The commitment of John Forster last week was a significant pick-up for a Rutgers football recruiting class that is among the best in the Big Ten as well as the nation.
A running back from St. Joseph’s (Montvale, New Jersey), Forster is one of several high-profile recruits to have committed to Rutgers this recruiting cycle. He committed to the Scarlet Knights last weekend.
Arguably the poster boy of this class, Forster heads up a class that has certainly turned heads. Rivals ranks the class as seventh in the nation and 247Sports puts them at No. 10.
Both recruiting outlets have Rutgers with one of the best recruiting classes in the Big Ten.
Forster took an official visit to Rutgers in late May and then followed it up one week later with a visit to Illinois. His commitment last week underscored the gains Rutgers has made with in-state commits.
In terms of Forster, Rivals ranks him as the fifth-best running back in the nation and a four-star recruit. He has been offered by Boston College, Duke, Minnesota, Penn State, Syracuse, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin.
“It felt like a home away from home,” Forster told Rutgers Wire. “And with the recruiting class they’re bringing in, I wanted to help make history in my home state.”
Forster had no shortage of high-profile offers, but his commitment to Rutgers sent a message about the direction of the program.
Coming off a 7-6 (3-6 Big Ten) season where they defeated Miami in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, Rutgers is on the ascend. That momentum is being felt on the recruiting trail, where the Scarlet Knights currently have seven recruits ranked as four-star players.
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There is a sense that with this highly-ranked class, Rutgers has turned a corner in terms of recruiting. Especially in terms of keeping in-state talent home.
“It’s very special every time my family and I are there,” Forster said.
“It’s a great time. They take great care of us and are very ensuring that they really care about family.”