Elijah King caps off a busy two days for Rutgers football that saw three recruits – all on defense – commit to the Scarlet Knights.
A defensive lineman from Lincoln High School (Gahanna, OH), King is an already impressive 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds. He says that Rutgers defensive line coach [autotag]Marquise Watson[/autotag] likens his game to that of Aaron Lewis, the Scarlet Knights standout who was one of the top edge rushers in the nation a season ago.
After taking an official visit to New Jersey in early June, King took the past couple of weeks to take other visits before starting to feel like Rutgers football and head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag]’s program could be home. He had one more official visit opening for this upcoming weekend, at either Indiana or Iowa, but he canceled both visits after committing to Rutgers on Thursday afternoon.
The three-star defensive lineman said that one thing on the official visit to Rutgers really stood out to him.
“Just really, the culture and the people – coach Schiano and coach Watson – just the people and just everybody,” King told Rutgers Wire on Thursday shortly after his commitment.
“It was the vibe. When I got there, I felt great. I felt they had it on a different level. I felt like they got me and it was genuine.”
Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kentucky, Minnesota, Purdue and West Virginia all offered King.
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He speaks of a relationship with Rutgers with Watson that is meaningful and impactful. One that he said stuck out from the other places he visited.
“I feel like coach Watson – he’s a different guy. He made it feel like home on the visit,” King said.
“I just didn’t feel like it was fake. I felt I could be myself, I didn’t have to put on a show. I felt comfortable with the coaches, the players. They reminded me of my family. The things they believe in – ‘F.A.M.I.L.Y.’, ‘Trust’ and ‘CHOP’ are the things I believe in too.”
The process is over, King said, and he isn’t planning on taking any other visits. He admits to being a bit relieved and is focused on his offseason workouts as well as spending some time relaxing, primarily at the pool with his friends.
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Making the decision, he says, now has him feeling “relieved” that the recruiting process is over.
Prior to his visit, there were concerns prior to his visit about being so far away from home but those were alleviated after talking with coach Schiano and feeling a sense of comfort around the program.
“Rutgers hit different,” King said. “I felt comfortable there. I don’t know how else to say it, but it just felt right for me.”
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