Category: Rutgers recruiting

Ja’elyne Matthews, offered by Rutgers football as a freshman, posts his 2021 highlights

Ja’elyne Matthews, a class of 2025 offensive lineman offered by Rutgers football, posts some impressive highlights.

Ja’elyne Matthews posted his freshman highlights this week, showing just why he is one of the top players in New Jersey in the class of 2025.

Matthews was the first freshman in the state to be offered by Rutgers. He was a standout on the offensive line but also put up some impressive performances on the defensive side of the ball for Toms River North.

Playing defensive tackle, he finished his freshman season with 45 tackles, five tackles for a loss, two sacks and seven quarterback pressures.

The 6-foot-6, 300-pound Matthews played on both ends of the offensive line but he showed a clear comfort level on the left side. His highlights show a play who finishes his blocks well and has impressive footwork for being just a freshman.

 

In addition to Rutgers, he holds offers from Boston College and UConn. Both of those offers came in late January.

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Earlier this month, Matthews made a visit to Syracuse. He has been to Rutgers a total of three times since receiving his offer.

He is training this offseason at Fiorenzo Athletic Training, a local facility in central New Jersey.

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Rutgers football latest to offer four-star offensive lineman Luke Hamilton

Rutgers football offers four-star offensive lineman Luke Hamilton on Monday night.

Rutgers football extended an offer to [autotag]Luke Hamilton[/autotag] on Monday, entering the mix for the four-star offensive lineman.

A 6-foot-5, 290-pound offensive tackle, Hamilton is a class of 2024 prospect who is coming off a strong year for Avon (Avon, OH). He already is registering significant interest on the recruiting circuit, including offers from Bowling Green, Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Penn State and Toledo along with the Monday offer from the Scarlet Knights.

Rivals ranks him as a three-star recruit and the No. 14 offensive tackle in his class. 247Sports has him as a four-star and the No. 159 recruit in the nation.

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Hamilton tweeted about the offer from Rutgers on Monday night, his fifth from a ‘Power Five’ team:

 

The offer represents a greater push by Rutgers to tap the Big Ten footprint in terms of their recruiting. This past recruiting cycle, Rutgers landed players such as Illinois athlete Rashad Rochelle and Ohio guard Kwabena Asamoah as part of their recruiting class.

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More offers could and should be coming; Hamilton tweeted about visiting Ohio State this weekend.

 

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Watch: Thomas Amankwaa senior highlights dropped and they are ‘Choptastic’

Thomas Amankwaa releases his senior season highlights.

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Thomas Amankwaa produced a senior season at Hillsborough that certainly shows a lot of potential and promise. The Rutgers football commit, who likely plays defensive back at the next level, is one of the most exciting playmakers in New Jersey high school football with the ball in his hand.

His final game at Hillsborough was in a state sectional championship, a 28-7 win over Kingsway. In the game, Amankwaa produced a touchdown catch reminiscent of Randy Moss. On Wednesday, he was named to the USA TODAY NETWORK 2021 All-New Jersey football offensive first team.

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He played wide receiver, running back, returned kicks and was a standout defensive back for the program. At Rutgers, he projects as a cornerback.

Lightly recruited, the three-star Amankwaa’s only other ‘Power Five’ offers were Syracuse and Pittsburgh. He is more athletic and impactful than several of the state’s more heralded four-star recruits.

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The athlete shows a lot of speed and strength in his senior highlights. He clearly has a nose for the ball, something that is seen with his play on either side of the ball.

There are shades of Mohamed Sanu to his game. He will be a Rutgers fan favorite when he arrives ‘on the banks’ – if only because his celebration in this weekend’s state championship game is the program’s ‘CHOP’ hand motion.

 

 

What Rutgers football recruits (and commits) made the USA TODAY NETWORK 2021 All-New Jersey football offensive team?

Rutgers football has three commits and three recruiting targets make USA TODAY NETWORK 2021 All-New Jersey football offensive team.

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Rutgers football has arguably the top recruiting class in the program’s history, at least in terms of rankings and ratings. There is a heavy representation in New Jersey as well, in particular impact players who can step in and contribute sooner rather than later.

A total of six players made the USA TODAY NETWORK 2021 All-New Jersey football offensive team who are either committed to Rutgers or are still being recruited by the program. Five of the players in the all-state team are seniors with only Bergen Catholic’s Chase Bisontis a junior. The USA Today Network 2021 All-New Jersey football offensive team was released on Wednesday.

Under head coach Greg Schiano during his first tenure with the program, recruiting New Jersey was the pipeline for his first rebuild of the Scarlet Knights. Now playing in the Big Ten, Schiano is recruiting at a different level and it shows in lists like this one from the USA TODAY Network.

 

Remember the kid from the Popeyes video? Dieunerst Collin just won a New Jersey football championship

Dieunerst Collin, from the Popeyes meme, just won a New Jersey football championship.

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Dieunerst Collin isn’t waiting on line anymore, the subject of a famous internet meme trading a soft drink cup from Popeyes for a state championship trophy.

Seven years ago, an unassuming Collin became an internet sensation for his eyes darting back and forth while standing in line at Popeyes.  The Vine has played over 19 million times and become a popular GIF and meme on social media.

Collin didn’t ask to have the video made of him, it is something that happened and shot the unassuming boy into internet stardom.

Well on Sunday in New Jersey high school football championship action, Collin’s East Orange team beat Clifton in triple overtime in the North Group 5 regional title game. The win caps a 13-0 season for East Orange.

As for Collin, he had some fun with the moment, recreating his infamous video while holding the championship trophy. This is great stuff and shows a real maturity and understanding of the moment from he high school senior.

 

According to his social media, Collin is 6-foot-1, 315 pounds and plays along the offensive line for East Orange. He also says he has a 3.2 GPA.

The win by East Orange comes after being down at halftime and involves a controversial ending.

Countdown to signing day: No. 10 Rutgers football gets late commit with big upside

Rutgers Wire has the No. 10 recruit in this class pegged as a late signee with huge upside.

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Rutgers football has put together a solid 2022 recruiting class, one that is ranked top 30 nationally and has some big-time recruits, several very solid players and a couple of talents with big upside.

And with the Early Signing Period starting on December 16, Rutgers is closing in on one of the top recruiting classes in program history. A lot of attention will go to the four-star recruits (six in this class according to Rivals) as well as the strong showing in New Jersey top 30.

In the days leading up to this signing period, ‘Rutgers Wire’ will unveil their top 10 players in this class.

There is also plenty of talent from out of the state including a late riser in Dantae Chin. A month ago, no one was aware of Chin let alone any connection to a Big Ten program. But the Florida offensive lineman is the definition of being a late bloomer.

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In fact, Rutgers was his first and only offer. That doesn’t stop Chin from checking in as ‘Rutgers Wire’s’ No. 10 player in the 2022 recruiting class.

A former basketball player (and soccer), Chin excelled in his first season of high school football at Cypress Bay. He is a three-star recruit according to Rivals.

What stands out about Chin? He may be raw but he is physically strong and moves incredibly well. He kicks and slides at the level of a Big Ten recruit, showing good footwork as well as fluidity of movement.

He is also a tough player, one who plays to the whistle. It is an aggressiveness that is rare among athletes who convert to football who often struggle with the physicality of the sport.

Not so with Chin, who finishes his blocks well.

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Given his background in other sports, it isn’t surprising that Chin moves into the second level very well, something that can and should help him at the next level.

 

Where does Chin need to develop? At times, he plays a bit high. His hand placement needs fine-tuning and development. He will need to add strength this offseason, but all things considered, his upside is undeniable.

Chin will need a redshirt season to develop and might need another season of growth to found-out his technique a bit. But in one season of high school football, he showed tremendous upside. He has the potential to be a multi-year starter in the Big Ten.

Jaeden Gould getting twitter love from Rutgers following USC de-commitment

Rutgers football began showing instant love to Jaeden Gould following his de-commitment from USC.

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It didn’t take long after Jaeden Gould going public with his decision to de-commit from USC on Wednesday night for the members of the Rutgers 2022 recruiting class to begin their sales pitch for the four-star defensive back.

Gould, ranked the No. 2 player in New Jersey according to 247 Sports, penned a message on social media on Tuesday following the news that USC had hired Lincoln Riley as their next head coach. Gould had originally committed to USC and then head coach Clay Helton in June. Helton was fired in September.

USC is now down to four committed players.

One of the nation’s top cornerbacks, at the time of his commitment Gould held offers from the likes of Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, Notre Dame and Penn State among others. Rutgers was believed to be heavily involved in his recruitment and was a serious candidate for a commitment.

Penn State is also likely to be another player in Gould’s commitment.

Watch: Newest Rutgers football commit Dantae Chin has power, solid footwork

Rutgers football landed an under the radar recruit in Dantae Chin.

 

Dantae Chin is the newest commit to Rutgers football, adding yet another offensive lineman to a class that has clearly emphasized getting bigger and stronger in the trenches.

A senior from Cypress Bay High School (Florida), Chin is a late bloomer who showed well this past season at left tackle. He appears to have the athleticism necessary to play inside or outside for Rutgers.

The news was broken on Monday by 247 Sports recruiting insider and analyst Brian Dohn.

His senior season highlight film is impressive with some of these plays are reminiscent of The Blindside. Chin plays to the whistle, that much is certain.

The left tackle engages well, being the first to make contact with the edge rush. He plants and steps well, showing impressive mobility and good ability in being able to backstep and slide.

His ability to get to the next level for blocking makes him an interesting candidate for the interior as well. He moves well for his size with rare fluidity in the hips.

 

Chin plays a bit high at times and needs some work in his hand placement. But his motor, quickness and footwork are all impressive.

According to 247 Sports, Rutgers was his first offer.

 

What Rutgers players are signing in December? Who will enroll early?

The Early Signing Period is a crucial period for Rutgers football this year, as is adding early enrollees.

 

Early Signing Period runs begins on December 16 and runs three days for high school seniors, a crucial time for Rutgers football as they continue their rebuild.

With a class ranked No. 39 in the nation according to 247 Sports, Rutgers has the type of group coming in that makes them far more competitive in the Big Ten.

Getting this group signed is one thing, getting them on campus early is another. Top programs have done a tremendous job in the past few years of getting players enrolled in January and integrated into the team early. Assimilating a freshman into workouts and spring football is a huge leg up for these players, getting them valuable reps on the field, a five-month jump on strength and conditioning as well time in the film room.

Not to mention getting a jump on the course load to make things a bit more normal in the fall.

Below is an ongoing list compiled by ‘Rutgers Wire‘ on what players plan on signing in December as well as who is coming in as an early enrollee in January.

For Greg Schiano, the next two weeks are about recruiting

Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano is eyeing a strong recruiting push to close out the 2022 class.

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There is a lot that happens for Rutgers football over the next two weeks, with or without a bowl game.

Rutgers has the No. 27 class in the nation according to Rivals, a group that features six players ranked with four stars. This season’s 5-7 record showed a team that is clearly making gains, but one that also still needs to add significant talent to be competitive in the most difficult division in college football.

Following Saturday’s home loss to Maryland to close out the regular season, head coach Greg Schiano detailed the importance of these next two weeks to get to signing day.

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“This is a critical time. We have literally two weeks plus a weekend next weekend and a weekend the following weekend, basically 14 days, and then the recruiting period goes dead, so it’s — a lot of people say, well, the season is through,” Schiano told reporters.

“Now you can — no. The season is through, and now you’ve got to sprint harder until you get to signing date on the 15th, and the signing date is — people call it the early signing date. It’s not. It’s the signing date. If they want to name something, they call the old one the late signing date. We’ve got a lot of work to do between now and the 15th.”

Rutgers likely is looking to add at least one more defensive back in this class, with four-star Davison Igbinosun the top priority. Wide receiver could be a spot of need as could adding one more pass rusher in the group.