s 2022 recruiting class. Here are Price’s midseason highlights for 7-3 DePaul:

 

Three-star edge rusher Micah Wing previews Rutgers football visit

Rutgers football recruit Micah Wing details his expected visit to the Scarlet Knights this weekend.

Rutgers football is getting a big visit on Saturday for the Big Ten game against Wisconsin. Micah Wing, one of the top pass rushers in the area, is expected at SHI Stadium for a visit.

Wing is a three-star recruit and the third-highest-rated recruit in Delaware according to 247 Sports. He is developing a bond with Rutgers and head coach Greg Schiano.

“Can’t wait for tomorrow, since Rutgers first offered me we talked about commitment dates. I wanted to take time with my recruitment,” Wing told ‘Rutgers Wire’ on Friday.

“But I’m at the point where I’m starting to narrow down options and focusing on which schools I wanted to attend and where I believe will put me in the best position in life, as an athlete and as a person. Fortunately, Rutgers is amongst those schools.

(Rutgers football recruiting notebook: Q’yaeir Price to visit on Saturday plus more recruits expected)

“I love everything coach Schiano and the staff are doing to turn the program around and rebuild. I could see myself fitting right into the system.”

Wing said that West Virginian, Penn State, and Syracuse are also in the mix in his recruitment.

“All schools involved are what I look for in a school,” Wing said.

“I ask myself a few questions: does the school help develop their athletes on and off the field? How many of their athletes are graduating with a college degree? Where do they stand with their depth chart as far as my position? And lastly how well would I fit in the program personally?

“With that being said, all the schools offer a great balance between student life, athletics, and academics and great coaching staffs with a clear vision and a plan to execute – which is why all the schools are at the top of my list.”

Rutgers getting weekend visit from freshman offensive lineman Jaelyne Matthews

Rutgers football is getting a weekend visit from freshman offensive lineman Jaelyne Matthews.

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Big-time freshman offensive lineman Jaelyne Matthews out of Toms River North will be at Rutgers football’s game against Wisconsin on Saturday. He is already one of the top prospects out of New Jersey for the class of 2025.

Matthews is a starter this year for Toms River North and, despite it being his first year of high school football, is absolutely dominating. The 6-foot-6, 300-pound offensive lineman recently was offered by Rutgers.

The Big Ten team is familiar with the Toms River North program as Zach Goodale, a preferred walk-on wide receiver, is a member of the Scarlet Knights. Matthews has talked glowingly about the program and the recent offer.

(What big-time recruits will be attending the Rutgers game against Wisconsin?)

After last Saturday’s 20-14 win at Illinois, Rutgers stands at 4-4 (1-4 Big Ten) on the season. The road win gives some juice to the season, making these Big Ten football games meaningful and competitive for the Scarlet Knights in head coach Greg Schiano’s second year back with the rebuilding program.

 

They face a solid Wisconsin team (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) that has won four straight games.

Matthews will be joining an impressive group of visitors for the game that includes Delaware edge rusher Micah Wing.

Three-star pass rusher Micah Wing set for Rutgers visit this weekend

Micah Wing is set to visit Rutgers this weekend.

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Rutgers football continues to look to at pass rushers for the 2022 recruiting class. One of the best pass rushers in the region is squarely in the mix and will be visiting the program this Saturday.

Micah Wing, rated a three-star according to 247 Sports, is expected to visit the Scarlet Knights for this weekend’s game against Wisconsin. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound defensive end is the No. 2 player in Delaware per the 247 Sports state rankings.

He is one of several high-profile recruits attending the game.

A dynamic edge rusher, Wing has a long wing-span and a tremendous burst off the line. He gets after the ball carrier effectively and wraps up opposing players well.

He has good pursuit and the ability to change direction.

 

Wing has a very good offer list that includes Boston College, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Arizona in addition to Rutgers.

(What four-star and three-star recruits are visiting Rutgers football this weekend?)

Rutgers has two good edge rushers in this class with highly-touted four-star defensive end Kenny Fletcher (Delran, N.J.) and Demtrious Allen (Leo, IN). Allen is a prospect with big upside and potential.

Rutgers is 4-4 (1-4 Big Ten) this season and has some new life in their season following a 20-14 win last weekend at Illinois. Wisconsin has won four straight games to improve to 5-3 (3-2 Big Ten).

Watch: Rutgers football commit Rashad Rochelle scores nine (yes, not a typo) touchdowns in a game

Rutgers football commit Rashad Rochelle scores nine touchdowns in playoff win on Friday night.

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Rashad Rochelle had a tremendous Friday night, the three-star Rutgers verbal showcasing his ability to be an impact player at the next level.

Rochelle, who plays quarterback for Springfield High School (IL), is coming to Rutgers as a wide receiver. He had 401 yards of total offense in a playoff 94-72 win over Rock Island. That’s football, not basketball mind you.

A real defensive battle that one turned out to be…

All kidding aside, the Rutgers commit was simply tremendous. Rochelle was 9-of-16 for 263 yards and six touchdowns passing the ball, running for another 184 yards and three touchdowns. That is an insanely gaudy stat line from the senior quarterback.

Especially considering it was a playoff game.

A three-star recruit according to Rivals.com, he is ranked the No. 26 player in the state according to the site. Rochelle held ‘Power 5’ offers from the likes of Duke, Illinois and Purdue at the time of his commitment to the Scarlet Knights.

He attended Saturday’s Rutgers game, a 20-14 win at Illinois. Rutgers is now 4-4 (1-4 Big Ten) and hosts Wisconsin on Saturday at SHI Stadium. His parents purchased the tickets for him, just a couple of rows behind the Rutgers bench.

Rutgers lands Blair Academy 3-star tight end Mike Higgins Jr.

Rutgers football beats Illinois then gets a commitment from Blair Academy tight end Mike Higgins Jr.

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Rutgers football got a second victory on Saturday, the Scarlet Knights beating Illinois on the road and then landing tight end Mike Higgins.

Higgins, who played at Don Bosco before going for a post-graduate year at Blair, earned the offer earlier this month. The Scarlet Knights were his only FBS offer. He is a three-star recruit according to Rivals.

The 6-foot-5 Higgins has good athleticism and range, showing maturation and development during his season at Blair. He is the only current Rutgers commit who is coming in as a tight end.

 

On Saturday, Higgins’ future team beat Illinois on the road 20-14. Rutgers was solid, not turning the ball over and dominating at the line of scrimmage to even their record at 4-4 (1-4 Big Ten). The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Rutgers, all in Big Ten play.

His father, Mike Higgins Sr., was a baseball player at Rutgers who was taken in the 1993 MLB Amateur Draft by the Colorado Rockies.

What five programs are after four-star tackle Samson Okunola the hardest?

Four-star offensive lineman Samson Okunola talks about the five programs after him the hardest.

Samson Okunola is one of the top offensive linemen in the class of 2023. The four-star offensive tackle is hearing from nearly every major program in the country but he says that a handful of programs are after him the most right now.

Okunola isn’t ready to cut down his list quite yet, but the sixth-best offensive tackle in the nation and No. 1 player in Massachusetts in next year’s class is certainly intrigued by the schools chasing him the hardest. He said that Pittsburgh, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and Rutgers are showing him the most attention in their recruitment.

One program that isn’t in that group is Michigan, but the No. 6 Wolverines are making a positive impression on Okunola.

“I like their program – [I] talked with the head coach (Jim Harbaugh) a few times. He is a good person, they play good football too,” Okunola said.

“He really likes my game, how athletic I am as a lineman, and thinks Michigan would be a good place for me.”

The 6-foot-6, 295-pounds is the No. 65 player in the nation according to Rivals. He plays for Thayer Academy in Massachusetts. This week, he provided ‘Rutgers Wire’ a breakdown of the five programs he said are after him the hardest (all but Wisconsin have offered).

 

On Pittsburgh:

“I like the program. They run a good offense and the offensive line coach is a pretty good coach off what I have talked with him.”

On Notre Dame:

“Their offensive line coach – he has a history of sending offensive linemen to the NFL and developing them. Their message is that you get to play football at a higher level and get to be developed by one of the top offensive line coaches but also get a good education.”

On Northwestern:

“I like the offensive line coach. He’s a great coach off what I have talked with him and I like the idea that I get to play football against high-level teams but also like getting an Ivy League education without having to go to an Ivy.”

On Wisconsin:

“How their season is going right now will factor in my discussion but they haven’t offered me…other than that their history interests me but I still need to talk more with the coaches to further get to know them.”

On Rutgers:

“They run a good program and they have a great family aspect in the team. It is very possible they can rebuild in the future.”