Rowan Byrne visited Rutgers football on Thursday, giving the Big Ten program a chance to further connect with the four-star offensive lineman.
Byrne is a standout at Iona Prep (New Rochelle, New York). He is one of the top players in the Northeast and is the No. 242 recruit in the nation according to On3.
There is no shortage of programs in after Byrne, who holds offers from Baylor, Boston College, Duke, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Rutgers among others.
Rivals ranks him as the top player in New York in the 2025 cycle. Last year, K.J. Duff, the top-ranked player in New York, committed to Rutgers (Duff was recently named a top-10 tight end in the nation by On3).
Byrne’s visit included time spent with Scott Vallone, the offensive line assistant at Rutgers.
“It was a great day – I got to spend a lot of one-on-one time with coach Vallone,” Byrne told RutgersWire on Friday.
“But I also spent a lot of time with the players, they’re great guys. I really liked them. And I got to see the offensive line during meetings which was great too. I really saw a fit.”
Rutgers was among the first programs to offer Byrne, but he is certainly seeing his recruitment grow as one of the nation’s top interior offensive linemen. A good visit this week means for Byrne that Rutgers “Stayed in my top group, up there with a few other schools.”
[lawrence-related id=34889,34885]
The time with Vallone was beneficial for Byrne as it gave him some insight into his coaching style. Vallone works alongside Pat Flaherty, the offensive line coach at Rutgers.
“Definitely my time talking football with coach Vallone, the way he teaches really sticks to me,” Byrne said of what stood out from the visit.
“He’s a phenomenal coach, genuinely. and my time sitting in the meeting and then spending time with the players – those guys are awesome. I felt like I really fit in with them which is awesome.”
Byrne is planning to visit Rutgers for a visit to spring practice.