Elijah King was offered by Rutgers football this week and so far, the Big Ten program has made a strong impression on the three-star defensive lineman.
At 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, King is a class of 2024 defensive end from Gahanna Lincoln (Columbus, OH). He is a tremendous presence off the edge, with good length coupled with a nice twitch that is a headache for offensive tackles.
The recruitment from Rutgers was kicked into high gear with the offer this week. It began with a conversation between King and tight ends coach Andrew Aurich. Then progressed to a talk with head coach Greg Schiano.
“I was first contacted by coach Aurich and we had a FaceTime call talking about Rutgers. Talking about F.A.M.I.L.Y, Trust, CHOP and talking about the culture. Then he got me in touch with coach Schiano,” King told Rutgers Wire.
“After talking with coach Schiano, I feel really good about the program. I’m looking forward to finding out more. I truly appreciate them for believing in me enough to give me an offer.”
He holds offers from a range of programs including Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Minnesota and West Virginia among others.
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It is early, but Rutgers is doing well with King.
“I love what they have there and the culture. I do look forward to going and learning more about Rutgers,” King said.
King said that the programs after him the hardest are “Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio State.”
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The Buckeyes are likely to get a visit from King in the spring.
“I grew up in a Buckeyes family that went to Ohio State – and Ohio State is a great program,” King said.
“It would mean a lot to have an offer from there however, I would still use the same determining factors I would use with any other college.”
He said those factors are “Family within the team, great relationships with all the coaches, program of study and after-college programs.”
Rutgers currently has three players committed in the 2024 recruiting class:
- Kenny Jones, a three-star offensive lineman from New Jersey
- A.J. Surace, a three-star quarterback from New Jersey
- Gabriel Winowich, a four-star running back from Michigan
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