[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
Four-star running back Samuel Brown is one of the big pieces for a deep and loaded recruiting class for Rutgers football.
A four-star in the 247Sports composite and the No. 12 player in Pennsylvania in their rankings, Brown is having a strong season for La Salle. He has 959 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. He also had a nice 25-yard touchdown pass on a trick play last week.
No, it really was a nice throw, into tight coverage no less. Did anyone say WildKnight?
Brown is optimistic and upbeat about the direction and growth of Rutgers, a program he says is heading in the right direction under head coach Greg Schiano. Rutgers went 3-6 a season ago in Schiano’s first season with the program and he has the Scarlet Knights at 4-5 (1-5 Big Ten) this season.
“Coach Schiano, this is his first full year. He’s getting in there, he’s getting a feel for everything. He’s rebuilding a program and you can see that from the good start they’ve had at 3-0,” Brown told ‘Rutgers Wire’ on Thursday night. “You can see the program is rising and heading in the right direction.
“You don’t panic over things like that, you keep working at it.”
(What are Rutgers recruits saying about the team’s rebuild and season record?)
A big reason why Brown is so fully vested in Rutgers is because of the strong communication and bond he is forming with his fellow recruits and the coaching staff.
“I talk to them every day, we have a great relationship. Everything is going great with them, coach Schiano, coach Fran [Brown] and my running backs coach [Augie Hoffman],” Brown said.
“I talk to coach Fran the most but I also talk to my position coach, coach Aug.”
He also has forged a strong bond with Gavin Wimsatt, who was originally a member of the 2022 recruiting class but graduated early from high school and enrolled at Rutgers in September.
“Gavin, he just tells me that he envisions me and all the other recruits coming in there, getting in there and doing our thing and helping the program as much as we can,” Brown said. “He’s really excited being there.”
Brown is hopeful that Saturday’s playoff game for La Salle against St. Joseph’s Prep at historic Franklin Field will see him not only top 1,000 rushing yards but also come away with a win.
“That’s what I want to do, hopefully, I can get it in this game coming. I’m just focused on winning, hopefully as the game goes that happens but I’m focused on winning,” Brown said.
“I’ll be grateful to get it but I want to win the game more.”
Brown plans on joining Rutgers in the summer. This winter after football he will play on the La Salle basketball team where he starts at either guard position.