One of New Jersey’s top prospects in the 2024 class is intrigued by Rutgers football. Michael Troutman III sees Rutgers as trending up both on the field and in his recruitment.
An offensive lineman at DePaul Catholic (Wayne, New Jersey), Troutman is the No. 21 player in New Jersey according to On3. He is a three-star prospect and has a strong list of offers that includes Boston College, Duke, Illinois, Michigan State, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Texas A&M among others.
On Sunday, Troutman will be one of several dozen blue chip recruits who will be on the Rutgers campus for an unofficial visit.
“They’re going pretty well, I talk to them regularly,” Troutman told Rutgers Wire of his relationship with the Scarlet Knights.
“Definitely, how consistent they are when you hear from them, it’s not a once-in-a-while thing. I talk to the staff regularly.”
The relationship with Rutgers is a strong one, and the relationship with coach [autotag]Pat Flaherty[/autotag] is definitely a growing one.
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Flaherty’s first season with Rutgers saw the offensive line coach transform the unit. A former offensive line coach in the NFL for two decades, Flaherty won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants.
“Coach Flats is a great coach, he’s the kind of coach you can call and football won’t be the only thing talked about. He genuinely has conversations with the people he talks to,” Troutman said.
“Our most recent call was just about life and things like that. Really, just a catch-up kind of thing. And we were talking about the basketball game this weekend.”
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Troutman will be at Rutgers this weekend and at Penn State for a visit the first weekend of February.
“I’m still getting to know the new coaches but I have a good relationship with the staff that’s been there,” Troutman said.